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Writing Standards-Based IEP Goals
Important questions to ask when determining standards-based annual goals include:
What skills must this student learn in order to become proficient on the grade-level standard(s)?
What access skills related to the grade-level standard(s) must this student learn?
What growth and progress can be reasonably expected of this student in the coming year?
Will the expected growth and rate of progress close the achievement gap for this student?
Regardless of whether the annual goal addresses an academic deficit or some other skill that requires improvement, such as organizational skills or behavior, goals must be written in a manner that are strategic, measurable, and attainable and must contain these five critical elements (with some translation into the language that you will encounter in IEP Direct)
The student … (WHO)
Will do what … (BEHAVIOR -- NYS' ANNUAL GOAL)
To what level or degree … (CRITERIA) [*NOTE: This establishes the bar we are expecting the student to clear to achieve a goal.]
Under what conditions and over what period of time … (CRITERIA PERIOD - NYS' METHOD) [*NOTE: This establishes how long the student needs to clear the defined criteria bar.]
In what length of time … (TIMEFRAME - NYS' CRITERIA PERIOD)
How to Write Standard-Based IEP Goals
Whether they are academic, behavioral, functional, social, or communication-based, IEP goals are one of the most important parts of a student’s IEP. There are several reasons for this.
Goals — and a student’s progress in meeting them — are the tools we use to measure the effectiveness of their IEP. Goals also prioritize the specific skills that a student needs to access the general education curriculum. Finally, goals are the framework that support a child’s placement and services, so they should be appropriately challenging and aligned with a student’s strengths, needs, and interests within the context of the NYS Standards.
So how do we write strong IEP goals that do all that and more? This interview with Dr. Caitlin Solone — education advocate, teacher educator, and faculty at UCLA — talks through the legal requirements, SMART templates, vision statements, and lots more.
These IEP Goal Planner documents can help to prepare for your next annual review.
1_IEP_Goal_Planner_Explained.pdf⬅This Planner has notes to help you best use the linked copies of the forms available below.
When you need to create an IEP goal, follow these steps:
Write down several statements about what you want a student to know and be able to do.
Revise these statements into goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, use Action words, are Realistic, and Time-limited.
Break down each goal into a few measurable short-term steps. Describe what the child will know or be able to do. Focus on behavior that you can count or observe.
How will you know if the student is achieving these goals? The student's progress should be assessed objectively and often. If your goals are measurable, you will be able to observe the student's behavior.
Need more information?
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, Equitable goals are the target!
Use the worksheet linked here to construct your goals.
Translation_of_Terms_for_IEP_Goals.mp4Keeping track of what goes where in IEP Direct's version of of annual goals is an ongoing challenge. This video gives you a short summary of terms.
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