Let's say you have survived the meeting. The goals look good. Services are in writing. Everyone shook hands. Now what?
Now comes the part that decides whether any of it mattered: are the goals actually working?
Progress monitoring: your check-engine light
Progress monitoring is simply how the school tracks whether your child is learning the skills in their goals. Done well, it works like the dashboard in your car: it tells you early if something is off, so you can fix it before you are stranded on the side of the road.
Green light
You understand how progress will be measured.
You know how often you will get updates.
A specific person is responsible for tracking progress on each service.
The team looked at progress from last year's IEP.
The team considered extended school year (support over the summer) if it is needed.
A handy rule: you should get progress updates at least as often as parents of kids without disabilities get report cards. If report cards come out quarterly, IEP progress reports should too.
Why last year's progress matters most
If your child has had the same goal for three years in a row, that is a flag worth looking at. It might mean the goal is too hard, or the teaching is not working, or the data is not being used. Either way, doing the same thing again and expecting a different result is not a plan.
Caution signs
Do I know how this data is used to make decisions or change instruction?
What changes if progress stalls or goes backward?
Rest area: what to ask
"How often will I get updates, and what will they look like?"
"If progress stalls, what adjustments happen and when?"
"Please add how the skill will be measured and how often it will be measured in the IEP."
U-turn: if the updates never arrive
It happens more than anyone would like. Try:
"I haven't received scheduled updates. Let's set a calendar reminder and confirm the point person."
Here is how that can look. Jordan's dad, Marcus, was supposed to get progress reports every nine weeks. By week 18, nothing. He sent a friendly email with that exact script, copied the case manager, and got the report within three days.
It was not drama. It was a clear request with a name and a date.
Transition planning: getting ready for adulthood
If your child is a teenager, there is another part of the IEP you do not want to skip.
Transition planning is how the IEP prepares a student for life after high school: more school or training, work, and living as independently as possible.
Not every IEP has to include transition goals. Federal law requires them by the time a student turns 16, and many states require them earlier, so check your state's rules. Don't wait for the deadline. The earlier the conversation, the more time your child has to build skills.
Green light for transition
Transition goals connect to future education, employment, and independent living.
Transition services are the steps the school is taking now to help your child reach those goals.
Your child's own input is included and taken seriously.
Community or work-based experiences are included when appropriate.
A quick example. Let's say your 15-year-old dreams of being an astronaut. The school is not promising a launch date. But it is responsible for steps that fit: math and science courses, building communication and teamwork skills, learning to follow safety routines, and exploring programs and careers that connect.
Questions to ask for transition
"How will my student learn to self-advocate?"
"What community experiences are planned?"
"What skills do you think my student still needs to live independently, continue with education, and get and keep a job?"
And a soapbox moment, if you will allow it: start thinking about guardianship and decision-making supports well before your child turns 18, if that might apply to your family. That conversation takes time and the legal pieces are best explored early. If you’re in Utah, send me a message and I can walk you through it, if not, a lawyer who knows disability law is a wise person to talk to.
If you remember one thing: ask how progress is measured and what changes if it stalls, and start transition conversations early.
Want the whole map? Download the free IEP Roadmap checklist and check out our IEP Parent Training.
If you would like someone to look over your child's IEP with you, learn about our IEP Advocacy services. I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you want to talk it through.
Casey Gressmen, MBA, MEd, BCBA, LBA, is a licensed special education teacher and board certified behavior analyst and the founder of Phoenix Rising Behavior and Academic Consulting.
