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  3. What to Do if Your Child Struggles in School
  4. My child has a learning disability. Now what?

Monitoring Progress

REMEMBER: Your school district is required by law to give your child the services described in the IEP. But it's your job to make sure that is happening! 

Here's what you can do:

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  • Talk to the IEP team about the plan for monitoring your child's progress. This can include:
    • Grades: Grades will help you understand your child's progress in the general curriculum.
    • Progress Reports: Districts have to provide progress reports as often as all the other students in the school get progress reports and report cards. This will help you understand how your child is meeting their IEP goals.
    • School Assessments: LEAP 2025, Benchmark Assessments, and Curriculum-based Assessments. See this page for more about assessments.Report_card.png
  • Read the progress reports carefully.  Think about these questions:
    • Is your child making the expected progress in school and on their IEP goals?
    • Are there any questions or concerns about their academic, emotional, or social well-being?
    • Is progress reported according to the measurement as stated on the IEP? (Example: IEP says that goal is to complete 4 out of 5 tasks in a 30-minute period, but the progress report says "Child is sweet and is making progress with 70% accuracy.")
  • Make sure your child is getting all the services and accommodations that are written in the IEP.
    • This includes therapies (speech, PT, OT, etc.)
    • Make sure they are getting them as often as the IEP says.
  • During the year, talk with your IEP team if you think changes to the IEP are needed. If you have questions or concerns, call your child's teacher or ask the IEP team to set up a meeting. You can ask for a meeting anytime!
  • The district cannot make any changes itself to the IEP without telling you.
  • Print out this booklet to use as a reference guide. It's 103 pages, but it's written for parents and is easy to understand. It has descriptions of the rules and your rights, checklists to help you with the process, and even sample letters of complaint: A Good IDEA for Louisiana: A Guide for Parents and Students About Special Education Services. (It will open in a new tab on your screen)

 

Source: LA DOE