IEP Goals in South Carolina: What Parents Need to Know
What makes an IEP goal measurable in South Carolina?
South Carolina requires measurable annual goals in every IEP consistent with 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2) and Regulation 43-243. Annual goals must be aligned with state academic standards (South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards) and must address the child's disability-related needs to enable involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. Short-term objectives or benchmarks are required only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards — they are NOT required for all students with disabilities in South Carolina. This is consistent with the federal baseline. For transition-age students (age 13 and older in South Carolina — earlier than the federal minimum of 16), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to training or education, employment, and where appropriate independent living skills. Goals must be written to allow for meaningful progress monitoring and must be reported to parents on the same schedule as report cards are issued to nondisabled students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)). The South Carolina Employability Credential program provides an alternative course of study with goals focused on career readiness for eligible students whose IEP team determines this pathway is appropriate.
What South Carolina Requires
All IEPs must include measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to meet disability-related needs and enable progress in the general education curriculum (Reg. 43-243; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
Short-term objectives or benchmarks are required ONLY for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards; they are not required for all students with disabilities (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
For students age 13 and older (South Carolina's transition age), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments addressing training/education, employment, and independent living (Reg. 43-243, Section III.G).
Annual goals must be written so that progress can be objectively measured and reported to parents at a minimum as frequently as nondisabled peers receive report cards (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
The IEP must include a description of how progress toward annual goals will be measured (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
For students pursuing the South Carolina Employability Credential, IEP goals must align with the career readiness course of study and include work readiness and functional skill development (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-33-30; Reg. 43-243).
Key Timelines
Annual goals must be reviewed and updated at each annual IEP meeting, at minimum every 12 months (34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Progress toward annual goals must be reported to parents on the same schedule as report cards are issued to general education students (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).