IDEA 2004 has afforded SEA's to remove the inclusion of short term objectives from the IEP. The intent of this provision was to reduce paperwork, one of many included in the reauthorization. As a state we must take care not to confine the LEA's to going above and beyond the federal statuate by keeping objectives within the state regulation. Allowing the LEA's the flexibility to keep or remove short term objectives will be necessary as each of us works with our locality on this issue.

Making it mandatory to keep short term objectives will only be cause for additional work on the part of our teachers, countless hours writing if the option is taking away from the LEA.