IEP Goals in Kentucky: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in Kentucky?
Kentucky IEP goals must be measurable annual goals designed to address the child's disability-related needs and enable involvement and progress in the general curriculum as aligned with the Kentucky Program of Studies (704 KAR 3:303). Under 707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7), the IEP must include measurable annual goals. Benchmarks or short-term objectives are included at LEA discretion — Kentucky follows the federal standard that only requires them mandatorily for students taking alternate assessments, but individual LEAs may elect to include them for all students. The IEP must describe how progress toward annual goals will be measured and must specify a schedule for periodic progress reports (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(13)). Progress reports may align with the regular report card issuance schedule. The ARC must consider child strengths, parent concerns, recent evaluation results, and academic, developmental, and functional needs when developing goals (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(1)-(2)). Goals must be revised when the student is not making expected progress, or when the ARC otherwise determines revision is warranted.
What Kentucky Requires
Annual goals must be measurable, address disability-related needs, and enable progress in the general curriculum consistent with Kentucky Program of Studies (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7); 704 KAR 3:303).
The IEP must specify how progress toward annual goals will be measured and include a periodic progress reporting schedule (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(13)).
Benchmarks or short-term objectives are included at LEA discretion; the ARC may include them for any student (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7)).
Parents must be provided periodic progress reports on goals, which may be aligned with regular report cards (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(13); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
The ARC must consider child strengths, parent concerns, evaluation results, and academic and functional needs when developing goals (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(1)-(2)).
Goals must be revised when a student is not making expected progress, requiring a review by the ARC (707 KAR 1:320; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Key Timelines
Annual goals cover a one-year period and must be reviewed at least annually by the ARC (707 KAR 1:320; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Progress reports on goals must be provided periodically as specified in the IEP, which may align with the regular report card schedule (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(13)).