IEP Goals in Mississippi: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in Mississippi?
Mississippi IEP goals must be measurable annual goals designed to meet the child's needs resulting from the disability and to enable involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, consistent with 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2) as adopted through the Mississippi Special Education Regulations under Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-9. Mississippi follows the federal standard: benchmarks or short-term objectives are required only for students with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (the MAAP-A); for all other students, benchmarks or short-term objectives are not required but are considered best practice by MDE. The IEP must describe how progress toward annual goals will be measured and how parents will be informed of that progress. Parents must receive progress reports on IEP goals at least as frequently as report cards are issued to nondisabled students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)). Goals must be reviewed at least annually at the IEP meeting, and the IEP team must revise goals when a student is not making expected progress or when the student's needs change.
What Mississippi Requires
Annual goals must be measurable and address disability-related needs to enable progress in the general curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2); Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-9).
Benchmarks or short-term objectives are required only for students taking alternate assessments (MAAP-A); for other students they are recommended best practice but not mandated (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii); MS Sp. Ed. Regs.).
The IEP must describe how progress toward each annual goal will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided to parents (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 students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Goals must be revised when a student is not making expected progress, when reevaluation results indicate changed needs, or when the parent or teacher requests a revision (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)).
Key Timelines
Annual goals cover a one-year period and must be reviewed at least annually at the IEP meeting (34 CFR 300.324(b); Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-9).
Progress reports must be issued at least as frequently as report cards for nondisabled students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Goals must be revised when a student is not making expected progress, which may require convening the IEP team before the annual review (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)).