IEP Goals in North Carolina: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in North Carolina?
North Carolina requires that every IEP include measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to meet the child's needs resulting from the disability and to enable the child's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(i); NC 1503-5). Goals must be clearly defined and measurable, and must be based on the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Each goal should include the conditions under which the behavior will be observed, the specific observable behavior, and the measurable criteria for mastery. For students who take North Carolina's alternate assessment (NCEXTEND1) aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (the NC Extended Content Standards), the IEP must also include a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives that break down annual goals into discrete, measurable intermediate steps (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)). The IEP Team determines the number and scope of annual goals based on the student's identified needs from the PLAAFP. Goals must address each area of need identified in the present levels, including both academic areas (reading, math, writing) and functional areas (behavior, social skills, communication, daily living) where the disability impacts the student. The IEP must describe how the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided to parents (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)). In North Carolina, progress reports on IEP goals are issued in accordance with the school's report card schedule, meaning parents receive updates on goal progress at least as often as parents of nondisabled children receive report cards. If a child is not making expected progress toward annual goals, the IEP must be revised as appropriate (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(ii)(A)). North Carolina's ECATS (Exceptional Children Accountability and Tracking System) tracks goal progress and generates progress reports for parents. Goal data and progress reporting are required to be maintained in ECATS by all LEAs per NC DPI SBE policy.
What North Carolina Requires
Each IEP must include measurable annual goals designed to meet the child's disability-related needs and enable involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(i); NC 1503-5)
Goals must be clearly defined and measurable, including conditions, observable behavior, and measurable criteria for mastery (NC 1503-5; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2))
For students taking NCEXTEND1 (alternate assessment aligned to NC Extended Content Standards), the IEP must include benchmarks or short-term objectives (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii))
The IEP must describe how progress toward annual goals 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 issued at least as often as report cards are issued to parents of nondisabled children (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3))
Goals must address each area of need identified in the PLAAFP, including both academic and functional domains
The IEP must be revised if the child is not making expected progress toward annual goals (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(ii)(A))
Key Timelines
Annual goals are reviewed at least annually by the IEP Team to determine whether they are being achieved (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(i))
Progress reports must be provided to parents at least as frequently as report cards are issued to parents of nondisabled children (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3))
The IEP must be revised as appropriate if the child is not making expected progress toward the annual goals (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(ii)(A))
Initial annual goals must be established as part of the initial IEP within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination (34 CFR 300.323(c)(1))