Quick Tips for Writing Measurable IEP Goals
4 Things to Consider in Writing Measurable Goals
1. Establish student’s present levels of educational
performance.
First, establish a baseline from which to measure the student’s
expected performance. To say that the student will increase the ability
to read by 70% is meaningless without a point from which to measure.
This baseline is called “present levels of educational performance”
(PLOEP), and should describe:
a) current level of functioning
b) effect of the disability on the student’s ability to participate in the
general curriculum
2. Write annual goals to address needs and ability.
Annual goals should reflect the strengths, needs, and capabilities in
the PLOEP statement.
3. Write objective criteria and evaluation procedures into the
goals.
The goals should be measurable, and should spell out criteria,
including how frequently the student must perform a task. Specify how
the progress toward the goal will be measured.
4. Write goals that are achievable.
Goals should be realistic. Can the student reasonably achieve the goal
at least within an IEP year? Closely look at the PLOEP baseline and
plan for a goal that can be achieved during the course of the annual
IEP.
Things to Remember
 Write measurable goals
 Develop goals that reflect the present levels of educational
performance
 Create goals that are specific and measurable- not too broad or
vague- i.e., The student will improve reading ability, or will
learn keyboarding skills, are poorly written goals
 State goals in positive terms
 Design goals that take advantage of students’ strengths
 Prioritize needs
 Include goals for each area of educational need
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 Write goals that are achievable within the identified time period
of the annual IEP
 Indicate the amount of time anticipated for the student to attain
each goal
 Revisit goals each reporting period to determine if the goal is
achievable and make adjustments when necessary. Setting goals
too high can equate to setting no goals at all
Remember the Acronym SMART
The term SMART IEPs describes IEPs that are specific, measurable, use
action words, are realistic and relevant, and time-limited.
S
M
A
R
T
Specific
Measurable
Action Words
Realistic and relevant
Time-limited
Six Questions a Goal Should Answer
WHO - relates to the student
Expressed by noun or pronoun, i.e., the student
DOES WHAT - observable behavior
Expressed in observable action words, verbs that are open to few
interpretations, i.e., will read out loud
WHEN - point in time
Timeline given that the goal should be completed
i.e., by the end of the first semester, or by ____ (date)
GIVEN WHAT – conditions
Describes the “givens” that will need to be in place for the completion of the
goal. State the conditions of when, where, and under what circumstances the
observable behavior will occur.
i.e., When given 2 choices…
HOW MUCH - mastery/criteria
States the extent and or level of achievement or standard of performance.
i.e., 5 times weekly, with fewer than 3 errors per paragraph, or 7 out of 10
trials with 80% accuracy.
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HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED - performance data
Include methods of measurement such as work samples, data collection
strategies, portfolios, teacher observations, assessments. i.e., as measured
by teacher created checklists, tallies, rubrics, or teacher-made tests, or
curriculum tests.
Examples of Terms that State Observable Behaviors
When writing goals, use terms or actions that can be readily observed by
another person.
Examples:
Answer questions orally
Verbally label/name
Point to
Look at
Spell orally
Complete task
Write
Raise hand
Tell
Sit in desk
List and compare
Examples of Terms that State Conditions
Write where, when and under what circumstances the observable behavior
will occur.
Examples:
When given questions orally…
When using the school library…
When reading a story…
When shown a variety of…
When given 2 choices…
When communicating with others…
During class discussion…
When given verbal prompts…
During social conversation…
When presented with____...
Examples of Terms that State Criteria
State the extent of achievement or standard of performance.
Examples:
5 times weekly
2 times a day
3 out of 5 trials
For 5 consecutive sessions
Within 5 minutes
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Examples of Tools to Determine Baseline and/or Measure Progress
Can include, but not limited to, the following:
DIBELS
STEEP Probes
Curriculum Tests
Checklists, Tallies, Rubrics (for behaviors and tasks)
Teacher Assessments (pre and post tests)
EAGLE
TABE
Progress Monitoring
Brigance (use with an additional tool)
Initial Evaluation Report – current testing results
Standardized Tests (current)
AEPSI
DSC
Computerized Assisted Instruction Tools
Fastt Math
Study Island
Corrective Reading Placement Test
LEAP Remediation (4th and 8th grade)
Benchmark Testing
Skills Tutor
Once present levels of educational performance baselines are established,
the data can be entered into the Specific Current Performance section on the
IEP and the Baseline data field on the Progress Report. (Note: The baseline
data will not be pre-populated into the Progress Report from the IEP, you
must type it in.)
Using Standards to Write IEP Goals
Amendments to the IDEA law require that students with IEPs participate in
accountability assessments and stipulate that states must establish
performance goals and indicators that include standards.
If students with IEPs can succeed in the general curriculum and meet the
standards that apply to all students, then their IEPs must focus on those
standards and provide the learning opportunities they need to meet them.
Since learning is sequential, standards used for IEPs must be at the students’
present level of educational performance. A baseline must be clearly
established to determine which standards should be addressed in a goal.
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How to Incorporate a Standard into an Annual IEP Goal:
Students’ individual needs and accommodations must be considered and
addressed when goals are written. Established baseline data guides the
teacher in choosing appropriate standards and developing goals with the
necessary accommodations and modifications. The standard is the foundation
of the goal, made applicable to the individual student’s needs through
incorporated appropriate accommodations and modifications.
How to Choose a Standard:
There is a large bank of standards to choose from. How do you decide which
standards should be incorporated into an individual IEP goal? Following are
some tips to help.
1. Read the summary in the current initial evaluation, and note support
needs and strengths.
2. Collaborate with the regular education teacher. Compare the written
documentation with the classroom teacher’s observations. Become aware of
the SBLC intervention results. (for initials)
3. Speak with the knowledgeable family members.
3. Review previous IEPs, progress reports and report cards.
4. Determine the present level of education functioning.
5. Choose a standard that reflects the student’s targeted needs.
Examples of Measurable Goals
Following are some examples of measurable goals. Note how the necessary
components that are needed for the student to access the general curriculum
are added to the standard to create an individual goal.
EX 1: Standard: Respond to who, what, when, where and how questions.
Given What:
When given ten who, what, when, where, and
how questions from an instructional level
selection read aloud
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will verbally respond
How Much:
With 80% accuracy in four consecutive trials
When:
By the end of the first semester
How Will It Be Measured: As measured by teacher charted observations
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Measurable Goal: When given ten who, what, when, where, and how
questions from an instructional level selection read aloud, the student will
verbally respond with 80% accuracy in four consecutive trials by the end of
the first semester.
EX 2: Standard: Create a single paragraph: A. Develop a topic sentence.
B. Include simple supporting facts and details.
When:
By the end of the school year
Given What:
Following teacher-led prewriting activities
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will compose a single paragraph including a
topic sentence, supporting sentences,
and a concluding sentence
How Much:
With 70% accuracy in 3 out of 5 trials
How Will It Be Measured: As measured by student work samples
Measurable Goal: By the end of the school year, following teacher-led
prewriting activities, the student will compose a single paragraph including a
topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence with 70%
accuracy in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by student work samples.
EX 3: Standard: Analyze problems by identifying relationships,
distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information,
identifying missing information, sequencing and prioritizing
information and observing patterns.
When:
By the end of two marking periods
Given What:
When given a set of word problems at the
student’s independent reading level
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will distinguish relevant from irrelevant
information, identify missing information, and
sequence the information necessary to solve the
problems
How Much:
With 75% accuracy in 4 out of 6 trials
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How Will It Be Measured: As measured by student work samples/ criterion
assessment.
Measurable Goal: By the end of two marking periods, when given a set of
word problems at the student’s independent reading level, the student will
distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, identify missing information,
and sequence the information necessary to solve the problems, with 75%
accuracy in 4 out of 6 trials as measured by student work samples/ criterion
assessment.
Ex 4: Standard: Acknowledges the importance of being aware of one’s
surroundings and acting in a safe manner in physical activity
settings.
Given What:
When shown 10 environmental safety icons
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will match action pictures to the appropriate
sign
How Much:
With 100% accuracy, 3 out of 4 trials
How Will It Be Measured:
As measured by teacher checklist.
When:
By the end of the first reporting period
Measurable Goal: When shown 10 environmental safety icons, the
student will match action pictures to the appropriate sign with 100%
accuracy 3 out of 4 trials by the end of the first reporting period as
measured by teacher checklist.
Ex 5: Standard: Identify strategies for solving intra-personal and
interpersonal conflicts without harming self or others.
When:
Each week for 18 weeks
Given What:
When presented with a social story props
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will choose two problem-solving strategies
to promote collaboration and negotiation
skills related to the story
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How Much:
With 90% accuracy per story
How Will It Be Measured: As measured by social skills curriculum
questionnaire
Measurable Goal: Each week for 18 weeks, when presented with a
social story and props, the student will choose two problem-solving
strategies to promote collaboration and negotiation skills related to the
story, with 90% accuracy per story, as measured by social skills
curriculum questionnaire.
EX 6: Standard:
Write for various purposes including
applications
When:
By May 30
Given What:
When given an employment form
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will complete two legible job applications,
proofreading and indicating errors by
circling capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling errors.
Student will find and self-correct
How Much:
90% of errors found with 90% accuracy
How Will It Be Measured: As measured by teacher made
performance -based assessment
Measurable Goal: By May 30, when given an employment form, the
student will complete two legible job applications, proofreading and
indicating errors by circling capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
errors. Student will find and self-correct 90% of errors found with 90%
accuracy, as measured by teacher made performance -based
assessment.
EX 7: Standard: Gather and arrange information in a variety of
organizational forms including graphic organizers, simple outlines,
notes, and summaries.
When:
By end of the IEP year
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Given What:
When given samples of prewriting
strategies (outlines, graphic organizers,
note taking)
Who:
The student
Does What:
Will choose one strategy to use for
expository answers and essay writing
How Much:
With 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 writing
assignments
How Will It Be Measured: As measured by student work samples.
Measurable Goal: By end of the IEP year, when given samples of
prewriting strategies (outlines, graphic organizers, note taking), the
student will choose one strategy to use for expository answers and
essay writing, with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 writing assignments, as
measured by student work samples.
Examples of IEP goals that do not meet the SMART criteria:
1. The student will increase awareness of his environment with
80% accuracy in a six weeks period.
2. The student will further develop his overall language arts
skills through the use of accommodations and modifications.
3. Given instruction, the student will gain and utilize skills
necessary to meet requirements to pass courses of study
evident of scores on progress or report card.
4. The student will increase math skills by obtaining 80% on
assessments.
5. The student will maintain passing grades in all Carnegie unit
classes.
6. The student will increase knowledge in areas of living systems.
7. The student will use a calculator to solve math problems
commensurate with his maturity level that he may encounter in his
personal/professional experience with 70% accuracy.
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8. The student will complete 80% of his transition plan with 70%
accuracy.
9. The student will improve overall language skills by achieving 80% of
targeted skills.
10. The student will increase knowledge of LA history.
11. The student will achieve 3 out of 4 short term objectives.
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