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Effective IEP Goals for Developing Writing Skills: A Comprehensive Guide

Key takeaways.

  • Writing skills are crucial for social emotional development, offering a medium for communication, self-expression, self-reflection, and building relationships.
  • Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals are essential for students with writing difficulties, providing support and guidance to develop their writing skills.
  • Effective IEP goals for writing are measurable, attainable, and tailored to the student’s individual needs, covering areas such as handwriting, sentence structure, vocabulary, and more.
  • Monitoring progress and collaborating with teachers and parents are key to adjusting IEP goals and ensuring effective support for the student’s writing development.

Introduction: Effective IEP Goals for Developing Writing Skills: A Comprehensive Guide

As a Speech Language Pathologist and Social Emotional Learning expert, I understand the importance of writing skills in social emotional development. Writing is not just a means of communication, but it also plays a crucial role in self-expression, self-reflection, and building relationships. For students with writing difficulties, Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals can provide the necessary support and guidance to help them develop their writing skills.

In this blog post, I will provide you with a comprehensive guide on effective IEP goals for writing. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or therapist, this guide will help you understand the basics of IEP goals, identify specific areas of writing to target, provide examples of IEP goals, and offer strategies for monitoring progress and collaborating with teachers and parents.

Understanding the Basics of IEP Goals for Writing

Before we dive into the specifics, let’s start by understanding what IEP goals are and their role in supporting students with writing difficulties. IEP goals are individualized objectives that are designed to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. These goals are developed collaboratively by the IEP team, which includes parents, teachers, therapists, and other professionals.

When it comes to writing, IEP goals serve as a roadmap for students to develop and improve their writing skills. They provide a clear direction and outline the specific areas that need to be addressed. Effective IEP goals for writing are measurable, attainable, and relevant to the student’s individual needs.

Identifying Specific Areas of Writing to Target in IEP Goals

Before setting IEP goals for writing, it is essential to assess the student’s current writing abilities. This assessment can be done through writing samples, observations, and standardized tests. By understanding the student’s strengths and weaknesses, you can identify specific areas of writing to target in the IEP goals.

Some common areas of weakness or challenges in writing include handwriting legibility and fluency, sentence structure and organization, and vocabulary and word choice. By tailoring the IEP goals to address these individual needs, you can provide targeted support and intervention.

Examples of IEP Goals for Developing Writing Skills

Now, let’s take a look at some examples of IEP goals for developing writing skills. Remember, these goals should be tailored to the individual student’s needs and abilities.

Goal 1: Improving handwriting legibility and fluency

Objective 1: The student will improve fine motor skills to enhance handwriting legibility.

Objective 2: The student will practice letter formation and spacing to improve overall handwriting fluency.

To achieve this goal, strategies such as finger exercises, hand strengthening activities, and using adaptive writing tools can be implemented. Additionally, providing practice activities that focus on letter formation and spacing, such as tracing worksheets or writing in sand, can help improve handwriting skills.

Goal 2: Enhancing sentence structure and organization

Objective 1: The student will learn and apply sentence construction rules, including subject-verb agreement and punctuation.

Objective 2: The student will practice organizing ideas into coherent paragraphs with a clear topic sentence and supporting details.

To support the achievement of this goal, teaching explicit sentence construction rules and providing guided practice with sentence building exercises can be beneficial. Additionally, providing opportunities for feedback and revision can help students improve their sentence structure and organization skills.

Goal 3: Expanding vocabulary and word choice

Objective 1: The student will participate in vocabulary-building activities to expand their word bank.

Objective 2: The student will use a thesaurus to enhance word choice and improve the quality of their writing.

Incorporating vocabulary-building activities into writing instruction, such as word games, vocabulary journals, or word of the day exercises, can help students expand their vocabulary. Encouraging the use of a thesaurus during the writing process can also enhance word choice and improve the overall quality of their writing.

Monitoring Progress and Modifying IEP Goals

Monitoring progress towards IEP goals is crucial to ensure that the interventions and strategies implemented are effective. Ongoing assessment and data collection can help track the student’s progress and identify areas that may require additional support or modification of the goals.

Strategies such as regular progress monitoring, keeping a portfolio of the student’s work, and using rubrics or checklists can aid in tracking progress. Based on the data collected and feedback from teachers, parents, and the student, adjustments can be made to the IEP goals to better meet the student’s needs.

Collaborating with Teachers and Parents

Collaboration between all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and therapists, is essential in supporting students’ writing development. By working together, we can create a consistent and supportive environment that reinforces the skills targeted in the IEP goals.

Communicating the IEP goals and progress with teachers and parents is crucial for maintaining alignment and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Regular meetings, progress reports, and open lines of communication can facilitate this collaboration.

Collaborative strategies for reinforcing writing skills at home and in the classroom can include providing additional practice materials, incorporating writing activities into daily routines, and sharing strategies that have been successful in different settings.

Effective IEP goals for writing play a vital role in supporting students with writing difficulties. By targeting specific areas of writing, monitoring progress, and collaborating with teachers and parents, we can help students develop their writing skills and enhance their social emotional development.

Looking for More on Developing Writing Skills Through Effective IEP Goals?

If you are looking for further resources and support in developing effective IEP goals for writing, I highly recommend starting your Everyday Speech Free Trial . Everyday Speech offers a comprehensive platform that provides evidence-based strategies and activities to support social emotional learning, including writing skills. Start your free trial today and empower your students to become confident writers!

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IEP Goals for Writing & Written Expression

Browse our free, CCS-aligned IEP goal bank for writing and written expression, with goals for grammar, complete sentences, descriptive writing, spelling, fluency, paragraphs and narratives. These goals break writing down into sub-component skills so students can feel successful and see measurable growth!

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  • Bran Hicks M.Ed.
  • Jan 16, 2022

15 Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives for Writing and Written Expression

Updated: May 7

All IEP writing goals should focus on the student's strengths and areas for improvement. IEP goals can be difficult to come up with but we've created a printable list of measurable IEP goals that will help you get started!

These IEP goals are designed to assist in improving your student's writing skills, oral language comprehension, and written language production.

iep goal for thesis statement

Keep in mind that objectives are usually built on top of one another. For example, if a kid is having difficulty controlling a pencil, the first goal wouldn't be for him or her to write the letter "a." Instead, an objective regarding pencil control such as line tracing would be more in line with a measurable learning progression.

The process of writing IEP goals might be difficult and time-consuming for new teachers and teachers of every level are sometimes hesitant when creating IEP goals for complicated student needs. If you struggle with writing your own goals,

TeachTastic IEP's is here to assist you. The objective bank is growing and ever-expanding daily with over 4,000 goals to date .

Here is a sample list of measurable IEP goals for writing and written expression.

2nd-grade writing IEP goals

Capitalization iep goal.

By (date), when given incorrectly capitalized sentences with people and pets, names of places, and geographic features, the student will make all capitalization corrections, improving grammar and mechanics skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Comma Use IEP Goal

By (date), when given sentences with series, dates, and names of places, the student will add any missing commas, improving grammar and mechanics skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns IEP Goal

By (date), when given an incorrect sentence, the student will identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns, improving grammar and mechanics skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Combining sentences by subjects and predicates IEP Goal

By (date), when given two sentences, the student will combine sentences by subjects and predicates, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Sample IEP goals for 2nd grade - TeachTastic IEP Goal Bank for 2nd Grade

3rd grade writing IEP goals

Use linking words to complete a passage iep goal.

By (date), when a writing task, the student will use plausible linking words to complete a passage (even though, also, until, first), improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Choose the best transition words IEP Goal

By (date), when given a sample sentence, the student will complete the sentence with a playable transition word (first, next, later, finally, afterward), improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Using subordinating conjunctions IEP Goal

By (date), when given a writing task, the student will use subordinating conjunctions to connect two simple sentences, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Using coordinating conjunctions IEP Goal

By (date), when given a writing task, the student will use coordinating conjunctions to connect words, phrases, and simple sentences (after, as, until, while, unless), improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Sample IEP goals for 3rd grade - TeachTastic IEP Goal Bank for 3rd Grade

4th grade writing IEP goals

Use the correct homophone iep goal.

By (date), when given exercises with conventions of standard English, the student will correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their), improving language skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Identify an author's statement of opinion IEP Goal

By (date), when given exercises with text types and purposes, the student will introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose, improving writing skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Distinguish facts from opinions IEP Goal

By (date), when given a writing prompt or sample, the student will distinguish facts from opinions, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Organize information by main idea IEP Goal

By (date), when given a writing prompt or sample, the student will organize information by the main idea, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Sample IEP goals for 4th grade - TeachTastic IEP Goal Bank for 4th Grade

5th-grade writing IEP goals

Use key details to determine the main idea iep goal.

By (date), when given a list of 3 key detail sentences from a paragraph about the same topic, the student will choose the main idea that ties all the details together, improving reading strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Writing well developed main ideas is a foundation skill for all future grade level writing skills.

Put the sentences in order IEP Goal

By (date), when given a paragraph in sentence strip form, the student will put the sentences in order, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

By (date), when given a sample report topic and a list of topic detail sentences (graphic organizer with sentence strips), the student will organize information by main ideas (ie. a report on Europe, geography vs languages), improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Choose the best topic sentence IEP Goal

By (date), when given a short paragraph (missing topic sentence) and 3 sample topic sentences, the student will choose the best topic sentence, improving writing strategies skills from 0/10 work samples out of ten consecutive trials to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Sample IEP goals for 5th grade - TeachTastic IEP Goal Bank for 5thd Grade

Teacher Tip: When developing IEP goals for your children, don't forget to take into account the value of a writing rubric for each writing assignment. It's how all writing objectives can be assessed and tracked over time. Have the students create writing samples often and on many different subjects.

Parent Tip: If you are looking to support your child's IEP goals print and review this list with your child's IEP case manager.

The list of IEP goals is not intended to be a comprehensive guide for all writing instruction, writing assignments, or in support of proper essay structure, but it will get you started in coming up with ideas for how to improve your teaching and meet the needs of your learners.

Other popular IEP writing goals focus on an essay assignment such as creating five paragraph essays, to write passages, or a five sentence paragraph. Those are all important skills that don't translate very well into a measurable IEP goal. Each of these skills would be individual goals based on criteria in a writing rubric. Therefore we have not mentioned them here. That is a much more complex subject that we will expand upon in a future blog article.

I hope you have found value in this preview of IEP goals and objectives. I believe IEP goals are very important in supporting the IEP process and I hope that you will find value in this information.

Because we have many more IEP Sample Goals available, please consider subscribing to our blog by email or RSS feed so that you don't miss any new samples coming in future posts.

Thank You! - Bran H

For more sample goals and objectives by content area, see our goal bank here .

For more information on product development in support of the above IEP goal please see our sister website theteacherdollarstore.com

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Designing Meaningful IEPs – Selecting and Writing Annual Goals and Objectives

By Dale P. Pennell, C.A.S. and Mary Stowe, M.Ed.

November/December 2012

Determining the focus of annual goals and short-term objectives  .

IEPs must include measurable academic and functional annual goals (IDEA §300.320). These goals serve two purposes, both of which are responses to disability-related challenges students face. The first purpose is to enable students to access and make progress in the general education curriculum. The second is to address students’ other educational needs, including functional skill development that promotes academic achievement and preparation for independent, productive adult lives.  Annual goals are not restatements of expectations, standards, or curriculum. Rather, they are statements that target important skill clusters that enable the student to achieve grade-level academic standards and develop functional skills. 

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) website at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/index.shtml provides the standards, skill clusters, and essential skills and knowledge for all academic courses taught in Virginia’s public schools. Virginia does not have a functional skills curriculum; however, the document entitled Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth ( http://www.cteresource.org/attachments/atb/WRSRepositoryFiles/WRSList.pdf ) includes many functional competencies.

Useful PLoPs (Present Levels of Performance) summarize baseline data that relate to academic and functional demands students will encounter during the IEP cycle. Annual goals target difficulties for which students will require special education services in order to meet the demands. To determine the focus of annual goals, educators must first review the baseline data that identify skill cluster difficulties most likely to impede the student’s future achievement and performance. They must also come up with answers to the following questions:

  • Does the student have a documented history of difficulty acquiring cluster skills that he or she has been taught due to the student’s disability?
  • Will these cluster skills be taught or retaught in classes the student will take or through experiences the student will be provided during the IEP cycle?
  • If YES, will the instruction provided to all students adequately address this particular student’s difficulties?
  • If the answer to Questions 2 or 3 is NO, will these difficulties significantly limit the student’s ability to achieve grade-level academic standards and/or master functional skills that support success in learning, living, and working environments?  If the answer to Question 4 is YES, the IEP team should write annual goals to address these challenges.

 The following example illustrates the process of using these questions to determine the focus of one student’s, Grady’s, IEP annual goals.

Illustration

(Grady is a sixth-grade student who has an autism spectrum disorder.)

Excerpt From PLoP:

Baseline data indicate that Grady can make inferences when he reads nonfiction material, especially when he is asked to identify cause-effect relationships (SOL 5.6h). When he reads works of fiction, Grady has difficulty making inferences from figurative language, especially in the component skills of identifying, comprehending, and using similes, metaphors, clichés, and idioms (SOL 5.5i); neither does he incorporate these literary devices into his writing.  Grady can identify and state attributes of a character that an author explicitly describes in a work of fiction, but he has difficulty inferring character traits (SOL 5.5i).   He also struggles to infer cause-and-effect relationships in works of fiction (SOL 5.5j), specifically when he is asked to predict or explain the logical consequences of a character’s words or actions.

His difficulty in comprehending cause-and-effect relationships impacts Grady’s interpersonal relationships as well. While Grady interacts with classmates during small or cooperative learning group activities, he often does not comprehend the cause-and-effect relationship between his adaptive behaviors and the manner in which others respond to them. For example, he has difficulty accepting ideas and suggestions offered by others during brainstorming activities, he makes it difficult for groups to reach consensus when potential decisions do not mirror his ideas, and it is hard for him to share with others the responsibility for completing group assignments (English Standards of Learning Student Performance by Question report, June, 2012; reading portfolio, September, 2011-June, 2012; paraprofessional observation reports of cooperative learning group activities, December-April 2012).  

Question 1:  Does Grady have a documented history of difficulty acquiring inferential comprehension cluster skills due to his disability?

Answer:       Yes.

Question 2: Will these cluster skills be taught or retaught in classes Grady will take or through experiences he is provided during the IEP cycle?

Answer:        Yes.

Question 3:  If YES, will the instruction provided to all students adequately address this particular student’s difficulties?

Answer:       No.

Question 4: If the answer to Question 3 is NO, will these difficulties significantly limit Grady’s ability to achieve grade-level academic standards and/or master functional skills that support success in his learning, living, and working environments?

Since the answer to Question 4 is YES, the IEP team should write annual goals to address these challenges.

Short-term objectives address subskills needed to close the gap between students’ present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and the annual goals the IEP team has written for the IEP cycle (Gleckel & Koretz, 2008). Objectives describe in sequential order the essential skills and knowledge students must acquire, but they are not restatements of the general education curriculum. Rather, they illustrate the individualized instructional plans students will receive to address their disability-related challenges in ways that will lead them toward accomplishing those grade-level academic standards and performance expectations. Although IDEA requires short-term objectives only for students who participate in an alternate curriculum, all students with disabilities benefit from having short-term objectives.

Composing Annual Goals and Short-term Objectives

Annual goals describe in broad (skill cluster) terms the individualized curriculum students require (Price & Nelson, 2007) and the expected results of the special education and related services students are to receive during the IEP cycle. Short-term objectives identify the essential prerequisite knowledge, skills, or behaviors that students must acquire in order to achieve their annual goals. Both annual goals and short-term objectives include the following components:

  • State the time frame by which objectives and the goal will be accomplished.  What is a reasonable date (within the next 12 months) by which the student should be able to master each objective and the goal it supports
  • Describe the specific conditions under which mastery of objectives and the goal will be assessed for mastery. What information or materials will every educator provide, and in what environment will the student perform each time an educator assesses the student’s performance in relation to an objective or goal?
  • State the behavior or specific action the student (by name) will perform to document mastery of objectives and goals.  What activity will an educator witness or what products will an educator examine to measure the student’s performance?
  • Indicate the criterion for mastery; that is, how much, how often, or to what level the action must occur in order for the student to demonstrate mastery of objectives and the goal. How will an evaluator know that the student has mastered an objective or goal and is ready to address more complex demands of the academic or functional skill cluster?

The following examples of annual goals and short-term objectives illustrate these components.

Illustration  

Annual Goal #1:

  Short-term Objective #1:

Short-term Objective #2:

The template that follows provides a means by which IEP teams may determine the extent to which the annual goals and short-term objectives they write address and measure crucial academic and functional skills that require specially designed instruction.

Acquiring the competencies that annual goals and their objectives target requires specially designed instruction provided over time, as well as periodic assessment of progress toward expected results. Future articles in this Link Lines series will address these IEP components.

Gleckel, E. K., & Koretz, E. S. (2008). Collaborative individualized education process. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Price, K., & Nelson, K. (2007). Planning effective instruction: Diversity responsive methods and management. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

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Writing IEP Goals: The 7 Essential Components

Writing good IEP goals can be difficult… especially when you don’t know where to start! The good news is that once you learn about the 7 essential components of an IEP goal, you will be an expert on writing quality goals for all of your students! This article describes each of the 7 components that you should include in every IEP goal in addition to some other helpful tips.

What are IEP goals?

Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals are annual goals included in a student’s IEP. They need to be appropriate, observable, measurable, and meaningful to the student. An IEP goal is appropriate if its contents are derived from assessments of the student’s abilities; observable if you can objectively see the student engage in the target skill; measurable if you can record and evaluate data to determine whether or not the goal was met; and meaningful if it touches on the majority of the elements below, which are noted in the article “Writing an IEP” :

Writing IEP Goals – Objective of an IEP Goal

  • Addresses the general curriculum or a functional objective
  • Functional: the skills can be used in student’s everyday life
  • Generative: helps them learn other useful skills/concepts (a prerequisite skill)
  • Important to the student and their family
  • Age-appropriate (their chronological age, not their developmental age)
  • Contributes to friendships/membership in society/their community
  • Contributes to self-determination
  • For goals addressing behavior: Competes with inappropriate responses

Target skills for an IEP goal (the skill or task you want the student to be able to do), are chosen based on the areas of need/deficits described in the student’s present levels of performance in their IEP. To learn more about writing an IEP, click here . Additionally, IEP goals should have separate goals, known as benchmarks or objectives, that serve as mini goals to achieve throughout the year as the student progresses towards the annual IEP goal. To learn about writing benchmarks/objectives for IEP goals, click here.

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Writing IEP Goals – The 7 Components of an IEP Goal

These are 7 the seven key components you should consider any time you are writing IEP goals:

  • Functional Performance Indicator
  • Observable Behavior
  • Measurement

IEP Goal Component #1: Date

This component is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a best practice to have the IEP goal date be one day before the exact year mark of when the IEP meeting is being held. For example, if the IEP meeting is on January 22nd 2022, I would start each goal with “By 1/21/2023…”.

IEP Goal Component #2: Condition

The condition component of an IEP goal outlines the specific circumstances under which the student is expected to perform the target skill. This means that the condition could include a variety of information depending on what skill the goal is targeting. This component could include:

  • Environment
  • Specific Situations
  • Situational Context

Common ways to frame the condition component are “when given _____” or “with access to _____” or “during _____”. Here are a few examples of what that might look like (with the condition component in bold):

“By 1/21/2023, when presented with a variety of simple job applications ….”

“By 1/21/2023, during unstructured social time …”

“By 1/21/2023, with access to a calculator …”

“By 1/21/2023, when given a predetermined budget for purchasing items in simulated classroom scenarios …”

By 1/21/2023, during naturally occurring opportunities …” 

“By 1/21/2023, when asked a personal question by a teacher, staff member or peer, and with access to a field of 3 answer choices …”

The condition component is important because it tells you when you should be taking data. For example, if the IEP goal said “By 1/21/2023, with access to a calculator , Jane will calculate the correct change…” you would know that you should only be taking data on this goal when Jane is using a calculator. If she were to calculate change without a calculator, data on her performance should not be recorded as data for that specific IEP goal because the condition was not met.

iep goal for thesis statement

IEP Goal Component #3 Functional Performance Indicator

The functional performance indicator is the task you want the student to be able to do. In other words, it’s the target skill of the IEP goal. I always phrase this part as “student will…” Here are some examples with the functional performance indicators marked in bold:

“By 1/21/2023, when presented with a variety of simple job applications, Joe will demonstrate knowledge of his personal and professional information (such as name, address, age, work experience)…”
“By 1/21/2023, during unstructured social time, Joe will use his AAC device for expressive communication …” 
“By 1/21/2023, with access to a calculator and budget template based on the income of a preferred job or job she is hired for, Jane will demonstrate her knowledge of budgeting and ability to perform basic financial calculations …” 
By 1/21/2023, when feeling stressed or anxious by non-preferred people or activities, Jane will appropriately and successfully navigate the situation …” 

Don’t worry too much about explaining how the student accomplishes the task in the functional performance indicator. This component is just for stating what the target skill is.

IEP Goal Component #4: Observable Behavior

This component is deeply connected to the functional performance indicator. In the functional performance indicator you describe what you want the student to be able to do, while in the observable behavior component you describe how you know the student is doing the functional performance indicator (target skill/task). I typically include the observable behavior component directly after the functional performance indicator, and begin the component with “by…”. Below are some examples of the functional performance indicator followed with the observable behavior in bold so that you can see how they are connected.

“… Jane will successfully prepare for her learner’s permit exam by passing a practice learner’s permit test …” 
“… Joe will demonstrate his ability to appropriately transition from one task or activity to the next by initiating the transition within 15 seconds of the initial request and successfully following through on the transition …” 
“… Jane will appropriately and successfully navigate the situation by advocating for herself (i.e. requesting a break, asking for help or support, expressing her emotions to an adult), and/or engaging in self-regulation (i.e. deep breathing, accessing a fidget item, utilizing a coping strategy) …” 

The observable behavior component of the IEP goal plays a central role because it describes what you should be seeing the student doing.

IEP Goal Component #5: Criteria

The criteria of an IEP goal either quantifies the target skill or explicitly states the standard to which the skill needs to be performed. The most common language of the criteria component include:

  • “Independently”
  • “With ___% accuracy”
  • “With ____ prompts”

Here are a few examples of the criteria in bold:

“By 1/21/2023, during unstructured social time, Joe will use his AAC device for expressive communication by initiating a greeting to a peer, independently …”
“By 1/21/2023, when provided with verbally-delivered directions, Joe will demonstrate his ability to complete 2-step tasks by following the provided directions to completion, with no more than 3 verbal prompts …” 
“By 1/21/2023, when provided with 10 calculation problems and with access to a calculator, Jane will demonstrate her ability to solve calculations and navigate a calculator by successfully using it to yield the correct answer to the problems on the worksheet with at least 80% accuracy …’ 

Fun fact: the functional performance indicator, observable behavior, and criteria do not always need to be in order. In fact, I sometimes put the criteria of “independently” before I describe the functional performance indicator and observable behavior to help the writing of the IEP goal flow more.

It’s important to note that when you write “independently” for the criteria, that means that the student will perform the target skill with no prompting after the initial request. So for this goal: “By 1/21/2023, during unstructured social time, Joe will use his AAC device for expressive communication by initiating a greeting to a peer, independently …” that means he cannot receive a verbal reminder, gesture, or any form of prompting by a staff member in order for him to initiate the greeting. If he requires any form of prompting to complete this skill, then the IEP goal is not met.

Only include the term “independently” if you want the student to perform the skill or task without prompting. Additionally, if a student is expected to require prompting, you should indicate how many prompts and what kinds of prompts will be used. Click here for an article about different types of prompting.

IEP Goal Component #6: Mastery

This component is extremely important because it will indicate whether or not the student has mastered the target skill of the goal. We want students to remember what we teach them, so it’s important for them to generalize and master the skill rather than just completing it once! The mastery component measures the ability to perform the skill over time. Common language used in this component:

  • In __ out of __ opportunities
  • In __ out of __ trials
  • On __ out of __ school days
  • For __ consecutive weeks

It’s best practice to leave a little wiggle room (i.e. 4 out of 5 school days rather than all 5 school days), because there are so many environmental factors we cannot control that might influence a student’s performance every once in a while. If we are writing that the student will perform the skill on 3 out of 4 opportunities, that takes into account the possibility that they might have an off day. Below are a couple examples of the first 6 components with the mastery component in bold:

“By 1/21/2023, during unstructured social time, Joe will use his AAC device for expressive communication by initiating a greeting to a peer, independently, in 4 out of 5 opportunities …”
“By 1/21/2023, when provided with verbally-delivered directions, Joe will demonstrate his ability to complete 2-step tasks by following the provided directions to completion, with no more than 3 verbal prompts, in 3 out of 4 trials …”
“By 1/21/2023, with access to a calculator and budget template based on the income of a preferred job or job she is hired for, Jane will demonstrate her knowledge of budgeting and ability to perform basic financial calculations by spending/saving money according to the budget, accurately filling in the budget, and correctly completing the required calculations, independently, for 4 consecutive weeks …” 

IEP Goal Component #7: Measurement

The final component of the IEP goal describes how data will be collected on the IEP goal to determine whether or not the IEP goal was met. I always begin this component with “as measured by…”. The most common measurements are:

  • Permanent products
  • Observations
  • Recorded data

When deciding how to measure the goal, it’s important to really think about what the most logical way to collect data would be. For goals where students are writing or typing, it might be a good idea to choose “permanent products” so that you can use the documents they’ve filled out as data. When writing IEP goals where you’re watching a student do something, such as communication goals, it would make sense to measure the goal with “observations”.

iep goal for thesis statement

Writing IEP Goals – All 7 Components

“By 1/21/2023, with access to an online California driver’s education course and additional modified materials, Jane will successfully prepare for her learner’s permit exam by passing a practice learner’s permit test, independently, with at least 83% accuracy in 3 out of 4 opportunities, as measured by permanent products.”
  • Date By 1/21/2023
  • Condition with access to an online California driver’s education course and additional modified materials
  • Functional Performance Indicator Jane will successfully prepare for her learner’s permit exam
  • Observable Behavior by passing a practice learner’s permit test
  • Criteria Independently, with at least 83% accuracy
  • Mastery in 3 out of 4 opportunities
  • Measurement as measured by permanent products
“By 1/21/2023, with access to a calculator and budget template based on the income of a preferred job or job she is hired for, Jane will demonstrate her knowledge of budgeting and ability to perform basic financial calculations by spending/saving money according to the budget, accurately filling in the budget, and correctly completing the required calculations, independently, for 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by permanent products and teacher/staff-recorded data.”
  • Condition with access to a calculator and budget template based on the income of a preferred job or job she is hired for
  • Functional Performance Indicator Jane will demonstrate her knowledge of budgeting and ability to perform basic financial calculations
  • Observable Behavior by spending/saving money according to the budget, accurately filling in the budget, and correctly completing the required calculations
  • Criteria Independently
  • Mastery for 4 consecutive weeks
  • Measurement as measured by permanent products and teacher/staff-recorded data
“By 1/21/2023, when provided with verbally-delivered directions, Joe will demonstrate his ability to complete 2-step tasks by following the provided directions to completion, with no more than 3 verbal prompts, in 4 out of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher observation.”
  • Condition when provided with verbally-delivered directions
  • Functional Performance Indicator Joe will demonstrate his ability to complete 2-step tasks
  • Observable Behavior by following the provided directions to completion
  • Criteria with no more than 3 verbal prompts
  • Mastery in 4 out of 5 opportunities
  • Measurement as measured by teacher observation

For more examples of complete IEP goal examples, click here (coming soon).

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IEP Goal Bank: 100 SMART Goals for Mid-Year

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As we reach the halfway point of the school year, it's a crucial time to evaluate the progress of our students with disabilities and learning differences and update their Individualized Education Plan (IEPs) if needed. One of the most important aspects of an IEP is the setting of SMART goals.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They provide a clear roadmap for student progress and help to ensure that all stakeholders are working towards the same objectives.

Why are IEP goals important?

IEP goals are important because they:

  • Provide a clear focus for instruction and intervention
  • Help to track student progress
  • Guide decision-making about student placement and services
  • Promote communication and collaboration between teachers, parents, and other professionals

100 SMART IEP Goals for Mid-Year:

To help you get started, here are 100 SMART IEP goals for students with disabilities and learning differences in elementary, middle, and high school, broken down by level:

Elementary School:

  • Student will decode and read CVC words with 90% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will identify and retell the main idea of a simple story with 80% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will answer comprehension questions about a non-fiction text with 75% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will use sound-symbol correspondence to spell familiar words with 85% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will read fluency passages with 90 words per minute with 95% accuracy by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will write complete sentences with proper grammar and punctuation by the end of the semester.
  • Student will write a five-paragraph essay with a clear topic sentence and supporting details by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will use transition words and phrases to connect ideas in their writing with 80% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will edit and revise their writing for clarity and correctness with 90% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will complete daily writing prompts with 75% completion rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will add and subtract single-digit numbers with 100% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will count and identify objects up to 20 with 95% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will solve word problems involving addition and subtraction with 85% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will identify and understand basic geometric shapes with 90% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will write and solve simple equations with one variable with 80% accuracy by the end of the trimester.

Social Skills:

  • Student will greet classmates and teachers with appropriate words and eye contact by the end of the semester.
  • Student will take turns and share materials with others with 90% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will participate in group activities and follow instructions with 85% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will resolve conflicts with others peacefully and respectfully with 80% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will ask for help when needed with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will dress themselves independently for school with 90% success rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will use the restroom independently with 85% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will pack their backpack with necessary materials with 80% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will manage their time effectively and complete tasks on time with 75% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will identify and manage their emotions appropriately with 70% success rate by the end of the trimester.

Middle School:

  • Student will identify and define vocabulary words in context with 90% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will analyze and interpret the themes of a literary text with 85% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will compare and contrast characters and events in a story with 80% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will identify and analyze the author's purpose and style in a nonfiction text
  • Student will write a persuasive essay with a clear thesis statement and supporting arguments by the end of the semester.
  • Student will use proper grammar, punctuation, and mechanics in their writing with 95% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will cite sources correctly in a research paper using MLA or APA format by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will revise and edit their writing for clarity and conciseness with 85% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will use technology to create and present written work effectively with 80% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will solve multi-step equations with fractions and decimals with 90% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will graph linear equations and interpret slopes and intercepts with 85% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will apply proportional reasoning to solve real-world problems with 80% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will calculate the area and volume of basic geometric shapes with 75% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will use technology to solve math problems and create visual representations with 70% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will design and conduct a science experiment with a control group and variable manipulation by the end of the semester.
  • Student will analyze and interpret data from experiments and draw evidence-based conclusions with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will explain scientific concepts and principles using clear and concise language with 85% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will identify and describe the relationships between different scientific disciplines with 80% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will use technology to research scientific topics and create presentations with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will actively listen to others and respond appropriately in conversations with 90% success rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will respect the opinions and ideas of others even when they disagree with 85% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will work effectively in teams to complete tasks and achieve goals with 80% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will demonstrate leadership skills by taking initiative and motivating others with 75% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will resolve conflicts peacefully and respectfully with a mediator if needed by the end of the trimester.

Self-Advocacy:

  • Student will identify their learning strengths and weaknesses with 90% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will ask for help and accommodations when needed with 85% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will communicate their learning goals and progress to teachers and parents with 80% clarity by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will advocate for their needs and rights in school settings with 75% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will develop self-determination skills and make informed decisions about their education with 70% success rate by the end of the trimester.

High School:

  • Student will analyze and interpret complex literary texts with 95% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will identify and explain the use of literary devices such as symbolism and figurative language with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will compare and contrast different versions of the same story or poem with 85% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will critically evaluate the author's message and purpose in a non-fiction text with 80% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will use annotated bibliographies to research and write academic papers with 75% accuracy by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will write a research paper with a clear thesis statement, strong supporting evidence, and proper citation format by the end of the semester.
  • Student will use a variety of writing styles and techniques to communicate effectively in different contexts with 95% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will edit and revise their writing for conciseness, clarity, and persuasiveness with 90% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will effectively use argumentative strategies to support their claims and counter opposing arguments with 85% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will create digital presentations and multimedia projects to communicate their ideas in an engaging way with 80% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will solve complex equations and inequalities involving polynomials and radical expressions with 90% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will apply mathematical concepts to solve real-world problems in various disciplines with 85% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will analyze and interpret data using statistical methods and draw evidence-based conclusions with 80% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will use advanced graphing techniques to represent and analyze mathematical relationships with 75% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will use technology to model complex mathematical concepts and create simulations with 70% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will conduct independent research projects on a scientific topic of their interest with 95% success rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will design and conduct experiments to test scientific hypotheses with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will analyze and interpret scientific data collected from various sources with 85% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will explain complex scientific concepts and principles using clear and concise language with 80% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will effectively communicate scientific findings through presentations, reports, and other media formats with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.

Social Studies:

  • Student will analyze and interpret historical events from multiple perspectives with 95% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different historical interpretations with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will identify and analyze the causes and consequences of major historical events with 85% accuracy by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will compare and contrast different political and economic systems with 80% accuracy by the end of the year.
  • Student will participate in class discussions and debates on social and political issues with 75% engagement rate by the end of the trimester.

Career Development:

  • Student will identify and research potential career paths related to their interests and skills with 95% accuracy by the end of the semester.
  • Student will develop a resume and cover letter highlighting their qualifications and experiences for job applications with 90% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will complete informational interviews with professionals in their chosen field with 85% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will develop a plan for achieving their career goals, including education and training requirements with 80% clarity by the end of the year.
  • Student will participate in internship or job shadowing opportunities to gain practical experience in their chosen field with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.

Independent Living:

  • Student will prepare and cook balanced meals for themselves with 95% success rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will manage their finances effectively and budget their income and expenses with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will plan and schedule their daily activities and appointments independently with 85% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will use public transportation or other transportation options to travel safely and independently with 80% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will advocate for their rights and responsibilities as a young adult with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.

Transition Planning:

  • Student will participate in transition planning meetings and actively contribute to their IEP goals and post-secondary plans with 95% engagement rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will identify and research potential post-secondary options, including colleges, vocational schools, or employment opportunities with 90% accuracy by the end of the month.
  • Student will complete the necessary applications and admissions requirements for their chosen post-secondary program with 85% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will develop self-advocacy skills and learn to navigate the post-secondary system independently with 80% success rate by the end of
  • Student will connect with resources and support services available at their chosen post-secondary institution with 75% success rate by the end of the trimester.
  • Student will develop a plan for accessing accommodations and services needed for success in their post-secondary program with 70% clarity by the end of the year.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):

  • Student will identify and manage their emotions effectively with 95% success rate by the end of the semester.
  • Student will develop positive coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with stress and anxiety with 90% success rate by the end of the month.
  • Student will build healthy relationships and demonstrate empathy and respect for others with 85% success rate by the end of the quarter.
  • Student will make responsible decisions and demonstrate good judgment in various situations with 80% success rate by the end of the year.
  • Student will develop self-awareness and understand their strengths and weaknesses with 75% accuracy by the end of the trimester.

Additional Tips:

  • Involve students and their families in the goal-setting process.
  • Use clear and concise language.
  • Set goals that are challenging but achievable.
  • Set deadlines for achieving goals.
  • Monitor student progress regularly.
  • Make adjustments to goals as needed.

By following these tips and using this IEP Goal Bank, you can help your students with disabilities reach their full potential.

Setting SMART goals is crucial for students with disabilities to achieve academic and personal growth. This IEP Goal Bank provides a valuable starting point for educators and parents to develop individualized goals tailored to each student's unique needs and capabilities. By collaborating with students and families, educators can create a roadmap for success and ensure that all students receive the support they need to thrive. Remember, the most important goal is not perfection, but progress. Celebrate each milestone and use setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. With dedication and support, students with disabilities can overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.

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Special Education Coordinator, Illinois Valley Central School District

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Free IEP Goal Bank With 110+ Goals and Printable Tracking Sheets

All the goals you need, when you need them.

iep goal for thesis statement

There are as many IEP goals as there are students. But the longer you teach special education, the more you’ll find yourself searching for just the right reading comprehension goal for a student with a learning disability or a behavior goal for a kid who has ADHD. That’s where an IEP goal bank, also known as a goal database, comes in.

Below you’ll find a list of over 100 IEP goals covering a variety of focus areas. Plus be sure to fill out the form on this page to get access to a free, editable Google Doc version of the goal bank along with a bundle of free editable goal-tracking sheets. The bundle includes daily and weekly goal-tracking sheets, as well as trial tracking and progress tracking sheets for data collection.

IEP Goals 101

  • Reading Comprehension Goal Bank
  • Math Goal Bank
  • Writing Goal Bank
  • Behavior Goal Bank
  • Social Skills Goal Bank
  • Social-Emotional Goal Bank
  • Executive Functioning Goal Bank
  • Self-Advocacy Goal Bank

IEP goals should be specific enough to be implemented by anyone who reads them. They should address aspects of the general curriculum but at the student’s functional level. And the goals should be actionable and measurable.

The goals should also include the accuracy and number of trials that the student needs to complete to show mastery. The accuracy and number of trials will depend on the student’s ability, strengths, and skills. (Typical accuracy and trials are 80% 4-out-of-5 trials.)

Finally, the goals should include the level of support the student needs. Should they be demonstrating the skill independently, or do they need a few prompts or maximum support? Build that into the goal too.

So, a finished goal might be: When given a pile of coins (all one type), Jaime will count the coins and find the total with no more than two prompts with 70% accuracy in 3 out of 5 trials.

Daily goal tracking sheet.

IEP Goals for Your Database

A lot of thought goes into each IEP goal, so here are more than 100 goals that every special education teacher should have in their bank.

Reading Comprehension IEP Goal Bank

Reading comprehension is a skill that many students struggle with it. Choose a goal that helps students reach the next level of reading comprehension so they can understand and enjoy what they read.

  • When given a story at their reading level, [STUDENT] will use a storyboard or story map to outline the story’s main elements.
  • When given a nonfiction text at their reading level, [STUDENT] will select and use the appropriate graphic organizer to identify key information.
  • When given a paragraph at their reading level, [STUDENT] will apply the RAP strategy ( R eading a single paragraph, A sking oneself to define the main idea and supporting details, P utting the information into the reader’s language).

Reading IEP Goal Bank

  • When given a passage at their reading level, [STUDENT] will use an outline strategy to summarize the content or retell the story.
  • When given a text at their reading level, [STUDENT] will read and demonstrate literal knowledge by answering five literal questions.
  • [STUDENT] will demonstrate understanding of text using total communication (AAC devices, PECS, verbalization, sign language) to answer five literal questions about the text.
  • When presented with a passage at their reading level, [STUDENT] will use context clues to identify the meaning of unknown words.
  • When given a passage at their instructional level, [STUDENT] will make a prediction and read to confirm or adjust their prediction with information from the text.
  • When given a text at their reading level, [STUDENT] will identify the main idea and two supporting details.

Math IEP Goal Bank

  • Given a sentence, [STUDENT] will combine background knowledge with information from the text to infer the author’s meaning.
  • Given a passage at their reading level, [STUDENT] will answer five inferential questions.
  • After reading a passage with visual supports (e.g., highlighting), [STUDENT] will answer literal questions with minimal assistance.
  • After reading a passage at their reading level, [STUDENT] will identify the author’s purpose for writing.
  • Given a list of author’s purposes and a text, [STUDENT] will select the correct author’s purpose for writing.

Math IEP Goal Bank

Students may be working on numeracy or word problems. Whatever their focus, choose a math goal that helps them progress.

  • [STUDENT] will identify a one- or two-digit number (verbally, pointing, written).
  • [STUDENT] will rote-count from 1 to 25 (or higher).
  • [STUDENT] will skip-count by 2, 3, 5, 10 to 50 (verbal or written).

When given up to 10 objects, [STUDENT] will count and state how many objects there are (verbally, pointing).

  • Given 10 addition problems, [STUDENT] will independently add single-digit numbers with (or without) regrouping.
  • [STUDENT] will independently subtract a single-digit number from a double-digit number with (or without) regrouping.
  • Given 10 subtraction problems, [STUDENT] will independently subtract double-digit numbers from double-digit numbers with (or without) regrouping.
  • [STUDENT] will independently tell time to the half hour (or quarter hour, etc.) on an analog clock (verbal or written).
  • [STUDENT] will independently identify the next dollar amount when given a price, determine how much is needed to make a purchase, and count out the necessary amount using school money.
  • Given a quarter, dime, nickel, and penny, [STUDENT] will identify the coin and value.
  • Given a random amount of coins (all one type or mixed), [STUDENT] will independently count the coins.

iep goal for thesis statement

  • When given two-digit (or three- or four-digit) numbers, [STUDENT] will round to the nearest tens (or hundreds or thousands).
  • Given two numbers (pictures, groups of items), [STUDENT] will determine which number is greater than/less than/equal to by selecting or drawing the appropriate symbol.
  • Given data and a graph (bar, pie), [STUDENT] will complete the graph to display the data.
  • Given a graph (bar, pie, line), [STUDENT] will answer three questions about the data.
  • [STUDENT] will identify the numerator and denominator in a fraction.
  • When given a picture of a shape divided into parts, [STUDENT] will color the correct number of sections to represent the fraction given.

Math IEP Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will solve one-step word problems using addition and subtraction (or multiplication and division).
  • [STUDENT] will independently solve 15 multiplication facts (up to 9).
  • Given a fact-fluency tracker, [STUDENT] will track mastery of multiplication facts up to 12.
  • Given a problem-solving checklist, [STUDENT] will use the checklist to solve a one-step or two-step word problem.

Writing IEP Goal Bank

Here are writing IEP goals for organization, fluency, and editing.

  • Given a topic, [STUDENT] will write a sentence that accurately addresses the topic.
  • Given a word bank, [STUDENT] will select the appropriate words to complete a sentence or paragraph about a topic.
  • [STUDENT] will use a keyword outline to write a paragraph with at least [number of] sentences, including an introduction/topic sentence and conclusion sentence.

Writing IEP Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will dictate a response to a question and use talk-to-text to communicate at least three sentences about a topic.
  • [STUDENT] will write a three-paragraph essay about a topic that includes a clear introductory sentence, main idea, supporting details, and conclusion.
  • [STUDENT] will select and use the appropriate graphic organizers to organize ideas in response to a writing topic.

Writing IEP Goal Bank

  • When given a paragraph to revise, [STUDENT] will add transitional words and phrases to connect ideas in sentences (or paragraphs).
  • When given a prompt, [STUDENT] will maintain writing for [amount of time] as measured by observation and student writing output.

Behavior IEP Goal Bank

Everything we see in school is behavior, from working to engaging in class to maintaining self-control and managing emotions. If a student has an IEP for ADHD, an emotional disability, autism, or other categories, they may be working on behavior goals to improve their ability to succeed in school.

  • Given a self-monitoring checklist, [STUDENT] will demonstrate self-regulation during [# of sessions] across [# of months].

Behavior IEP Goal Bank

  • Given a token board, [STUDENT] will follow class rules to earn [# of tokens] for each 30-minute period in special and general education settings.
  • Given a self-regulation strategy (e.g., zones of regulation), [STUDENT] will identify when they are moving from green to red, and apply a self-regulation strategy to maintain their self-regulation.
  • Given support and a visual model, [STUDENT] will implement an organizational system for their locker/desk/backpack/binder.

Behavior IEP Goal Bank

  • Given scripts and reminders, [STUDENT] will manage frustration and disruptions to their routine during classroom activities.
  • Given a social story, [STUDENT] will be able to adjust to new routines and procedures in the classroom.
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will manage conflicts, independent of teacher support, 4 out of 5 occurrences over a ___ time period.
  • Given a work assignment, [STUDENT] will initiate work tasks as measured by observation and work completion.
  • Given a work assignment, [STUDENT] will complete work tasks as measured by observation and work completion.
  • Given a token board and visual or rules, [STUDENT] will follow rules and earn tokens throughout the total school environment.

Social Skills IEP Goal Bank

Social skills may not seem academic, but how students engage with others can be an important outcome for students who have deficits in this area. Here are goals that can support their progression in forming relationships with peers and adults.

  • During unstructured class time, [STUDENT] will engage in respectful conversation with peers (maintain personal space, use respectful voice).
  • During unstructured class time or play time (e.g., recess), [STUDENT] will engage with peers (participate, share, follow rules, take turns) for > 10 minutes with minimal adult prompting.

Social Skills IEP Goal Bank

  • During a preferred activity, [STUDENT] will invite a peer to join in during recess.
  • During a preferred activity, [STUDENT] will engage in appropriate conversation (ask appropriate questions, respond to questions, take turns) for > five turns.
  • When frustrated or involved in a conflict, [STUDENT] will resolve the conflict without aggression but will apply a problem-solving strategy (walk away, tell a teacher).
  • [STUDENT] will demonstrate five back-and-forth exchanges with peers during structured play activities.

Social Skills IEP Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will engage in appropriate turn-taking with peers in classroom discussion.
  • [STUDENT] will decrease inappropriate verbal comments to once per day (or week) or less as measured by teacher observation and behavior checklist.
  • Given a pre-activity checklist, [STUDENT] will identify one peer they would like to engage with and how they are going to engage (e.g., ask a question, invite to play).

Social-Emotional Skills IEP Goal Bank

Identifying and managing feelings is another important school outcome for students who have deficits in this area. Here are goals that help students advance in social-emotional skills.

  • [STUDENT] will work cooperatively with peers in small-group settings (e.g., share materials, engage in conversation, accept others’ ideas).

Social-Emotional Skills Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will identify appropriate social rules and expectations for various social situations.
  • [STUDENT] will refrain from interrupting others.
  • [STUDENT] will identify emotions presented in picture form.

Social-Emotional Skills Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will engage in communication with others by asking questions when provided with the opportunities.
  • [STUDENT] will increase or maintain conversation about a preferred or nonpreferred topic.
  • Given a strategy and visual prompts, [STUDENT] will identify the signs of anxiety and apply a strategy to address feelings of anxiety in real and simulated situations.
  • Given a picture scale, [STUDENT] will identify the level of anxiety they are feeling.

Executive Functioning IEP Goal Bank

Executive functioning skills are skills like planning, working memory, attention, problem-solving, mental flexibility, and self-regulation that help kids be successful in school. Students with poor executive functioning have a hard time with time management, organization, getting started with or finishing work, and connecting past experiences with current actions. (Know any kids like this?) Here’s a list of goals for helping students with executive functioning.

  • Given visual cues, [STUDENT] will implement a system for organizing their backpack (locker, binder).
  • Given a task and a list of materials, [STUDENT] will gather the needed items to complete the task.

Executive Functioning Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will arrive at class with necessary materials (paper, pen, computer).
  • [STUDENT] will use a checklist (visual schedule) to independently complete classwork.
  • [STUDENT] will respond appropriately to oral commands.
  • [STUDENT] will ask for clarification and further explanation when needed.
  • [STUDENT] will request desired objects or instructional materials and equipment using [picture prompts, sign language, AAC device, etc.].

Executive Functioning Goal Bank

  • [STUDENT] will express needs, wants, and feelings using [picture prompts, sign language, verbalization, etc.].
  • [STUDENT] will create a daily visual schedule (or checklist or to-do list) and complete it.
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will demonstrate the ability to follow multiple-step directions (two or three steps) with minimal (one or two) adult prompts.
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will refer to their checklist for task completion to finish assigned work.

Self-Advocacy IEP Goal Bank

Self-advocacy goals are for skills from decision-making to goal attainment, asking for help, and speaking up for yourself. These are important skills that students need to develop, especially as they transition into independent living, college, and career.

  • [STUDENT] will effectively communicate their needs and preferences in the classroom by [raising their hand, writing a note].
  • [STUDENT] will use a communication notebook to write questions and concerns to the teacher one time per week.
  • [STUDENT] will identify a goal, create a list of steps to achieve the goal, and work through the steps.
  • Given a challenging situation to solve, [STUDENT] will define the problem and come up with two possible solutions.
  • Given a task that involves a choice (e.g., the school lunch menu, a list of books), [STUDENT] will select between the options available.

Given a task that involves a choice (e.g., the school lunch menu, a list of books), [STUDENT] will select between the options available.

  • [STUDENT] will create a list of three personal strengths and three areas for improvement.
  • [STUDENT] will actively participate in the development of their IEP goals and accommodations.
  • [STUDENT] will identify one IEP goal and three objectives to support that goal.
  • When faced with an academic challenge, [STUDENT] will seek assistance by raising their hand or using the classroom procedure for seeking help.
  • [STUDENT] will advocate for accommodations and/or modifications in the classroom using an appropriate time, tone of voice, and language.
  • [STUDENT] will demonstrate understanding of their learning preferences using a checklist, verbal communication, or another method of communication.
  • [STUDENT] will engage in positive self-talk daily with and without teacher support.
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will learn and apply two self-advocacy strategies.

By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will learn and apply two self-advocacy strategies.

  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will demonstrate the ability to ask for help when needed.
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will identify and communicate two environmental requirements (e.g., “I need a movement break”).
  • By the end of the IEP, [STUDENT] will engage in three conferences and/or meetings where the student will communicate their educational needs.
  • [STUDENT] will explain and advocate for testing accommodations through the classroom teacher, testing center, school counselor, etc.
  • [STUDENT] will reflect on their academic progress and will determine which accommodations are supporting their learning.

Get Your Free Editable and Printable IEP Goal Bank and Goal Sheets

Just fill out the form on this page to get instant access to an editable Google Doc with all the goals mentioned above as well as a bundle of four printable and editable goal-tracking sheets. Save your goal bank and access it any time to cut and paste goals into your IEP software and/or into the editable and printable goal-tracking sheets provided. The bundle includes daily and weekly tracking sheets, as well as trial tracking and progress tracking sheets for data collection.

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  • Determining Measurable Annual Goals in an IEP

National Association of

Special Education Teachers

THE PRACTICAL TEACHER

iep goal for thesis statement

This Weeks Topic:

How to Determine Measurable Annual

 Goals in an IEP

(Including Academic and Functional Goals)

The term `individualized education program' or `IEP' means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with this section and that includes

(II) a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to-- (aa) meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (bb) meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability

Annual goals are statements that identify what knowledge, skills and/or behaviors a student is expected to be able to demonstrate within the period of time beginning with the time the IEP is implemented until the next scheduled review. Annual goals must be identified that meet the student s needs, as identified in the present levels of performance.

A goal is a measurable statement that describes what a child is reasonably expected to accomplish from the specialized educational program during the school year.

Explanation

The academic and functional goals should focus on the learning and behavioral problems resulting from the child's disability and be aligned with state and district performance standards. They should address the needs that are summarized in the statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. For those students taking alternate assessment, there should be at least one goal, with corresponding objectives or benchmarks, for each area of need.

The goals and objectives or benchmarks provide a mechanism for determining whether the child is progressing in the special education program and the general education curriculum, and whether the placement and services are appropriate to meet the child's identified educational needs (20 USC 1414 d 1 A i II).

Individual need determinations (i.e., present levels of performance and individual needs) must provide the basis for written annual goals. The IEP must list measurable annual goals, consistent with the student s needs and abilities to be followed during the period beginning with placement and ending with the next scheduled review by the Committee (effective dates of the IEP).

For each annual goal, the IEP must indicate the benchmarks and/or short-term instructional objectives and evaluative criteria, evaluation procedures and schedules to be used to measure progress toward the annual goal. The benchmarks or short-term instructional objectives must be measurable, intermediate steps between present levels of educational performance and the annual goals that are established for a student with a disability.

The measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, must be related to:

  • meeting the student s needs that result from the student s disability to enable the student to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum (or for preschool students, in appropriate activities); and
  • meeting each of the student s other educational needs that result from the student s disability.

Measurable annual goals set the general direction for instruction and assist in determining specific courses, experiences, and skills a student will need to reach his or her vision. There must be a direct relationship between the goal and the needs identified in the PLEP. Goals also are descriptions of what a student can reasonably be expected to accomplish within one school year.

A goal must be meaningful, measurable, able to be monitored, and useful in decision making. The annual goal is meaningful if it specifies a level of performance and an expectation that is reasonable; the skill or knowledge the goal represents is necessary for success in school and post-school activities; and the family believes the accomplishment of the goal is important. The goal is measurable if it reflects performance or behavior that can be measured or observed.

A goal is able to be monitored it there are multiple increments in performance between the present levels of performance and the criteria stated in the goal. The goal should be written so that it can be monitored frequently. Finally, the goal is useful in making decision regarding the student s education and the effectiveness of the student s IEP.

To meet the requirements of this part, the IEP team reviews and analyzes the present levels of educational performance and then writes an applicable annual goal for each area of need described. Goals must be written to enable the student to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum and to advance in other areas of educational need.

The IEP team writes annual goals that:

  • show a direct relationship to the present levels of educational performance;
  • describe only what the student can reasonably be expected to accomplish within one school year or the 12-month term of the IEP;
  • are written in measurable terms;
  • prepare the student for his or her desired post-school activities, when planning for the school-to-adult life transition; and
  • The goal must include at least three parts:
1. expected change in performance-specifies the anticipated change in performance from a baseline and usually reflects an action or can be directly observed; 2. proposed area of change- identifies skill, knowledge, understanding or behavior; and 3. proposed criteria specify the amount of growth, how much and how frequent, or to what standard or level of proficiency.

Principles of Formulating Goals for a

 Students IEP

When formulating goal statements, use the

following guidelines:

  • Goals should be general statements that focus on deficit skill areas.
  • Goals should be designed to address the needs identified in the statement of the child's present level of academic achievement of functional performance.
  • Goals should be challenging and describe what a child can reasonably be expected to accomplish during the school year.
  • All members of the IEP Team should easily understand the language of the goals.
  • Goals should be written to increase the child's successful participation in the general education curriculum and allow for inclusion in the general education environment to the maximum extent appropriate, or for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities with non-disabled peers.
  • Goals should be stated so they are meaningful. Helpful questions to ask include:
Is accomplishment of the goal necessary for success in current and future environments? Does the family believe the accomplishment of the goal is important? Does the goal specify a level of performance and expectation that is reasonable? Goals should be measurable; they must reflect behavior that can be measured. Goals should be written so they can be monitored frequently and repeatedly. Goals should be written to enhance decision-making. Monitoring the goal provides data that can be used to determine the effectiveness of the child's educational program. Goals should reflect transition needs, if appropriate.

Step-by-Step procedures for

determining Measurable Annual Goals

Step A: Determine the Skills the Student

Requires to Master the Content of the

Annual goals should focus on the knowledge, skills, behaviors and strategies to address the student s needs. A student s needs generally relate to domains such as, but not limited to, reading, writing, listening, organization, study skills, communication, physical development, motor skills, cognitive processing, problem-solving, social skills, play skills, memory, visual perception, auditory perception, attention, behavior, and career and community living skills. The goals on a student s IEP should relate to the student s need for specially designed instruction to address the student s disability needs and those needs that interfere with the student s ability to participate and progress in the general curriculum.

Goals should not be a restatement of the general education curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for students without disabilities), or a list of everything the student is expected to learn in every curricular content area during the course of the school year or other areas not affected by the student s disability. In developing the IEP goals, the Committee needs to select goals to answer the question: "What skills does the student require to master the content of the curriculum?" rather than "What curriculum content does the student need to master?"

For example, a student may be performing very poorly on written tests in global studies that require written expression. The IEP goal for this student should focus on developing written expressive skills (e.g., using outlines or other strategies to organize sentences in paragraphs) rather than the curriculum goal that the student will write an essay about the economy of a particular country. Generally, goals should address a student s unique needs across the content areas and should link to the standards so that a student has the foundation or precursor skills and strategies needed to access and progress in the curriculum.

Step B: How Far By When?

From information in the present levels of performance, the Committee has identified which need areas must be addressed and where the student is currently functioning in each of those areas. The next step is to identify what the focus of special education instruction will be over the course of the upcoming year. The annual goals will guide instruction, serve as the basis to measure progress and report to parents and serve as the guideposts to determine if the supports and services being provided to the student are appropriate and effective.

An annual goal indicates what the student is expected to be able to do by the end of year in which the IEP is in effect (i.e., the period beginning with placement and ending with the next scheduled review by the Committee). The annual goal takes the student from his/her present level of performance to a level of performance expected by the end of the year.

To be measurable, an annual goal should, in language parents and educators can understand, describe the skill, behavior or knowledge the student will demonstrate and the extent to which it will be demonstrated.

Examples: One year from now, Jim will write 10 sentences with correct punctuation. Terry will ask questions about the instructions or materials presented to ensure comprehension. Tom will use a datebook for appointments and assignments. Terry will solve multi-step word problems. Brianna will stand at least two feet away from the other person while conversing. Lisa will walk 10 feet independently. Mackenzie will speak in complete sentences. Ron will point independently to pictures described. Jose will use word prediction software to write essays.

Terms such as "will improve ," "will increase ." and "will decrease ." are not specific enough to describe what it is the student is expected to be able to do in one year. To be measurable, a behavior must be observable or able to be counted. In general, it is recommended that goals describe what the student will do, as opposed to what the student will not do.

Example: The student will ask for a break from work versus The student will not walk out of the classroom without permission.

Step C: Determine Short-term

instructional objectives

For each annual goal, the IEP must include short-term instructional objectives or benchmarks. The instructional objectives or benchmarks must include evaluative criteria, evaluation procedures and schedules to be used to measure progress toward the annual goal. Short-term objectives and benchmarks should be general indicators of progress, not detailed instructional plans, that provide the basis to determine how well the student is progressing toward his or her annual goal and which serve as the basis for reporting to parents.

Generally, one annual goal would not include both short-term objectives and benchmarks. Whether short-term objectives or benchmarks are used for a particular annual goal is at the discretion of the Committee.

Short-term objectives are the intermediate knowledge and skills that must be learned in order for the student to reach the annual goal. Short-term objectives break down the skills or steps necessary to accomplish a goal into discrete components.

For example, the sequential steps that one student must demonstrate in order for him to reach the annual goal to "remain in his reading class for the entire period and ask for help when the reading work is difficult for him" are as follows:

Grant will be able to identify what upset him after a behavioral disruption. Grant will be able to state the physical signs he is feeling when reading work gets difficult and leads to a behavioral disruption. Grant will raise his hand for assistance when he begins to experience those physical signs.

Step D: Determine Benchmarks

Benchmarks are the major milestones that the student will demonstrate that will lead to the annual goal. Benchmarks usually designate a target time period for a behavior to occur (i.e., the amount of progress the student is expected to make within specified segments of the year).

Generally, benchmarks establish expected performance levels that allow for regular checks of progress that coincide with the reporting periods for informing parents of their child s progress toward the annual goals. For example, benchmarks may be used for this same student for this annual goal as follows:

By November, Grant will remain in his reading class for 15 minutes without disruptions. By February, Grant will remain in class for 25 minutes without disruptions. By April, Grant will remain in his reading class for 35 minutes without disruption. By June, Grant will remain in his reading class for 45 minutes without disruption.

Writing short-term instructional objectives

and benchmarks

The following template may assist in the writing of short-term objectives or benchmarks:

Student will (do what) (to what extent) - (over what period of time) or (by when) as evaluated through ______________ on the following schedule: ___________________.

S. will wait his turn in group games for 3/5 turn-taking activities over three consecutive days as evaluated through teacher charting of the targeted behavior every 4 weeks.

K. will highlight and/or underline important concepts in reading materials on 4 out of 5 trials over a two-week period as evaluated through corrected work in class every 2 months.

By December, J. will initiate his class work when prompted by the teacher within 3 minutes over 10 consecutive trials as evaluated by structured observations of the targeted behavior once a month.

L. will use appropriate phrases to request toys or activities during free play on 5 trials over a 2-week period as evaluated by structured observations every 8 weeks.

D. will wait until all directions are received before beginning activities or assignments as evaluated through teacher charting of the targeted behavior every 4 weeks.

By January, M. will independently remove himself from the situation on all occasions when he is teased by peers during recess as evaluated quarterly by daily self-monitoring checklists.

Short-term objectives or benchmarks: The short-term objectives or benchmarks derive from the annual goals but represent smaller, more manageable learning tasks a child must master on the way to achieving the goals. The purpose of short-term objectives and benchmarks is to enable families, children, and teachers to monitor progress during the year and, if appropriate, revise the IEP consistent with the child's instructional needs. They describe how far the child is expected to progress toward the annual goal and by when. In most cases, at least two objectives or benchmarks should be written for each annual goal. Progress on each short-term objective or benchmark should be documented.

Short-term objectives generally break the skills described in the annual goal into discrete components. Benchmarks describe the amount of progress the child is expected to make in a specified segment of the year. Benchmarks establish expected performance levels that allow for regular checks of progress that coincide with the reporting periods for informing parents of their child's progress toward achieving the annual goals.

Objectives and benchmarks must be measurable; they must use language that will allow a count of what a child does (i.e., The child will write, The child will read). Do not use phrases such as: "The child will understand," or "The child will appreciate").

Step E: Determine the Evaluative

Evaluative criteria identify how well and over what period of time the student must perform a behavior in order to consider it met. How well a student does could be measured in terms such as:

  • frequency (e.g., 9 out of 10 trials)
  • duration (e.g., for 20 minutes)
  • distance (e.g., 20 feet)
  • accuracy (90% accuracy)

The period of time a skill or behavior must occur could be measured in terms such as:

  • number of days (e.g., over three consecutive days)
  • number of weeks (e.g., over a four week period)
  • occasions (e.g., during Math and English classes, on six consecutive occasions)

Step F: Determine Evaluation

Procedures to Measure the Student's

Evaluation procedures identify the method that will be used to measure progress and determine if the student has met the objective or benchmark. An evaluation procedure must provide an objective method in which the student s behavior will be measured or observed.

Examples: structured observations of targeted behavior in class; student self-monitoring checklist; written tests; audio-visual recordings; behavior charting; work samples.

Step G: Determine the Evaluation

Schedules to Measure the Student's

Evaluation schedules state the date or intervals of time by which evaluation procedures will be used to measure the student s progress toward the objective or benchmark. It is not a date by which the student must demonstrate mastery of the objective.

Examples: by March 2003, in three months, every four weeks, at the end of the term, quarterly

Short-term objectives and benchmarks should include the following three components to ensure that they can be evaluated:

Objective Criteria that enable progress to be monitored and allow for determination of the point at which the objective has been accomplished, such as: 95% accurate fewer than 5 times per day 50 correct responses in one minute 4 out of 5 trials correct on three consecutive days

Evaluation Procedures to be used, such as: teacher observation written performance oral performance criterion referenced tests parent report observation time sample teacher-made tests

Schedules to determine how often the objective will be measured, such as: one-two weeks twice a week once a month six weeks nine weeks each semester annually

Some examples of possible short-term objectives are listed below. Each objective has numbers corresponding to the three components: (1) objective criteria, (2) evaluation procedure and (3) schedules.

To read a 300 word article in the newspaper (1) in two minutes with 95% accuracy (2) as observed and recorded by the resource teacher (3) once a week.

To create (1) fewer than 5 disruptions per day for three consecutive days (2) as observed and recorded by the teacher's paraprofessional (3) each day.

To achieve (1) 95% accuracy (2) on a teacher made spelling test of seventh grade words as checked by the resource teacher (3) on a weekly basis.

To compose three-paragraph themes comprised of fifteen or more sentences using a word processing program with a spell checker (1) with 80% or better accuracy in the use of spelling, punctuation and grammar over 5 consecutive trials (2) as recorded by the resource teacher (3) weekly.

Step H: Determine How Progress

Toward Annual Goals will be

In accordance with the procedures, methods and schedules to measure a student s progress toward the annual goals, school personnel need to establish a reporting and recording system that ensures that a student s progress is objectively assessed. This information is necessary for reporting progress to parents and for the Committee to review the student s IEP. While reporting progress to parents may require more than a data recording form, Attachment 3 provides a supplemental form, as shown below, for school personnel to use to track each student s progress toward meeting the annual goals.

Questions and Answers about

 Annual Goals

Q: For each identified present level of

performance, must there be annual goals?

A: Yes--For each identified present level of performance, there must be at least one annual goal specified. These goals and subsequent objectives form the basis for the curriculum and specially designed instruction provided to the student. They are, therefore, written in terms of what the student will achieve. They should not be written in terms of what a parent or service provider will provide to the student.

Annual goals state the anticipated achievement expected within a 12 month period of time, although they can be written for a shorter period. In developing annual goals the present level of educational performance must be considered. Annual goals must not be a restatement of the present levels of performance. Yet anyone reviewing the IEP should be able to clearly determine the direct relationship between the two.

Measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, are critical to the strategic planning process used to develop and implement the IEP for each child with a disability. Once the IEP team has developed measurable annual goals for a child, the team (1) can develop strategies that will be most effective in realizing those goals and (2) must develop either measurable, intermediate steps (short term objectives) or major milestones (benchmarks) that will enable parents, students, and educators to monitor progress during the year, and if appropriate, to revise the IEP consistent with the student s instructional needs.

The strong emphasis on linking the educational program of children with disabilities to the general curriculum is reflected in 300.347(a)(2), which requires that the IEP include: a statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short term objectives, related to (i) meeting the child s needs that result from the child s disability to enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum; and (ii) meeting each of the child s other educational needs that result from the child s disability. (Federal Register, Friday, March 12, 1999, Question 1, p. p. 12471).

Q: Must the measurable annual goals

address all areas of the general curriculum

or only those areas in which the student's

involvement and progress are affected by

his/her disability?

A: Areas of the general curriculum that are not affected by the student s disability do not need to be specifically addressed in the IEP. Annual goals should address areas of the general curriculum that are directly affected by the students disability. Accommodations and modifications may be needed for the student to participate in other areas of the general curriculum.

The school district.... is not required to include in an IEP annual goals that relate to areas of the general curriculum in which the student s disability does not affect the child s ability to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. If a child with a disability needs only modifications or accommodations in order to progress in an area of the general curriculum, the IEP does not need to include a goal for that area; however, the IEP would need to specify those modifications or accommodations. School districts often require all children, including children with disabilities, to demonstrate mastery in a given area of the general curriculum before allowing them to progress to the next level or grade in that area. Thus, in order to ensure that each child with a disability can effectively demonstrate competencies in an applicable area of the general curriculum, it is important for the IEP team to consider the accommodations and modifications that the child needs to assist him or her in demonstrating progress in that area. (Federal Register, Friday, March 12, 1999, Question 4, p.12472)

Q: What are short term objectives or

benchmarks?

A: Short term objectives or benchmarks are measurable, intermediate steps between an individual s present level of performance and the annual goal. Objectives should be based on a logical breakdown of the annual goal and reflect advancement toward that goal. They therefore must be provided for each area in which present levels of performance and annual goals have been stated..... each annual goal must include either short-term objectives or benchmarks. The purpose of both is to enable a child s teacher(s), parents and others involved in developing and implementing the child s IEP, to gauge, at intermediate times during the year, how well the child is progressing toward achievement of the annual goal. IEP teams may continue to develop shortterm instructional objectives, that generally break the skills described in the annual goal down into discrete components. The revised statute and regulations also provide that, as an alternative, IEP teams may develop benchmarks, which can be thought of as describing the amount of progress the child is expected to make within specified segments of the year. Generally, benchmarks establish expected performance levels that allow for regular checks of progress that coincide with the reporting periods for informing parents of their child s progress toward achieving the annual goals.

An IEP team may use either short term objectives or benchmarks or a combination of the two depending on the nature of the annual goals and needs of the child. (Federal Register, Friday, March 12, 1999, Question 1, p. 12476).

Q: Can short term objectives or benchmarks

be changed without initiating another IEP

A: No. If either a parent or the school district believes that a required component of the student s IEP should be changed, the school district must conduct an IEP meeting if it believes that a change in the IEP may be necessary . (Federal Register, Friday, March 12, 1999, Question 20, p. 12471).

Since short term objectives, benchmarks, and annual goals are required components of the IEP, a meeting must be held with all required team members if any of these are going to be changed. The team will then make the needed changes in the IEP and thus a new IEP will have been developed. There is no such thing as an addendum to an IEP allowed under IDEA.

Measurable Annual Goals and Short-

Term Instructional

Objectives/Benchmarks

Annual Goal: Kevin will accurately interpret graphs and charts to solve grade-level mathematical problems.

Evaluation Instructional Objectives or Benchmarks:

Criteria: Kevin will use manipulatives to reproduce graphs and charts to solve math problems. 4/5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Classroom assignments, Tests Schedule: Every 4 weeks
Criteria: Kevin will highlight the large print graphs and charts to increase the contrast between the various parts of the graph, in order to solve math problems. 4/5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Classroom assignments, Tests Schedule: Every 4 weeks Criteria: Kevin will verbally describe the material presented on graphs and charts to the teacher, in order to solve the problem. 4/ 5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Classroom assignments, Tests Schedule: Every 4 weeks

Annual Goal: Kevin will use graphic organizers to write a three-paragraph essay using correct sequencing of sentences including topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion.

Criteria: Kevin will use graphic organizers to write a three sentence paragraph using correct sequencing of sentences including topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion with assistance by November. 5/5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Writing sample, Tests, Classroom assignments Schedule: Every 6 weeks Criteria: Kevin will use graphic organizers to write a five sentence paragraph using correct sequencing of sentences including topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion with assistance by January. 4/ 5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Writing sample, Teacher observation, Classroom assignments Schedule: Every 6 weeks Criteria: Kevin will use graphic organizers to write a two paragraph essay using correct sequencing of sentences including topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion without assistance by March. 4/5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Writing sample, Teacher observation Schedule:  Every 6 weeks Criteria: Kevin will use graphic organizers to write a threeparagraph essay using correct sequencing of sentences including topic sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion without assistance by June. 4/ 5 times over 2 weeks Procedures: Writing sample, Tests, Classroom assignments Schedule: Every 6 weeks

NASET Members: As always, we are interested in meeting your needs for information. If you have a topic suggestion for the Practical Teacher email us at [email protected] with the subject :Practical Teacher Topic Suggestion.

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  • Comparing and Contrasting Research-to-Teaching Practices: A Critical Analysis of Highly Restrictive Special Education Placements for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
  • Parental Involvement within Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families: Misconceptions, Barriers, and Implications
  • The Effects of Parent Therapy for Disruptive Behaviors: A Review of the Literature
  • Children’s Literature + DI + UDL + Mathematics = Success for Students with Disabilities
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iep goal for thesis statement

How to Write IEP Progress Reports

As a Special Education teacher, writing an IEP is the biggest aspect of our job.

how to write progress reports blog header image

The IEP Progress Report is a way to measure student growth and progress towards meeting their IEP goals. This report is typically given to parents at the end of each reporting period when general education teachers would send home report cards ( but check the student’s IEP too because it will be outlined in the child’s IEP! ).

What are the components of an IEP Progress Report?

The progress report is typically generated by your districts IEP program, but should include the following:

  • The students annual IEP goals
  • Any benchmarks or objectives for the annual goals
  • How the progress towards each goal will be measured
  • How the student is performing on the annual goal
  • Comments and a summary on data collected to show the progress that is being made towards meeting their IEP goals.

What information should the teacher include in the IEP Progress Report?

Here are some components to look at to make sure you have all of the information needed for a good IEP Progress report:

  • Ensure that during the IEP meeting, SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-oriented) goals are written, including objectives (if your district requires them)
  • A graph of your student’s data points that clearly shows how the student is progressing and how close they are to mastering that goal
  • A detailed log of the data points collected , including who collected it, what day, and how the student progressed.
  • Comments of whether or not the student is progressing towards their annual goal, including evidence from the teachers, the parents, the related service providers, and anyone else who works with the student.

Screenshot 2023 05 10 at 10.54.50 AM

How to Write an IEP Progress Report

Now, you’ve got all of your data collected and the information you need.  So, what should be on the IEP Progress Report?

  • When an IEP goal is written, most places require you to have benchmarks or objectives.  These show the steps that will be taken and monitored to how a student will make progress towards this goal.  In an IEP progress report, you want to document if those objectives are being met in order to make progress toward mastery of an IEP goal.
  • As a student’s IEP progresses, it is essential that data is collected accurately and always kept up to date – some districts even have a required minimum amount of data points needed per goal per reporting period to show consistency.  It is vital that the data collected is reflected in the student’s IEP progress report.
  • If it is noted that there is insufficient data or that a child has not yet met an objective or goal, make sure to note why – is it simply because they need more time, are there behaviors preventing this goal from being achieved, are there too many absences or incomplete work?  Parents need to know what their child is doing and how they are progressing, no matter what the outcome.
  • Comments from special education teachers, general education teachers, and other service providers that work with the student should be incorporated, stating input on whether the student is making progress along with supporting evidence and data points that have been collected.

What to Say When There is No Data

When it comes to reporting on IEP goals, there may be instances where no data is available yet. Perhaps it is a new goal, and there has not been enough time to collect data. Or maybe the student has been ill or absent, and the time needed to make progress has not been there. Whatever the reason, it is important to communicate this information clearly and professionally in progress reports. 

Here are a few examples of ways to word the lack of data on a new or current IEP goal:

  • “Due to the recent implementation of this goal, formal data has not been collected at this time. As the goal becomes more established, progress will be tracked and reported accordingly.”
  • “Limited data is available for this goal as it is newly implemented. Given the short timeframe, providing a comprehensive progress update is not feasible. However, ongoing assessments will be conducted to monitor and report future progress.”
  • “Given the recent introduction of this goal and the student’s absence due to illness, sufficient data has not been collected thus far. Once the student returns and regular opportunities for assessment are available, progress will be documented and reported accordingly.”
  • “As this goal has recently been established, there is insufficient data to report progress. Ongoing assessments will be conducted to track the student’s development and provide a comprehensive update in future reports.”
  • “Not enough time has passed since the implementation of this goal to collect substantial data for reporting purposes. Once an appropriate timeframe has elapsed, progress will be measured and documented accordingly.”
  • “Due to extenuating circumstances, such as the student’s recent illness and limited opportunities for assessment, we have not been able to gather the necessary data to report on this specific goal. Progress will be monitored and reported as soon as feasible.”
  • “Given the recent nature of this goal and the student’s limited presence in school, there has not been sufficient opportunity to work on and collect data for reporting purposes. As the student’s attendance improves, progress will be closely monitored and reported in subsequent updates.”
  • “As this is a newly developed goal, the student’s progress remains at baseline levels, and formal data collection has yet to commence. Future progress reports will reflect the growth and development observed once data collection begins.”

Remember to adapt these phrases to fit the specific context of the IEP progress report while maintaining a clear and professional tone. It is essential to explain the lack of data accurately while being professional so that the team understands why there is no data at present.

As someone who is writing the IEP Progress Report, what is something you always make sure to put in there?  What is something that your district requires you to do to ensure fidelity of the data collected and presented to the parents? Tell us in the comments below!

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IMAGES

  1. Smart IEP Goals: How to Write them like a Boss!

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  2. Undivided: How to Write IEP Goals and Objectives

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  3. IEP Goal Paragraphs Scope and Sequence.

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  4. Writing Measurable Iep Goals And Objectives

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  5. Examples of IEP Goals and Objectives

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  6. 300 IEP Goals and Objectives Examples with Progress Monitoring

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VIDEO

  1. Sebastian-Foster The People-Miss You (Drum Cover)

  2. Red Strappy Heels Lookbook

  3. How to GET GOOD for your PMP Exam!

  4. Yikes, this IEP goal for social skills!

  5. Teach Tastic IEP Goal Bank

  6. Brisk for IEP Goal Plan

COMMENTS

  1. IEP Goals for Written Expression: Best Practices

    It is one of the IEP goals for written expression. It may involve learning to compose a thesis statement, utilizing evidence to support their ideas, and employing the proper citation style. Self-editing: A student's objective may be to increase their capacity to self-edit their writing.

  2. SMART IEPs (Step 2): Create Goals and Objectives

    IEP goals cannot be broad statements about what a child will accomplish in a year, but must address the child's academic achievement and functional performance. The IEP must identify all the child's needs, how the school will meet these needs, and how the school will measure the child's progress.

  3. Effective IEP Goals for Developing Writing Skills: A Comprehensive

    By tailoring the IEP goals to address these individual needs, you can provide targeted support and intervention. Examples of IEP Goals for Developing Writing Skills. Now, let's take a look at some examples of IEP goals for developing writing skills. Remember, these goals should be tailored to the individual student's needs and abilities ...

  4. Writing Goals for Special Education IEPs

    IEP Goals for Writing & Written Expression. Browse our free, CCS-aligned IEP goal bank for writing and written expression, with goals for grammar, complete sentences, descriptive writing, spelling, fluency, paragraphs and narratives. These goals break writing down into sub-component skills so students can feel successful and see measurable growth!

  5. Written Expression IEP Goals: Writing Goals in Spezial Eds

    Ideas for Writing Expression IEP Goals. Examples of written expression goals include writing a complete sentence, constructing a five-sentence paragraph, developing a thesis statement, using transition words, rewriting and editing one's work, and writing can essay on a specified topic.

  6. 15 Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives for Writing and ...

    All IEP writing goals should focus on the student's strengths and areas for improvement. IEP goals can be difficult to come up with but we've created a printable list of measurable IEP goals that will help you get started! These IEP goals are designed to assist in improving your student's writing skills, oral language comprehension, and written language production.

  7. Designing Meaningful IEPs

    If the answer to Question 4 is YES, the IEP team should write annual goals to address these challenges. The following example illustrates the process of using these questions to determine the focus of one student's, Grady's, IEP annual goals. Illustration (Grady is a sixth-grade student who has an autism spectrum disorder.) Excerpt From PLoP:

  8. PDF Understanding the complexities of the IEP goal writing process: a case

    into different ways that special education teachers currently formulate goals, assessing how teachers described the support available in the development of IEP goals, determining what resources were provided for this process and examining the challenges that teachers believed to exist that may have impeded the writing of IEP goals.

  9. PDF Writing Effective Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals

    As used in this part, the term individualized education program or IEP means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting in accordance with IDEA, Sec. 300.320 through 300.324, and that must include--. (2) (i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional ...

  10. Writing IEP Goals

    SMART IEP goals are: S pecific. M easurable. Use A ction words. R ealistic. T ime-limited. Educational research will help you identify essential skills in the core academic subjects of reading, writing, and math. When you know the sequence of skills for a subject, you will know how skills build on each other.

  11. Writing Measurable and Academically Relevant IEP Goals With 80%

    academic gains (Goodman & Bond, 1993). Goals reflect the findings of our scientific, comprehensive assessments, as well as our clinical opinions onappropriate developmental and academically relevant outcomes for treatment; they are anything but a"one-size-fits-all" statement to include on the goal/outcome pages of every of student served by ...

  12. Writing IEP Goals

    Writing IEP Goals...The SMART Way! Writing IEP goals can be frustrating and intimidating...but it doesn't have to be! Imagine that you show up to an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting, whether you are a parent or a professional, and you see a goal like this: "Bonnie will learn the letters of the alphabet." ...

  13. Writing IEP Goals: The 7 Essential Components

    2 Writing IEP Goals - The 7 Components of an IEP Goal. 2.1 IEP Goal Component #1: Date. 2.2 IEP Goal Component #2: Condition. 2.3 IEP Goal Component #3 Functional Performance Indicator. 2.4 IEP Goal Component #4: Observable Behavior. 2.5 IEP Goal Component #5: Criteria. 2.6 IEP Goal Component #6: Mastery.

  14. PDF IEP Tip Sheet: Measurable Annual Goals

    According to IDEA Sec. 300.320 (a)(2), each child's individualized education program (IEP) must contain... "(i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to—. (B) Meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability; (ii) For children with disabilities ...

  15. IEP Goal Bank: 100 SMART Goals for Mid-Year

    Discover success with our IEP Goal Bank! Explore 100 smart and achievable mid-year goals crafted by Parallel Learning, empowering educators and parents in shaping personalized learning experiences. ... Student will write a persuasive essay with a clear thesis statement and supporting arguments by the end of the semester. Student will use proper ...

  16. Free IEP Goal Bank With 110+ Goals and Free Tracking Sheets

    Below you'll find a list of over 100 IEP goals covering a variety of focus areas. Plus be sure to fill out the form on this page to get access to a free, editable Google Doc version of the goal bank along with a bundle of free editable goal-tracking sheets. The bundle includes daily and weekly goal-tracking sheets, as well as trial tracking ...

  17. PDF Los!Angeles!Unified School!District! ! ! ! ! COMMON!CORE!STATE

    Microsoft Word - K GBS_6-12_ELA_WritingWelligent.docx. Strand. Standard. Associated Goal Stems. Text Types and. Write arguments to support claims with clear. 6.W.1 Write Paragraphs that State Claims with Evidence. Purpose. reasons and relevant evidence.

  18. PDF IEP Goals and Objectives Bank (Redmond, Oregon)

    To search the contents of the Goal Bank for a specific item, press Ctrl + F. The Goal Bank has been designed to allow users to locate specific goals as used in the eSIS SPED Full software. Click on a Content Area to proceed to specific Content Strands. From there, locate the specific strand and click to locate the Individual Goals.

  19. The Development of Individualized Education Programs

    defines the IEP as "a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised" on an annual basis (Definition of IEP, 2006). Each IEP must include information on the student's current levels of academic and functional performance, annual goals that serve to focus spe-

  20. Determining Measurable Annual Goals in an IEP

    The term `individualized education program' or `IEP' means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with this section and that includes. (II) a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to--. (aa) meet the child's needs that result ...

  21. Writing Inclusive IEP Goals

    DONATE. Writing Inclusive IEP Goals. By Dr. Janie Avant and Jordyn Zimmerman, M. Ed. The Nora Project is dedicated to building inclusive classrooms where ability diversity is expected and valued. Ensuring inclusive opportunities within school settings is critical to the academic and social emotional development of every student.

  22. How to Write IEP Progress Reports

    The progress report is typically generated by your districts IEP program, but should include the following: The students annual IEP goals. Any benchmarks or objectives for the annual goals. How the progress towards each goal will be measured. How the student is performing on the annual goal. Comments and a summary on data collected to show the ...

  23. PDF IEP Tip Sheet PLAAFP Statement

    A fully developed, well-written PLAAFP statement is the foundation of the individualized education program (IEP) and is used to specify appropriate goals, services, supports, accommodations, and placement for the student. The IEP team can begin the process of developing a high-quality PLAAFP statement by holding a discussion that centers around ...