Rather than asking for a progress report from your IEP team every month, ask for monthly updates. A progress report would be asking for the provider to test the student on goals; for example, if the goal says "in 4 out of 5 opportunities," the provider or teacher has to do it five times to collect the data. If you do ask for a progress report every month, it's recommended that you limit your request to a few goals that you are concerned about. Consider how much time you want the teacher or provider collecting data and how much time you want them teaching your child; asking the teacher to collect more data could impede your child's progress.
Report cards will come out at set times during the school year. It should be a check box on the IEP whether you receive them every semester, three times a year, or quarterly. For a particular goal, the parent can ask for (and the IEP team can agree to) more frequent reports, such as every six weeks.
You can also ask your IEP team if there are curriculum-based measurements that could be used for parent updates. For example, if your child is doing an evidence-based reading program, does it have built-in progress monitoring (usually at the end of each unit) that can be shared with you?
It can be helpful to set a monthly reminder and reach out to the team members for updates. Often, school staff can suggest things the parents can do at home to support what they’re working on in school, so it can be in the spirit of collaboration. If your child has both private and school therapists, it can be helpful for there to be consult minutes added to the IEP so that the private and school providers can connect.
For more information, see our full article Progress Reporting for IEPs.
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