Three Red Flags to Watch for in Your Child’s IEP ( and what to do about them)

Mary Patton
Aug 19
2 min read

3 Red Flags to Watch for in Your Child’s IEP (and What to Do About Them)

As a parent, sitting in an IEP meeting can feel overwhelming. You’re handed pages of documents filled with legal and educational terms — and it’s easy to miss small details that can have a big impact on your child’s education.

You are your child’s expert. That means you don’t have to know every legal term or policy — but you do need to know what to watch for.

Here are three major red flags every parent should be looking out for in their child’s IEP — and simple steps you can take if you see them.

Red Flag 1: Vague or Generic Goals

What to look for:

If your child’s IEP goals sound like this:

“Will improve reading.”
“Will behave appropriately.”
“Will increase math skills.”

…that’s a red flag. These goals are too broad and unenforceable.

Why it’s a problem:

If goals are not specific, measurable, and time-bound, there is no way to track progress — and no way to hold the school accountable.

What to do instead:

Ask for SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Example:

“By May 2025, John will read a grade-level passage with 90% accuracy across three trials, as measured by teacher-collected data.”

That’s specific, measurable, and actionable.

Red Flag 2: Missing or Inconsistent Services

What to look for:

Does your child’s IEP list services with low minutes or vague scheduling like “as needed”? Or maybe there’s no clear explanation of how the service time was determined?

Why it’s a problem:

Sometimes schools reduce service minutes to save resources. But your child deserves services based on needs, not budget.

What to do instead:

Ask for documentation showing how service minutes were decided.
If services don’t match your child’s needs, request an IEP meeting to review.
Put your concerns in writing — this creates a record that the school must respond to.

Red Flag 3: Lack of Progress Monitoring

What to look for:

Progress reporting in the IEP that looks like this:

“Making progress.”
“Progressing satisfactorily.”

No actual data, no percentages, no specifics.

Why it’s a problem:

Without real data, you can’t know if your child is actually meeting their goals. This makes it nearly impossible to hold the school accountable.

What to do instead:

Request that progress reports include measurable data tied directly to IEP goals.
Ask how often you will receive reports (every 9 weeks? every 6 weeks?).
Remember: as a parent, you can request progress updates any time, not just at report card time.