IEP Goals in Montana: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in Montana?
Montana IEP goals must be measurable annual goals, as required by ARM 10.16.3340 incorporating 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2). Goals must be designed to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum and address each of the child's educational needs resulting from the disability. For students who participate in alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, the IEP must also include benchmarks or short-term objectives. Montana's OPI guidance documents emphasize that goals must be written in objective, measurable terms—specifying the condition, the behavior, and the criteria for mastery—and must flow logically from the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Montana allows IEP teams to include collaborative school-based team goals that target systems-level change in addition to individual student goals, as outlined in OPI's Collaborative Goals Fact Sheet. The IEP must describe how progress toward each annual goal will be measured and when periodic reports on progress will be provided to parents, at minimum as frequently as regular report cards. Montana also recognizes Response to Scientific Research-Based Intervention (RTI) as a permissible method of assessment for identifying students with specific learning disabilities under ARM 10.16.3019A, and evaluation teams must consider a student's rate of progress toward standards-based goals when determining eligibility. Under ARM 10.16.3345, Montana LEAs are specifically responsible for procedures for promotion of students with disabilities, which requires consideration of IEP goal progress.
What Montana Requires
All IEP goals must be measurable annual goals designed to enable progress in the general education curriculum and address the child's needs resulting from the disability (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
For students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, the IEP must include benchmarks or short-term objectives in addition to annual goals (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
The IEP must describe how progress toward each goal will be measured and when periodic 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)).
Annual goals must logically flow from present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and address all identified areas of need.
Key Timelines
Annual goals are set for a one-year period and must be reviewed at the annual IEP review (ARM 10.16.3340; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Progress on goals must be reported to parents at least as frequently as report cards are issued to nondisabled students—typically quarterly (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Goals must be revised if the student is not making adequate progress toward them (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(ii)).