IEP Goals in New York: What Parents Need to Know

What makes an IEP goal measurable in New York?

New York State requires the IEP to include measurable annual goals, encompassing both academic and functional goals, that are consistent with the student's needs and abilities (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iii); 34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)). These goals must be designed to meet the student's needs resulting from the disability to enable involvement in and progress in the general education curriculum, and to meet each of the student's other educational needs resulting from the disability (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iii)(a)). Annual goals must be aligned with the New York State Learning Standards where applicable (NYSED IEP Q&A Guidance; 8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iii)). Each annual goal must include three components: evaluative criteria (the measure to determine whether the goal has been achieved), evaluation procedures (the method by which progress will be measured), and evaluation schedules (when progress will be measured) (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iii)(b)). This three-component framework is a NY-specific requirement that goes beyond the federal standard. Goals must be developed during the CSE or CPSE meeting itself; they cannot be drafted after the meeting and sent home to parents later (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(4)). For students who participate in the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) and for all preschool students with disabilities, the IEP must also include short-term instructional objectives and/or benchmarks representing measurable intermediate steps between the student's present level of performance and the measurable annual goal (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iv)). Short-term objectives are optional for all other students, though districts may adopt a policy to include them for all students. Each individual teacher or related service provider responsible for providing instruction to assist the student in meeting a goal should have responsibility for progress monitoring of that goal (NYSED IEP Q&A Guidance). The IEP must also identify when periodic reports on the student's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be provided to parents, such as through quarterly or other periodic reports concurrent with the issuance of report cards (8 NYCRR §200.4(d)(2)(iii)(b)). When a student is not making expected progress toward annual goals, the CSE must review the goals and services and, as appropriate, revise the IEP to ensure the student is receiving appropriate supports and services (NYSED IEP Q&A Guidance).