Well... I look for an overall pattern of growth and don't get worried if my kids move ahead in different areas at different rates. I am way too lazy to set up detailed learning goals! My homeschool method is to support their passions and try to watch out for loose ends/holes/deficiencies as they reveal themselves. Then we work on those.

DS 11 who never took a science class before this year just scored a 35 (out of a possible 36) on the practice ACT science section, so the approach seems to work for him. DD 8 likes it too, though she'd prefer it if she never had to do any math.