What questions should I ask about my child's IEP goals?

Ask: What is the baseline for each proposed goal? How does this goal connect to the present levels? Is my child on track to meet current goals, and what does the data show? How will progress be measured and how often? What will my child be able to do independently when this goal is met?

What do I do if I receive the draft IEP the night before the meeting?

Illinois law requires you receive draft materials at least 3 school days before the meeting. You can ask to reschedule, or proceed as a working session with the understanding that no final IEP will be signed. If pressed to sign, you may sign with the notation 'Signed under objection — insufficient review time provided.'

Questions to Ask at an IEP Meeting (with Scripts)

Q: What should I say if I disagree with a proposed IEP goal?

Ask the team to walk you through how the goal connects to the present levels and what the baseline is. If you still disagree, say: 'I want to note my disagreement with this goal for the record, and I'd like to know the process for documenting a parental objection and requesting that an alternative goal be considered.'

The parents who get the most out of an IEP meeting are not the loudest in the room. They are the ones who ask precise questions and ask for the data behind every answer. The goal of every question below is the same: move the conversation from opinion to evidence, from emotion to data, from friction to problem-solving. Your tone stays calm and collaborative. Your position stays firm.

On This Page

Questions about current goals
Questions about proposed goals & services
Questions about present levels
Questions about accommodations
Questions about progress data
Scripts for difficult moments

Free on this page

Five question banks: goals, present levels, accommodations, data
Three full word-for-word scripts
The independence distinction and a note on tone

In the Parent IEP Toolkit

All ten difficult-moment scripts in full
A fillable pre-meeting prep template
Record-keeping system & ready-to-send formal letters
A free 20-minute consultation

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Questions About Current Goals

Is my child on track to meet each current goal? What does the data show?
What was the baseline at the start of the year, and where is my child now relative to the target?
If my child is behind the trajectory, what adjustment is being considered, and when?

Questions About Proposed Goals & Services

What is the baseline for each proposed goal, and what data supports that number?
How does each goal connect to the present levels — which documented gap does it address?
How will progress be measured, and how often?
What will my child be able to do independently when this goal is met?
If my child is not making progress at the quarterly check, what happens then?

Questions About Present Levels

When was this data collected? Is it still current?
What instrument was used, and what was the specific score and percentile rank?
Does this description match what my child's teachers and I are seeing right now?
How does this present level connect to the goals being proposed?

Questions About Accommodations

Which accommodations is my child consistently using, and which are not being used?
Has the team verified that accommodations are actually being implemented — not just listed?
Has my child been asked directly whether they are using each accommodation?
Is there a support my child needs that is not on the current list?

Questions About Progress Data

What is the current rolling median or average for each goal?
Where does the current trend line put my child relative to the annual review date?
Is my child performing the skill independently, or with prompting and support?
Can I see the data plotted over time, not just a "progressing" label?

The Most Important Distinction Always ask whether your child is performing a skill independently or with support. A child completing tasks at a high rate only because a teacher prompts them three times is showing compliance, not progress. The goal of every IEP is independence — the skill that stays with your child when they change teachers or schools.

Walk in with every question ready

The Complete Parent IEP Toolkit includes the full pre-meeting question set, a fillable prep template, and all ten difficult-moment scripts — plus a free 20-minute consultation to prepare for your specific meeting.

Get the Toolkit — $34

Scripts for Difficult Moments

Some moments call for more than a question. Here are word-for-word scripts for three of the situations that most often catch parents off guard — with seven more available in the full Toolkit. Each keeps your tone collaborative and your position firm.

"The school says my child is doing fine — but I'm not seeing it at home"

You might hear

"[Child] is making great progress and we don't see a need for any changes."

What to say

"I appreciate that. Can you show me the specific data behind it? I'd like to see the trend for each goal against the baseline and the annual target, and where my child sits on that line right now."

What to do next

If the data shows your child is behind the aimline, request an intervention adjustment before the next quarterly report. If data isn't being collected on schedule, document that and ask when it will be.

"I disagree with the goal they've proposed"

What to say

"Before we finalize this, help me understand how it connects to the present levels. The PLAAFP shows [X]. Can you walk me through how this goal addresses that gap — including the baseline, and why it was prioritized?"

What to do next

If you still disagree: "I want to note my disagreement with this goal for the record, and I'd like to know the process for documenting a parental objection and requesting an alternative goal."

"The school wants to reduce my child's services"

What to say

"Before I respond, I'd like to review the trend data that supports this. Is performance at mastery with full independence — no prompting, on standardized probes? And what happens to the service if performance drops after the reduction?"

What to do next

Service reductions must be data-driven, not calendar-driven. You can say: "I'd like to receive Prior Written Notice of this proposed change before we conclude today's meeting."

7 More Scripts in the Toolkit The Complete Parent IEP Toolkit includes seven more word-for-word scripts for the moments these three don't cover — including what to say when your concerns are being dismissed at the table, when you received the draft IEP the night before the meeting, when your child is facing suspension and you need to ask about a Manifestation Determination Review, when you believe the school missed a legal deadline, and when you want to request an independent evaluation. Each includes what you'll hear, exactly what to say, why it works, and what to do next.

A Note on Tone None of these scripts are confrontational — every one is a request for evidence or documentation. That's what makes them work. You stay calm and collaborative; the questions do the firm work for you. Schools that have done the work can answer immediately. When they can't, that answer is information too.

Prepare for your specific meeting

The full Toolkit includes all ten scripts, the complete question bank, and a fillable prep template — and comes with a free 20-minute consultation you can use to get ready for the meeting in front of you.

Get the Toolkit — $34 Read the Free IEP Guide

Questions to Ask at an IEP Meeting

Questions About Current Goals

Questions About Proposed Goals & Services

Questions About Present Levels

Questions About Accommodations

Questions About Progress Data

Walk in with every question ready

Scripts for Difficult Moments

Prepare for your specific meeting

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