Standards-based IEP goals are not simply restatements of the standards;

rather, standards-based annual goals identify the essential skills and knowledge that a student with a disability needs to acquire in order to master grade-level content standards.

• Standards are not curriculum.

• Standards ae not intended to define HOW we teach.

• Standards do not define services provided.

How to construct a Standards-Based Goal (From RSE-TASC presentation)

1. Consider the grade-level content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled or would be enrolled based on age.

2. Analyze the standard.

   1. • “Drill down” to determine what is required to access the standard.

      • What are the prerequisite skills?

      • Is the standard addressing a skill which has a hierarchical access point?

      • Is the standard addressing content or knowledge which suggests degrees of difficulty and complexity?

3. Examine the classroom and student data to determine where the student is functioning in relation to the grade-level standards.

4. In the IEP, develop the present level of academic achievement and functional performances (PLEPs).

5. Assess and report the student’s progress throughout the year.

   1. • How does the student demonstrate what he/she knows on classroom, district and State assessments?

      • Are a variety of assessments used to measure progress of academic skills and functional performance to achieve the standards?

      • Is the student making progress in achieving their annual goals?

      • How will progress be reported to parents?

6. Identify specially designed instruction including accommodations and/or modifications needed to access and progress in the general education curriculum.

7. Determine the most appropriate assessment option.

   1. • Know the Student

        1. 1. What accommodations are used in the classroom?

      • Know the Test

        1. 1. What types of responses do the State assessments require?

           2. What are the administrative conditions of the assessment?

           3. What accommodations are allowed on the assessment(s)?

           4. What can be learned from the student’s previous State assessment results?

Annual goals are based on skills, not standards!

Standards are like the road that students are driving along, and skills are the foundation under the road. With too many missing skills (e.g., potholes), it’s hard to drive smoothly.

The ability to track learning and growth in terms of grade-level standards, coupled with the ability to pinpoint skill deficits that can impede learning is extremely powerful. It enables educators to better understand and help clear barriers to learning that might be otherwise misdiagnosed and treated with misaligned supports.

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