Possible to change goal if everyone agrees?

[TendingMyGarden]

I feel like this should be a simple answer, but I'm not finding one.  My son got his first IEP in January 2022.  We had our annual meeting in January 2023 and have been going back and forth via email since then.  I haven't signed the revised IEP yet.  One of the issues I emailed the SPED director about is that I am now noticing some issues with some of his goals from last year.  These are goals that were in his IEP last year but have not been met yet.  Is there a way to make changes to them now despite them being last year's goals?  For example, on one goal there is no one listed in the "Person(s) Responsible" spot.  Seems like an important bit of information and I'd like it to be specified in the goal.  Another is that I'm noticing that they aren't nearly specific enough.  Like, one of them relates to him remaining calm in certain situations, but there is no mention of what will be done to reach this goal.  I would really like that to be specified, especially since the goal has not been met and I have no evidence that anyone is actually doing anything to help him achieve it.  The SPED director is telling me that since it was signed last year it is set in stone.  Surely there must be SOME way of addressing these inadequacies in the goals, especially as they are still being worked on.  This seems silly.  What am I missing here?

[JSD24]

You're on point with this. I wouldn't look to change an IEP that covered Jan 22 - Jan 23.  Every goal should have a service/specially designed instruction to help the student meet this goal.  If the goal is to remain calm in triggering situations, there should services to help the child meet this goal - just like you would expect services to teach a child to read if that was their goal.  (If they had the skill, they wouldn't need an IEP with this goal.  IEPs are all about SDI - specially designed instruction - to meet goals.)  There should be mention of the person & place associated with these services as well as a timeframe:  Speech services once per 6-day cycle for 45 minutes provided by the SLP in their office.

With emotional regulation, the school social worker or someone with clinical expertise & credentials might be providing services.  https://adayinourshoes.com/emotional-self-regulation/  (They should be taught when the student is calm & receptive to learning not alongside of someone de-escalating the situation.)

If last year's goal will continue as a goal & there was no detail on how the services were provided, I think they should correct this for the current IEP.  The old IEP has lapsed.  No use spending time on it.  I do feel you are in your right to ask how often a goal was worked on, with whom and if it was in the classroom or during a pull-out session.  The current IEP should specify what's being done going forward.  The situation might fall under something that can be fixed with a state complaint.

[Carolyn Rowlett]

You're not missing anything.  IEP's are NEVER set in stone and call always be amended.