Final answer:
Monitoring a student's IEP progress is critical, using various assessments to inform regular progress reports and IEP adjustments, and is part of state accountability systems. The practice of placing students in educational programs based on performance is called tracking.
Step-by-step explanation:
Monitoring the progress of a student according to their Individualized Education Program (IEP) involves the use of formal, informal, or alternate assessments. This process is essential for the development of regular progress reports and to make necessary adjustments to the IEP, ensuring that the educational goals are being met. This can entail collecting numerical data, such as quiz scores, and reporting it in categorical terms like letter grades at the end of a term. The accountability systems implemented by states require testing students in specific grades for math and reading competencies. Schools not making adequate yearly progress may face corrective actions.
Moreover, the practice of assigning students to different educational contexts based on their academic performance is known as tracking. Tracking is a controversial practice as it can create and perpetuate inequalities by placing students on different "tracks" such as advanced or low achievers, and often determines the rigor and type of instruction they receive.