Skip to content
IEP Atlas
Start free trial
Menu

Progress report (IEP)

Last updated

An IEP progress report tells parents, on a schedule stated in the IEP, how much progress the student is making toward each annual goal.

Topic: The IEP document

In plain terms

The IEP must say when periodic reports on goal progress will be provided, such as quarterly alongside report cards. A useful report gives the current data for each goal, compares it with the baseline and target, and says whether the student is on track. Phrases like "progressing" without numbers leave parents guessing.

How it shows up in an IEP

Progress reports are only as good as the data behind them. Teachers who collect data on a regular schedule can report a clear number: "Baseline 45 WCPM; now 62 WCPM; target 80." If a report shows the student is not on track, it is a signal to reconvene the team.

Example

A quarterly report reads: "Goal 2, task initiation: started work within 2 minutes in 14 of 20 observed work periods (70%). Baseline was 30%; target is 90%. On track."

The rule

Federal reference: 34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)(ii).

Related terms

  • Progress monitoringProgress monitoring is the regular, repeated measurement of a student's performance on a skill to check whether instruction is working.
  • BaselineA baseline is a student's measured performance on a skill before instruction toward a new goal begins, used as the goal's starting point.
  • Measurable annual goalA measurable annual goal is an IEP goal written so that two different people could observe the student and agree on whether it was met.
  • Goal line (aimline)A goal line is a line on a progress graph drawn from the baseline to the annual target, showing the rate of growth needed to meet the goal.
  • Annual reviewAn annual review is the IEP meeting, held at least once every 12 months, where the team reviews progress and writes the next year's IEP.

On IEP Atlas

This page describes special education terms and federal rules in general terms and is not legal advice. Our editorial policy explains how IEP Atlas writes and reviews content. Browse all 244 terms.