IEP Progress Monitoring in Georgia
How often should you receive IEP progress reports in Georgia?
Georgia requires that the IEP describe how the child's progress toward meeting annual goals will be measured and when periodic reports on the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be provided (34 CFR §300.320(a)(3); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06). Progress reports must be provided to parents at least as often as report cards are issued to parents of nondisabled children. Georgia districts may set progress reporting frequency at 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 9 week intervals depending on the local report card schedule (GaDOE GO-IEP guidance). The Georgia Online IEP (GO-IEP) system provides tools for teachers to enter progress monitoring data throughout the year, and progress reports cannot be finalized until a progress note has been entered for all goals and objectives. For goals that have data entered on the Progress Monitoring tab, the data prepopulates into the Progress Report. The IEP Team must use data from progress monitoring to determine whether the child is making adequate progress. If the child is not making expected progress toward annual goals or in the general education curriculum, the IEP must be revised as appropriate (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)(ii)). Georgia emphasizes that regular progress monitoring should target the specific goal and guide future instruction. Teachers should collect data after long breaks to monitor for regression, which is also relevant to Extended School Year (ESY) eligibility determinations. Progress monitoring data is critical for annual IEP reviews, reevaluation decisions, and ESY determinations. The data should be objective and measurable, using the same criteria established in the annual goals. Georgia does not prescribe a specific method of progress monitoring but requires that the method be appropriate for the goal being measured and documented in the IEP.
What Georgia Requires
The IEP must describe how progress toward annual goals will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided to parents (34 CFR §300.320(a)(3); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06).
Progress reports must be provided at least as often as report cards are issued to parents of nondisabled children (34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)).
Georgia districts may set reporting frequency at 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 9 week intervals based on the local report card schedule (GaDOE GO-IEP guidance).
Progress reports in the GO-IEP system cannot be finalized until a progress note has been entered for all goals and objectives.
If the child is not making expected progress toward annual goals, the IEP must be revised as appropriate (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)(ii)).
Progress monitoring data must be objective, measurable, and use the same criteria established in the annual goals.
Data collected after long breaks supports both instructional planning and ESY eligibility determinations.
Key Timelines
Progress reports must be provided to parents at least as often as report cards are issued (34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)).
Progress data informs the annual IEP review, which must occur at least once per year (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)).
Reevaluations informed by progress data must occur at least every 3 years unless parent and LEA agree otherwise (34 CFR §300.303(b)).
Data should be collected after long breaks (e.g., winter, spring, summer) to assess regression and recoupment for ESY determinations.