How to Write and Review Measurable IEP Goals in Delaware

The IEP goal is where the law meets your child's daily classroom experience. Delaware requires measurable annual goals — but "measurable" is one of the most abused words in special education. At IEP meetings across the state, parents regularly see goals that contain no measurement criteria, no baseline, and no clear method for tracking progress. These goals are not legally compliant, and accepting them means you have no way to hold the district accountable when your child does not make progress.

This post explains what Delaware actually requires in an IEP goal, how the state's WRITES framework shapes the goal-writing process, and exactly what to say when a goal in front of you does not meet the standard.

What Delaware Law Requires

Under 14 DE Admin. Code 925, every IEP must include measurable annual goals designed to meet the child's needs resulting from the disability. These goals must:

• Address all areas identified in the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) where the disability has an adverse effect
• Be written in a way that allows the team to track progress objectively
• Be aligned with grade-level standards where applicable
• Include short-term objectives or benchmarks for students who take alternate assessments

The phrase "measurable annual goal" has a legal meaning. The IDEA and Delaware's implementing regulations require that a goal be written so that it can be measured — not just observed. That distinction matters. "Student will improve reading fluency" is not measurable. "By May 2027, student will read a 3rd grade level passage at 95 words per minute with 95% accuracy, as measured by curriculum-based oral reading fluency probes administered bi-weekly" is measurable.

Delaware's WRITES Framework

Delaware mandates that IEPs be standards-based, meaning goals must connect to the Common Core State Standards through a statewide initiative called WRITES. Under this framework, IEP teams are required to:

1. Identify the grade-level standard the goal connects to
2. Unpack that standard to identify the specific skills the child needs to develop
3. Use the PLAAFP data to establish the gap between the child's current performance and the standard
4. Write a goal that moves the child toward the standard at an appropriate pace given their needs

This framework is what Delaware trains its special education teachers to use. As a parent, knowing this framework exists gives you a tool. If a goal appears in your child's IEP that cannot be traced to a specific Delaware or Common Core standard, or cannot be traced to the PLAAFP baseline, that goal does not meet the state's own professional standard — and you can say so.

The Components of a Legally Sound Delaware IEP Goal

A complete, measurable IEP goal in Delaware contains five elements. Advocates often use variations of this structure:

Condition: Under what circumstances will the skill be measured? ("Given a grade-level reading passage...")

Learner: The child by name

Behavior: The specific, observable skill ("...will read aloud...")

Criterion: The performance standard that defines mastery ("...at 90 words per minute with 95% accuracy...")

Timeline: By when, and measured how often ("...as measured by bi-weekly CBM oral reading fluency probes by the end of the IEP year")

A goal missing any of these components is incomplete. At your IEP meeting, you can ask for each one explicitly. Write down the answers. If the team cannot answer any of them, the goal is not finished.

How Progress Is Reported

Delaware requires IEP teams to report on progress toward annual goals at least as often as report cards go home to parents of general education students. For most Delaware districts, this means quarterly. The progress report must state how the child is progressing toward each goal and whether the child is expected to meet the goal by the annual review date.

The key word is "expected." Districts are not only required to tell you where the child currently stands — they are required to project whether the child will reach the goal by year's end. If the answer is "not on track," that is the signal to request an IEP meeting to revise the goal or the services supporting it. Do not wait until the annual review.

Common Problems with Delaware IEP Goals — and How to Respond

Problem: The goal has no baseline. The IEP team writes a goal without tying it to the PLAAFP. You see a goal that says the child will "demonstrate improved organizational skills" but the present levels contain no data about current organizational ability.

What to say: "Before we finalize this goal, I'd like to see the baseline data from the present levels that this goal is built on. Which specific data point tells us where [child's name] is today on organizational skills, and how are we measuring it?"

Problem: The goal is not connected to a standard. Under WRITES, goals should connect to grade-level expectations. A goal that says a child will "learn to add single-digit numbers" for a 5th grader has no connection to 5th-grade standards and cannot drive meaningful progress toward grade-level expectations.

What to say: "Can you show me which Delaware or Common Core standard this goal connects to, and how it aligns with grade-level expectations for a 5th grader?"

Problem: The goal has no measurement method. "Student will demonstrate improved reading comprehension" tells you nothing. There is no way to measure whether this goal was met.

What to say: "How will we know if this goal is met? What specific tool or assessment will the team use to measure progress, and how often will it be taken?"

Problem: The goal was copied from the prior year. This is more common than it should be in high-volume districts like Christina and Red Clay. If the current year's goal is word-for-word identical to last year's, and your child did not meet last year's goal, copying it forward is not defensible.

What to say: "I noticed this goal is identical to last year's. Since [child's name] didn't meet last year's goal, can you walk me through how the team is proposing to change the services or approach this year to achieve a different outcome?"

The Delaware IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a goal audit checklist you can use to evaluate every goal in your child's IEP before you sign, along with scripts for raising each of these concerns professionally at the meeting.

Short-Term Objectives and Benchmarks

Not every student's IEP in Delaware requires short-term objectives or benchmarks — only students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards. However, parents can request that short-term objectives be included voluntarily for any child. Short-term objectives break the annual goal into smaller, sequential steps, which makes progress monitoring more frequent and more meaningful.

If your child's IEP is tracking only annual goals and you are not seeing meaningful evidence of progress at quarterly reporting, consider requesting that short-term objectives be added at the next IEP meeting or amendment.

What to Do If You Disagree with a Goal After the IEP Is Signed

If you signed an IEP and later realize that one or more goals do not meet the measurable standard, you have options.

You can request an IEP meeting at any time to review and revise the goals. Put your request in writing, cite 14 DE Admin. Code 925, and specify which goals you believe need revision and why. The district is required to respond.

If you believe the evaluation data underlying the goals is flawed — meaning the goals are weak because the district's assessment of your child's present levels is inaccurate — you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense under 14 DE Admin. Code 926.

IEP goal disputes rarely need to escalate to due process. A well-documented, professional written request for revision, citing specific regulatory requirements, is often enough to prompt the district to reconvene and improve the goals.

The Delaware IEP & 504 Blueprint walks through this entire process — from evaluating your child's current goals to drafting the meeting request letter — so you can do it yourself without needing to retain an advocate at hundreds of dollars per hour.

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