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HOW TO:
WRITE
MEASURABLE
IEP GOALS
NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
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April 2022
This guidance document is advisory in nature but is binding
on an agency until amended by such agency. A guidance
document does not include internal procedural documents
that only affect the internal operations of the agency and
does not impose additional requirements or penalties on
regulated parties or include confidential information or rules
and regulations made in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act. If you believe that this
guidance document imposes additional requirements or
penalties on regulated parties, you may request a review of
the document. For comments regarding this document
contact [email protected]
OVERVIEW ON WRITING
MEASURABLE GOALS
When writing goals, focus on what the student can
accomplish within one year (12 months). An annual goal
does not have to be developed for every need listed in the
PLAAFP.
At least one goal MUST be written in each area affected by
the student's disability.
As the student masters his/her goals, use the needs
identified in the PLAAFP page to develop new goals.
!
Measurable Annual Goals
Every annual goal must include the following:
Condition:!State how the student will be prompted to
complete the skill. This can include what information or
material is used or how it is presented. This often begins with
"When given. . ."
Performance:!State the specific skill or observable behavior
the student will perform. The skill should be linked to the
student's skill-based assessment and to the district's
curriculum and content standards (beginning at the student's
current level of performance). This often begins with "(name)
will . . ."
Criteria:!State how the skill or observable behavior will be
measured. Include how well (accurately) AND how often
(consistently) the student must demonstrate the skill to
consider it mastered.
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Additional Required Information:
·!!!!!! Indicate how progress toward a goal will be
measured,
·!!!!!! When progress report will be written and given to
the parent,
·!!!!!! Document the progress made by the student on
each annual goal or short-term objective/
benchmark during the reporting period, and
·!!!!!! Add any additional comments to families regarding
student progress.
!
"
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RULE 51
007.07A2 A statement of measurable annual goals,
including academic and functional goals, designed to:
007.07A2a 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; or for preschool
children, as appropriate, to participate in appropriate
activities, and
007.07A2b Meet each of the child's other educational needs
that result from the child's disability;
007.07A3 For children with disabilities who take alternate
assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, a
description of benchmarks or short-term objectives;
007.07A4 A description of how the child’s progress toward
meeting the annual goals described in 92 NAC 51-007.07A2
will be measured and when periodic reports on the progress
the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as
through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports,
concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided;
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IDEA
§300.320 Definition of Individualized Education Program
(a) General. 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 goals designed to--
(A) 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
(B) Meet each of the child’s other educational needs that
result from the child’s disability;
Department of Education, Fed. Reg. 34 CFR, Parts 300 and
301 (2006)
Tips to Help Write IEP Goals and
Instructional Objectives/Benchmarks
Provide a statement of measurable annual goals, including
academic and functional goals designed to 1) meet the
student’s needs that result from the disability, 2) enable the
student to be involved in and make progress in the general
education curriculum, and 3) meet each of the student’s
other educational needs that result from the disability.
!
3 tips to take your IEP goals from good to great
1.!!!! Identify all of student's needs:
Review information from evaluation reports, progress
reports, report cards, home-school communications,
observations, and interviews to uncover the nature and
extent of all of the student's academic, functional,
developmental, and transition-related needs stemming from
the disability. Consider the student's skill-related needs. For
example, you may find that in addition to social
communication skill deficits, a boy with autism has a deficit
in self-care skills, such as washing his hands, compared to
his same-age, same-grade, non-disabled peers. Also,
consider the student's programmatic needs.
2.!!!! Discuss present levels:!
Create a statement of the student's present levels of
academic and functional performance for every need you
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identify. The statement should detail what each skill deficit is,
where it breaks down, and how you know.
a.!!!! You want to be explicit, specific, and objective. You
can't write a good goal statement without a good present
levels statement.
b.!!!! Make sure each statement passes the "stranger
test. Example - If a child moves from Dubuque, Iowa, to
Springfield, Ill., would an educator thoroughly understand
the present levels statement?
c.!!!! Also keep in mind that you should write present
levels statements in a way that parents can understand
them. (Don't write the student is at Level O in Book 15.
You want to avoid acronyms. Each statement needs to be
explicit.
d.!!!! Sharing clear information with parents leads to a
reduction of parent mistrust and a higher level of
collaboration
3.!!!! Develop quantifiable goals:!
a.!!!! Draw from the baselines in the PLAAFPs to develop
robust and measurable goals for the child's expected
performance of each skill after a year's time.
i)!!! For example, before writing a detailed goal that
says a student will be able to pronounce P, H, R,
and F sounds with 80 percent accuracy in four out
of five trials, look at to what extent the student can
pronounce those sounds now.
b.!!!! Beware of writing goals that are not robust enough.
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i)!!!! For example, don't say a child is going to
correctly choose a picture from a field of three with
60 percent accuracy in three out of five trials if data
show he can accomplish more.
c.!!!! Also look at the student's goals from the previous
year to ensure you are not unwittingly repeating any.
d.!!!! If goals are repeated, chances are, there's a
problem. The problem could be you are not accurately
documenting and giving the student credit for the
progress made, or your goal statement is too generic to
begin with, or the child has not been making progress
and the IEP team ought to be asking hard questions
about why not.
Questions to ask:
1.!!!! Was the goal inadequate?
2.!!!! Was a service inadequate?
3.!!!! Was the curriculum research-based and
appropriate?
4.!!!! What other factors can be attributed?
e.!!!! Be very wary of goals that are repeated year to
year."
Below are some ways IEP teams can use data to help write
strong, legally compliant IEPs.
Refer to data for each goal.! If you have good, student-
specific data, then you can write a strong present levels
statement."
Use qualitative and quantitative data.!Use qualitative and
quantitative information that reflects not only numerical data
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about student performance level but also descriptive data
about how it impacts the student's ability to access and
make progress in the general education curriculum. Once
you have strong present levels, it very easily directs
discussion in terms of where you need goals and what they
should be.
Set individualized goals for growth.! Make the goal
individualized by basing it on how the student is currently
doing. Data will help you set performance goals.
IEP Instructional Objectives and Benchmarks
Do not confuse IEP goals and IEP objectives. It helps to
think of objectives as steps toward a goal. You can use the
term benchmarks instead of objectives.
Benchmarks indicate the interim steps a child will take to
reach an annual goal. They also serve as a measurement
gauge to monitor a child’s progress and determine if the child
is making sufficient progress towards attaining an annual
goal. Using a roadmap analogy, benchmarks and short-term
objectives are used to divide the trip to the final destination
into concrete, smaller steps.
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IEP Goal Example:!The Student will develop!social
understanding skills!as measured by the benchmarks listed
below.
Objectives to support that IEP goal:
_____ will raise their hand and wait to be called on before
talking aloud in group settings 4/5 opportunities to do so.
_____ will work cooperatively with peers in small group
settings (i.e.. Share materials, allow peers to share different
thoughts) 4/5 opportunities to do so.
_____ will develop an understanding of the relationship
between his/her verbalizations and actions/effect on others
4/5 opportunities to do so.
_____ will engage in appropriate cooperative social play
interactions initiated by others 4/5 opportunities to do so.
_____ will engage in cooperative social play interactions by
allowing others to make changes or alter the play routine 4/5
opportunities to do so.
_____ will engage in appropriate turn-taking skills by
attending to peer’s turn and waiting for own turn 4/5
opportunities to do so.
_____ will appropriately acknowledge an interaction initiated
by others by giving an appropriate response, either verbal or
non-verbal.
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Example of how to organize your goal. (https://
adayinourshoes.com)
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IEP Goals for Study Skills Examples:
Given the content areas of study, Student will be able to
anticipate and verbalize/list X number of test questions.
Student will be able to identify X number of concerns that
lead to test anxiety and brainstorm 1-2 solutions for each.
Given a calendar and content materials, student will be
able to plot out study sessions to follow.
Student will self-identify X number of concepts that he/
she is struggling to master and ask for assistance.
At the end of a study session, student will be able to
verbalize X number of concepts or facts that were
reviewed.
Student will be able to identify X number of items that are
a distraction while studying and develop a remedy for
each.
Given a list of options, student will identify which methods
work best for learning material and concepts. (IE- graphic
organizers, having someone read material, watching
video, discussion)
When given an already graded/corrected test, student will
review with tutor/teacher the incorrect answers and
where correct information can be found. (can also include
identifying strategies for next time)
Student will self-identify their most successful method
of!reading and note-taking and develop a strategy!for
each.
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Student will be able to self-identify their best environment
for test-taking. (quiet room, being able to talk out loud,
verbal test,!sensory break!beforehand, etc.)
IEP Goals for Reading Comprehension
Examples:
When given a grade-level text, STUDENT will read and
demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate literary
texts (e.g., stories, legends, poems). (Use objectives to
make this specific and measurable.)
The student will use total communication (AAC device,
PECS, and verbalization) to read and demonstrate
comprehension of at least 12 new functional vocabulary
words and related short phrases through reading and then
completing a variety of vocational activities given minimal
gestural cues within the larger school environment (i.e.
school building, campus) in 4/5 opportunities.
The student will demonstrate reading comprehension!of
print texts with minimum assistance!given 4/5 recorded
opportunities.
When presented with text on his instructional level, the
student will use context clues to determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words in reading materials with 80% accuracy,
as measured by written work samples, by the end of (IEP
Date).
The student!will read and verbalize short phrases
pertaining to vocational activities and complete!functional
vocational activities throughout the larger
school!environment (i.e. school building, campus) in 4/5
opportunities.
After reading or looking at a simple storybook, STUDENT
will identify the main idea 80% of the time 4 of 5 trials.
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When presented with a passage at the instructional level,
STUDENT will read to confirm initial predictions with 80%
accuracy 4 of 5 trials.
After reading a story, STUDENT will explain the sequence
of events with 80% accuracy four of five trials.
Given minimum assistance, the student will read a short
story (up to two paragraphs) and answer rotating!who,
what and where!questions, why questions and how
questions in 4/5 recorded opportunities.
After!reading a story at the instructional level, STUDENT
will identify the main idea and two supporting details with
80% accuracy four of five trials.
When presented with how, why, and what-if questions
after reading a story silently, STUDENT will answer
comprehension questions with 80% accuracy four of five
trials.
After reading a story, STUDENT will identify the effect of a
certain action with 80% accuracy 4 of 5 trials.
The student!will!match pictures!to words and words to
pictures for a minimum of 20 new functional vocabulary
words in 4/5 recorded opportunities, given visual support
and minimum assistance.
After reading a short passage and answering
comprehension questions, STUDENT will locate, in the
text, information to support answers, 4/5 times with 90%
accuracy.
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IEP Reading Goals Examples:
Here are other areas of reading where goals may need to be
written.
•
Decoding - By the end of the IEP period, when given
a!list of 40 multisyllabic words!containing closed,
open, consonant-vowel-e, and vowel team syllable
types, the student will be able to decode 36/40 words
correctly as measured by teacher records.
•
Fluency - By the end of the school year, the student
will read grade-level text orally with accuracy,
appropriate rate, and expression at 90 words per
minute with 90% accuracy, as measured by teacher
records on three consecutive occasions.
•
Finding Key Ideas and Details - By the end of the
IEP period, when given a skill-appropriate passage,
the student will identify the main idea and provide at
least three details related to the main idea with 90%
accuracy in three out of four trials.
•
Vocabulary - By the end of the IEP period, the
student will use context clues and other strategies,
such as consulting a dictionary, to help determine the
meaning of unfamiliar words, with 80% accuracy in
four out of five opportunities.
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Writing short-term instructional objectives/
benchmarks:
·!!!!!! 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.
·!!!!!! 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.
!
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:
___________________.
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Examples:
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.
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").
!
"
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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.
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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.
!
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IEP Goal Writing Worksheet:
MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOALS (Worksheet)
The following goals are recommended to enable the
student to be involved in and progress in the general
education curriculum, address other educational needs
that result from the student’s disability, and prepare the
student to meet his/her post-secondary goals.
Annual Goals
What the student will be
expected to achieve by
the end of the year in
which the IEP is in effect.
Criteria
Measure to
determine if
goal has
been
achieved
Method
How
progress
will be
measured
Schedule
When
progress
will be
measured
Student will solve math
word problems that
involve addition and
subtraction of two-,
three-, and four-digit
numbers.
90%
accuracy
on 8 out of
10
classroom
assessmen
ts or
worksheets
Classroom
assignmen
ts,
assessmen
ts, and
worksheets
Every two
weeks
Student will complete
actions in response to 3-
step verbal requests.
5 out of 5
times on 4
consecutive
weekly
trials
Charting of
student
responses
Weekly
Student will remain in
class for 45–50-minute
periods, requesting a
“break” from in class work
not more than three times
per class period.
5 out of 7
days class
periods per
day over 6-
week
period
Daily
charting of
time in
class
Monthly
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Essential Elements of Measurable Annual Goals
Key Question: What should the child be doing a year from
now?
Purpose: To describe what a child can reasonably be
expected to accomplish within 12 months with specially
designed instruction and related services. Measurable
annual goals enable the child to be involved in and progress
in age appropriate activities.
Definition: A measurable annual goal
is directly related to the needs identified in the
PLAAFP
sets the direction for working with the child
uses the baseline established in the PLAAFP as a
starting point to monitor progress
is stated in clear terms
has four parts: time frame, conditions, behavior, and
criterion
Key Characteristics:
describes what the child will do
measurable
meaningful
functional
objective
comprehensive
Writing Strategy
Describe the behavior the child will be doing when the goal
is reached. Include the time frame, the conditions in which
the behavior will be seen, the specific behavior to be
achieved, and what level/degree will be used to identify if
the goal has been achieved.
Adapted from O’Donnell, D. (1999, November 29)
Writing Measurable Goals Handout
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IEP Goal Writing Hints
Note: Aligning IEP goals to grade level standards will
help to ensure that regular educators share the
responsibility for student mastery of both curriculum
and IEP goals.
Steps for IEP Goal Writing:
1.!!! Identify the student’s present level of performance and
prioritize critical needs in areas of skill deficit.
i.!!!!!!!Determine which areas will have the greatest
impact on grade level progress.
2.!!! Identify essential grade appropriate clusters/
measurement topics, standards/learning targets, and/or
skills from academic content standards.
i.!!!!!!!Keep in mind the individual needs of the
particular student.
3.!!! Identify the conditions, or points of access, under which
the student will access the grade level content.
4.!!! Develop the goal in the appropriate format:
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By (what date), given (conditions), the student will (do what
observable behaviors) with (level of mastery and/or
frequency) as measured by (assessments/measurements).
(Source: Content Area Grade Level. Domain. Standard(s))
IEP Goal Components:
Goal Component
Explanation
When…
means… By what date
Given what…
means… Under what conditions
•
Modifications (change the standard)
•
Accommodations (change materials, procedures,
response formats, etc.)
•
Assistive technology (dictation software,
calculator, etc.)
•
Instructional strategies (prompts, graphic
organizers, etc.)
Who…
means… Student
Does what…
means… Observable behaviors
•
Actions: create, make, analyze, sequence,
summarize, complete, describe, demonstrate,
build, read, etc.
How much…
means… Level of mastery
•
Level of skill acquisition (e.g. with 80% accuracy)
•
Level of independence (e.g. with 100%
independence)
•
Level of task completion (e.g. in 4 out of 5
opportunities)
How often…
means… Frequency
•
Daily, Weekly, During content area classes
throughout the year, etc.
How measured…
means… Assessment (as measured by…)
•
Progress monitoring
•
Curriculum-based assessments
•
Teacher observations
•
District/state assessments
•
Self-charting of progress
•
Classroom progress (grades)
•
Behavioral data
•
Student work samples
Goal Component
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9/4/2013 (Jess Yates)
The contents of this PD and TA were developed under a grant from the
USDOE. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the USDOE,
and you should not assume endorsement by the federal Government.
Cite the
Standard
means… (Source: content Area Grade Level.
Domain. Standard(s))
•
Daily, Weekly, During content area classes
throughout the year, etc.
Explanation
Goal Component
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