What does it mean that an IEP goal was “partially met”?

The IEP team will review progress on previous goals, and will note whether the goal was met, partially met, or not met. Ensure that you request the actual data point. All IEP goals are measured by number data — this means that there should be a number or some form of quantitative data to support these statements. The district cannot simply say the goal was “met” or “not met”: they need to have hard data. If there is no number attached to that goal, request it and be certain to request the data that was collected to track that goal.

The only way a goal can be marked as “partially met” is if there was improvement from the baseline. Make sure you have the previous year’s IEP with you so you can reference the baselines. For more information, see our article Progress Reporting for IEPs.