10 IEP Red Flags Every Parent Should Know

If Something Feels Off, Trust Your Gut

You sat through the IEP meeting. You nodded along. You signed the paperwork. But on the drive home, a nagging feeling crept in: Is this actually going to help my child?

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and you are not overreacting. Research shows that roughly 40% of parents are dissatisfied with some part of their child's IEP process. Even more alarming, 66% of parents report they never received a draft IEP before the meeting, which means they were asked to review and approve a complicated legal document on the spot.

Your instincts matter. Parents know their children better than anyone in that conference room. When something feels wrong with an IEP, there is usually a reason. This guide will help you put words to that feeling. We will walk through ten of the most common red flags in IEPs, explain why each one is a problem, and, most importantly, tell you exactly what to do about it.

Why IEP Red Flags Matter

An IEP is not just paperwork. It is a legally binding promise from your child's school. Every goal, every service, every accommodation listed in that document is something the school must provide. That means the quality of the IEP directly controls the quality of your child's education.

A weak IEP can lead to:

• A child who falls further behind each year
• Services that look good on paper but accomplish nothing in practice
• Years of lost learning time that is very hard to make up later
• Frustration and anxiety for your child, who knows they are struggling

The good news? Most IEP problems can be fixed once you know what to look for. Let's go through the ten biggest warning signs.

The 10 Red Flags

1. Vague or Unmeasurable Goals

What it looks like:

The IEP says things like "Johnny will improve his reading skills" or "Sara will make progress in math." These goals sound nice, but they don't actually mean anything specific. There is no number. There is no target. There is no way to know if your child reached the goal or not.

Why it's a problem:

Under IDEA (the federal special education law), IEP goals must be measurable. That word is in the law for a reason. If a goal cannot be measured, no one can be held accountable for whether your child made progress. A vague goal lets the school say "well, she improved a little" even if your child barely moved forward.

What to do:

• Ask: "How will we measure this? What number will we use to know if my child met this goal?"
• Push for goals that include a specific target (e.g., "will read 90 words per minute with 95% accuracy"), a timeline (e.g., "by the end of the IEP year"), and a method of measurement (e.g., "as measured by curriculum-based reading probes").
• Compare: A bad goal says "improve reading." A good goal says "Given a 3rd-grade-level passage, Johnny will read aloud at 85 words per minute with no more than 3 errors, as measured by monthly DIBELS probes, by February 2027."

2. Goals That Don't Connect to Present Levels

What it looks like:

The Present Levels section (sometimes called PLAAFP) says your child is reading at a 1st-grade level. But the goals jump straight to 3rd-grade expectations. Or the Present Levels describe major trouble with writing, but there are no writing goals at all.

Why it's a problem:

Present Levels are the foundation of the entire IEP. They describe where your child is right now. Goals are supposed to describe where your child will be in one year. If the goals don't logically connect to the starting point, the IEP team either wasn't paying attention or set unrealistic expectations. Either way, your child loses.

What to do:

• Read the Present Levels section first. Write down every area of need it identifies.
• Then check: Does every area of need have at least one matching goal?
• Are the goals realistic? A child reading at a 1st-grade level is unlikely to jump to a 3rd-grade level in one year. Goals should be ambitious and achievable.
• If you see a gap, say: "The Present Levels mention trouble with [area], but I don't see a goal for it. Can we add one?"

3. Missing Services or Reduced Hours

What it looks like:

Your child's evaluation says they need speech therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized reading instruction. But the IEP only lists speech therapy. Or your child was getting 120 minutes a week of a service last year, and this year it dropped to 60 minutes with no explanation.

Why it's a problem:

Services are how your child actually gets help. The goals are the destination; the services are the vehicle. If the IEP identifies a need but doesn't include a service to address it, that need will go unmet. And if services are reduced without data showing your child no longer needs them, that's a red flag that the decision was driven by budget or staffing , not your child's needs.

What to do:

• Compare the evaluation recommendations to the services page of the IEP. Every recommended service should appear.
• If services were reduced, ask: "What data supports this reduction? Can you show me the progress monitoring that shows my child no longer needs this level of service?"
• Remember: Schools cannot reduce services simply because of staffing shortages or budget limitations. Your child's needs come first.

4. No Baseline Data

What it looks like:

The goal says your child "will write a five-sentence paragraph with correct grammar." But nowhere does the IEP say what your child can do right now. There is no baseline like "currently writes 2-sentence paragraphs with frequent grammar errors." The goal just floats there with no starting point.

Why it's a problem:

Without a baseline, you have no way to measure growth. Imagine trying to track a road trip without knowing where you started. If the school reports that your child "made progress," you have no reference point to judge whether that progress was meaningful or barely noticeable.

What to do:

• For every goal, look for a phrase like "currently performs at..." or "baseline data shows..." If it's missing, ask for it.
• Say: "Before we finalize this goal, I'd like to see the baseline data. Where is my child starting from?"
• Baselines should include specific numbers whenever possible, not just "below grade level."

5. Boilerplate Language

What it looks like:

You compare your child's IEP with another parent's, and the goals are word-for-word identical. Or the accommodations list looks like it was pulled from a generic template: "preferential seating, extended time, breaks as needed." The IEP reads like it was written for any child, not your child.

Why it's a problem:

The "I" in IEP stands for Individualized. Your child is not a template. Copy-paste goals and accommodations suggest that the team did not take the time to think carefully about what your child specifically needs. A child with dyslexia needs different accommodations than a child with ADHD, even if they are in the same classroom.

What to do:

• Read every goal and accommodation and ask yourself: "Does this sound like it was written specifically for my child?"
• If something feels generic, ask: "Can you explain how this accommodation was chosen based on my child's specific evaluation results?"
• Don't be afraid to suggest accommodations that you know work at home. You are an expert on your child.

6. No Progress Monitoring Plan

What it looks like:

The IEP lists goals but never explains how progress will be tracked, how often it will be measured, or who is responsible for collecting the data. You receive a progress report at the end of the quarter that just says "making progress" or "not yet meeting goal" with no numbers attached.

Why it's a problem:

Progress monitoring is how you know the IEP is working. Without a clear plan, the school has no system for catching problems early. If your child is not making progress, you want to know after 6 weeks, not after 6 months. By then, valuable learning time has been wasted.

What to do:

• For each goal, ask: "How often will progress be measured? What tool or method will be used? When will I receive updates?"
• Request that the IEP specify the measurement tool (e.g., "weekly curriculum-based measurement probes") and the reporting schedule (e.g., "progress reports sent home every 4 weeks").
• If the progress reports you receive are vague, write to the teacher and ask for the actual data: "Can you share the data points behind this progress report? I'd like to see the numbers."

7. Accommodations That Don't Match Your Child's Needs

What it looks like:

Your child has a processing speed deficit, but the IEP doesn't include extended time on tests. Or the IEP lists "use of a calculator" for a child whose primary struggle is reading, not math. The accommodations feel random, like they were picked from a dropdown menu rather than chosen based on your child's actual profile.

Why it's a problem:

Accommodations are supposed to remove barriers so your child can show what they actually know. The wrong accommodations don't help, and the missing right ones leave barriers in place. A child who needs text-to-speech software but only gets "preferential seating" is still stuck.

What to do:

• Look at the evaluation results. What are your child's specific weaknesses? Now check: Does each weakness have a matching accommodation that addresses it?
• Ask: "Based on my child's processing speed score of [X], shouldn't extended time be included?" Tie every request back to the data.
• If accommodations were listed last year but removed this year, ask why. Accommodations should only be removed if data shows they are no longer needed.

8. Pressure to Sign at the Meeting

What it looks like:

The meeting ends and someone slides the signature page across the table. "We just need your signature so we can get started." You feel rushed. Maybe the team seems impatient, or you are told that services cannot start until you sign. You feel like you have to decide right now.

Why it's a problem:

You are never required to sign the IEP at the meeting. This is one of the most important rights parents have, and one of the least-known. The IEP is a legal document. You have the right to take it home, read it carefully, show it to an advocate or attorney, sleep on it, and come back with questions. Pressure to sign on the spot should make you pause.

What to do:

• Practice this sentence: "Thank you. I'd like to take this home and review it before I sign." That is all you need to say.
• Ask for a full copy of the proposed IEP (including all pages, not just a summary).
• Take your time. Most states do not have a deadline for signing. If the school tells you there is a deadline, ask them to show you that in writing.
• Remember: Signing an IEP does not mean you agree with everything in it. In most states, you can sign with a note that says you consent to services beginning but disagree with certain parts. But it is still best to understand the full document before you sign.

9. Missing or Outdated Evaluations

What it looks like:

The most recent evaluation in your child's file is from three or four years ago. Or your child has known difficulties in an area (say, executive functioning or social skills) but there has never been a formal evaluation in that area. The team is writing goals based on old or incomplete information.

Why it's a problem:

Under IDEA, schools must re-evaluate your child at least every three years (called a triennial evaluation). But that is the minimum. If your child's needs have changed, you can request a new evaluation at any time. An IEP built on outdated data is like using a three-year-old map. Your child may have moved far from where the school thinks they are.

What to do:

• Check the dates on all evaluations in the IEP file. If any are more than three years old, a re-evaluation may be overdue.
• If you suspect a need in an area that has never been evaluated (such as assistive technology, occupational therapy, or a specific learning disability), put your request in writing. Say: "I am requesting that [child's name] be evaluated in the area of [specific area]. Please respond to this request in writing within [your state's timeline]."
• The school must either agree to evaluate or give you written notice explaining why they are refusing. If they refuse, you have the right to seek an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at the school's expense.

10. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Not Addressed or Defaulted

What it looks like:

The IEP does not include a meaningful discussion of placement. Your child was placed in a self-contained classroom without the team considering whether they could succeed in a general education setting with supports. Or the opposite: your child is kept in general education without enough support, and no one has discussed whether a different setting might help. The LRE section of the IEP is filled in with a single checkbox and no explanation.

Why it's a problem:

IDEA requires that children with disabilities be educated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. This is called the Least Restrictive Environment. The key word is appropriate: it does not mean every child belongs in general education, and it does not mean any child should be automatically separated. The IEP team must consider the full continuum of placements and choose the one that gives your child the best chance to make meaningful progress.

What to do:

• Ask: "What placement options did the team consider, and why was this one chosen?" The team should be able to explain their reasoning.
• If you feel your child needs more support than they are getting in general education, or if you feel they are being unnecessarily separated from peers, raise it directly: "I'd like us to discuss the continuum of placements and whether the current setting is the right fit."
• LRE decisions should be based on your child's individual data, not on what is convenient for the school. The IEP should include a written explanation of why the chosen placement is appropriate.

What to Do Next

If you spotted one or more of these red flags in your child's IEP, don't panic. You have options, and you have rights. Here is a simple three-step plan to move forward.

Step 1: Review the IEP Carefully

Sit down with the IEP document when you have quiet time. Go through it page by page. Use this article as a checklist. Mark every section that concerns you. Write down your questions. You don't need to be an expert. You just need to be specific about what worries you.

Step 2: Document Everything

Write down your concerns in a letter or email to the IEP team. Keep it factual and focused. For example: "I noticed that the reading goal does not include a measurable target. I'd like to discuss adding a specific benchmark." Always communicate in writing so you have a record. Follow up any phone calls with a brief email: "This confirms our conversation today about..."

Step 3: Request an IEP Meeting

You have the right to request an IEP meeting at any time, not just once a year. Put your request in writing. You might say: "I am writing to request an IEP team meeting to discuss concerns about [child's name]'s current IEP. Specifically, I would like to review [list your concerns]. Please schedule this meeting at a mutually convenient time."

The school is required to respond to your request. Bring your notes, bring your questions, and remember: you are an equal member of the IEP team. Your voice matters just as much as anyone else's at that table.

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