The Significance of Goals in Your Child's IEP
By Hillary D. Freeman, Esq.
According to the IDEIA, students are entitled to a free
appropriate public education (“FAPE”) in the least restrictive environment.
In order for a program to be appropriate, a student’s Individualized Education
Plan/Program (“IEP”) must include measurable goals that are designed to address
the student’s unique needs. Likewise, the student needs to be afforded adequate
instruction to ensure he or she makes meaningful progress towards those goals.
For the reasons set forth above, it is vital that the IEP team
(which includes the child study team, teachers, and parents) reviews the goals
at least annually to assess the student’s progress and modify the IEP accordingly.
It is important to make sure that all IEP goals are challenging for the student and
the “criteria for mastery” is specific. Without this, it will be difficult to
determine whether the student requires increased or different instruction to help
master his or her goals.
There was a rumor that school districts were advised that they
only need to write one goal for students in an inclusive placement, specifically
that the student will follow the district’s curriculum in that subject. This is
not the case. Generic goals violate the intent of the IDEIA, which requires a
student’s educational program to be individualized.
When there is a dispute as to the amount of progress a student is
making or the appropriateness of an IEP, the special education laws provide parents
with due process procedures to challenge the evaluation determinations made by the
district. If parents are successful, they may be entitled to reimbursement of
attorney’s fees.
Hinkle,
Fingles, & Prior maintains a multi-state law practice
with offices in Lawrenceville, Marlton, and Florham
Park, New Jersey, and Plymouth Meeting and Bala Cynwyd,
Pennsylvania. They lecture and write frequently on
topics of law, aging, disability and estate planning
and are available
to speak to groups in New Jersey
and Pennsylvania at no charge.
Comments
and suggestions for future articles should be mailed
to: Hinkle, Fingles & Prior, Attorneys at Law,
2651 Main Street, Suite A, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
08648-1012.
Copyright
2008 Hinkle, Fingles & Prior, Attorneys at Law. All rights reserved.
