IEP Progress Monitoring in New Jersey
How often should you receive IEP progress reports in New Jersey?
New Jersey requires that the IEP include both a statement of how the student's progress toward annual goals will be measured (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(15)) and a statement of how the student's parents will be regularly informed of their child's progress and the extent to which that progress is sufficient to achieve the goals by year's end (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(16)). Parents must be informed of their child's progress at least as often as parents of nondisabled students receive report cards, which in most NJ districts means quarterly. Progress reports should include data on each IEP goal, indicating whether the student is on track to meet the goal by the annual review date. When the IEP team determines that a student is not making expected progress toward annual goals, the team must reconvene to consider revisions (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(j)(1)). New Jersey also requires benchmarks or short-term objectives for all classified students (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(3)), which provides additional data points for monitoring progress between annual reviews.
What New Jersey Requires
The IEP must include a statement of how progress toward each annual goal will be measured (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(15)).
Parents must be regularly informed of progress at least as frequently as report cards are issued to nondisabled students (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(16); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Progress reports must indicate the extent to which progress is sufficient for the student to achieve annual goals by year's end (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(16)).
Benchmarks or short-term objectives for all classified students provide intermediate progress markers (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(3)).
When a student is not making expected progress, the IEP team must reconvene to consider revisions to goals, services, or placement (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(j)(1)).
Key Timelines
Progress reports must be issued at least as frequently as report cards for nondisabled students, typically quarterly in NJ districts (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(e)(16)).
The IEP team must review progress annually or more often if needed (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(i)).
If progress is insufficient, the IEP team should reconvene promptly to revise the IEP (N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7(j)).