What is a standards-based IEP?

The majority of states have adopted the Common Core State Standards, which set out expectations for what students should be learning for each grade level. Even for students in special education, IEP teams should be writing goals with their state’s academic standards in mind. Standards-based IEP goals are targeting the skills that a child needs to access each standard, and they should still be individualized to the child's needs.

The standards help kids develop critical thinking and analytic skills that open doors for their future. The standards also expose students to all kinds of learning and build on those skills over the years.

For more information about standards-based IEPs and why they're important, see our article Why a Standards-Based IEP Matters — and How to Do It Right.