The Problems with Quarterly IEP Measurements
Waiting an entire quarter to find out there’s a problem can be a wait too long.
Waiting an entire quarter to find out there’s a problem can be a wait too long—especially when a student isn’t making progress or is regressing. If something isn’t working in a student’s IEP, why wait to adjust it?
The same applies when a student is exceeding expectations. If a goal is met early, why not raise the bar? Why wait until the end of the quarter to state the IEP needs tweaking, that the services and/or accommodations in place aren't working?
Think about it in terms of you attending an annual work review. Imagine arriving at the review and being told you’ve underperformed all year—despite receiving no prior feedback. You thought you were doing well. Maybe you even expected praise and/or a raise. Instead, you’re placed on probation.
You ask for the data behind the decision. If your employer shares it, you wonder why you weren’t informed earlier. If they can’t provide it, you question what’s behind the evaluation and your employer’s motives.
Or maybe you knew you were struggling and asked for help. Maybe your manager said you were fine, not to worry, or perhaps your manager provided you some guidance and never followed up. Now you’re blindsided, scrambling to fix what you didn’t know was broken.
Either way, you find yourself with data you didn't expect—and a feeling that you've all of a sudden got to hustle or face being fired and/or getting even more behind.
This is exactly what happens when IEP progress isn’t reviewed or adjusted in real-time. When teachers know something isn't working and/or have concerns, waiting until the end of the quarter can equate to nothing more than wasted time.
Imagine a student who has the following self-advocacy goal:
"Student will resolve concerns for which he self-advocates with staff on 75% of quarterly opportunities."
If the student doesn’t advocate in the first two weeks, why wait? Maybe he needs advocacy modeled before he can do it alone. Perhaps he needs service hours to learn how to handle certain situations and then practice with a teacher he trusts before going out and trying it all on his own. Maybe he freezes up in other situations and needs to learn tools he can employ when this happens.
On the flip side, if he meets the 75% benchmark early on, why not revise the goal to 100%? Why wait for the quarter to end? Delayed feedback doesn’t support student growth. It stalls it.