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 Academic Standards (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. Under KRS 157.230, the Kentucky Board of Education must ensure that the educational programs for exceptional children meet the needs of each child, reinforcing the individualized nature of goal-setting. Each goal must be tied to the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, ensuring a clear baseline-to-target measurement framework. For students participating in the alternate portfolio assessment, benchmarks or short-term objectives aligned to alternate achievement standards must be included (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
What Kentucky Requires
Annual goals must be measurable, address disability-related needs, and enable progress in the general curriculum consistent with Kentucky Academic Standards (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; they are mandatory for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
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)(1)(ii)).
Each goal must be linked to the PLAAFP providing a measurable baseline for determining progress (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(7); KDE IEP Guidance).
The ARC must consider the five special factors when developing goals: behavior, language needs, Braille, communication needs, and assistive technology (707 KAR 1:320, Section 5(2)(a)-(e)).
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)).
The ARC must reconvene if the student is not making expected progress toward annual goals (707 KAR 1:320; 34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(ii)).
Sources
Related IEP Guides
IEP Goals: How to Tell If They're Actually Good (With Examples)
Are your child's IEP goals actually good enough? Real examples of vague vs. strong goals, plus the exact questions to ask at your next meeting.
IEP Goal Progress Monitoring: How to Know If Your Child Is Actually Making Progress
How IEP goal progress is measured, what progress reports should include, what to do when progress stalls, and how to hold schools accountable.
Present Levels (PLAAFP): The IEP Section That Drives Everything Else
The Present Levels section is the foundation of the IEP. Learn what it should include, red flags to watch for, and how to add your voice.