IEP Goals in Arizona: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in Arizona?
Arizona IEP goals must be measurable annual goals designed to meet the pupil's needs resulting from the disability to enable involvement and progress in the general education curriculum and to address each of the pupil's other educational needs resulting from the disability (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2); A.A.C. R7-2-401). Arizona follows the federal baseline: benchmarks or short-term objectives are required only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (i.e., students assessed on the Multi-State Alternate Assessment, MSAA) — not for all students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)). Under A.R.S. § 15-767, the IEP must specify how parents will be notified of the pupil's progress toward annual goals, and this notification must occur at least as frequently as report cards are provided to nondisabled pupils. Goals must flow logically from the PLAAFP and address all areas of identified need, including academic, functional, behavioral, and transition-related needs. The IEP team must review goals at least annually and revise them when the pupil is not making expected progress, when reevaluation yields new information, or when the parent or teacher requests a change (34 CFR 300.324(b)). ADE-ESS guidance encourages teams to write goals in objective terms specifying condition, behavior, and measurable criteria.
What Arizona Requires
All IEP goals must be measurable annual goals designed to meet the pupil's needs resulting from the disability and enable progress in the general education curriculum (A.A.C. R7-2-401; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
Benchmarks or short-term objectives are required in Arizona IEPs only for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (MSAA participants) — not for all students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii); per federal baseline applied in AZ).
The IEP must specify how the pupil's progress toward each annual goal will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided to parents (A.R.S. § 15-767; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Progress reports on IEP goals must be provided to parents at least as frequently as report cards are issued to nondisabled pupils (A.R.S. § 15-767; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)(ii)).
Goals must be reviewed at least annually and revised if the pupil is not making expected progress, when reevaluation results indicate changed needs, or when parents or teachers request revisions (34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Key Timelines
Annual goals are reviewed and updated at each annual IEP meeting (A.A.C. R7-2-401; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Progress reports on IEP goals must be provided to parents at least as frequently as report cards are issued to nondisabled pupils — typically quarterly (A.R.S. § 15-767; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Goals must be revised promptly if a child is not making adequate progress toward them, when reevaluation data indicates a change in need, or when the parent or teacher requests a review (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)).