Short-Term Objectives (required for students on South Carolina Alternative
Assessment)
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Measureable annual goals with objectives must not use “Student will improve (insert
skills here by completing x of x of the following objectives.”
All objectives under the goal are required to satisfy the completion of the goal and
objectives must be measureable, and both must be directly linked to present levels of
performance.
A goal and objective must give a clear picture of where the student is currently
functioning on the skill, and where will that student be at the end of the IEP.
Example of Present Levels Statement, Measureable Annual Goal and
Benchmarks for Student taking SC-Alt
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Present levels: Jennifer uses the BIGmack switch or step by step when it is presented,
but she uses these devices at least 90% of the time. She does not acknowledge the
presence of peer communication partners in an observable manner.
Measurable Annual Goal 1: By the annual review, Jennifer will acknowledge the
presence of a peer communication partner at every encounter as evidence by gestures,
changes in body position, or vocalizations, and participate in a familiar structured turntaking communicative routine with physical prompting in at least one school setting.
Objective 1: In 9 instructional weeks, when joined by a peer, Jennifer will acknowledge
the presence of a peer communication partner as evidenced by gestures, changes in
body position or vocalizations.
Objective 2: In 18 instructional weeks, when joined by a peer, Jennifer will acknowledge
the presence of a peer communication partner as evidenced by gestures, changes in
body position or vocalizations, and will participate in a structured turn-taking activity
with a peer when physically prompted by an adult.
Objective 3: In 27 instructional weeks, while participating in a familiar, structured turntaking activity with a peer, Jennifer will recognize when it is appropriate to take her turn
and respond to this opportunity as evidence by gestures, changes in body positions,
vocalizations, or actions, and by activating a voice-output device at the appropriate time
with physical prompts from an adult.
Measurable Annual Goal
Well-written measurable annual goals will pass the “Stranger Test.” This test involves
evaluating the goal to determine if it is written so that a teacher who does not know the child
could use it to develop appropriate instructional plans and assess the child’s progress. These
goals should also pass the “Dead Person Test.” This test avoids using words such as “won’t do”
or “refrain from” as a dead person can do that. Write the target as something the student CAN
do rather than NOT do.
The essential characteristic of IEP goals is that they must be measurable and be measured. The
IEP must describe how the student’s progress toward the annual goals will be measured. The
IEP must include schedule for reporting progress to a student’s parents as often as students in
general education get report cards.
Five critical components of a well-written goal are:
1) The behavior clearly identifies the performance that is being monitored, usually reflects
an action or can be directly observed, and is measurable.
• Sarah will read…
• Claude will correctly solve…
• Mary will respond…
2) The conditions specify the manner in which progress toward the goal is measured.
Conditions are dependent on the behavior being measured and involve the application
of skills or knowledge.
• When presented with 2nd-grade-level text…
• Given a mixed, 4th-grade-level math calculation probe…
• Given a story prompt and 30 minutes to write…
3) The level of proficiency identifies how much, how often, or to what standards the
behavior must occur in order to demonstrate that the goal has been reached. The goal
criterion specifies the amount of growth the child is expected to make by the end of the
annual goal period. The goal must allow a clear yes or no determination of whether or
not it has been achieved.
• 96 words per minute with 5 or fewer errors.
• 85% or more correct for all problems presented.
• 4 or better when graded according to the 6-trait writing rubric.
4) The measurement is the “as measured by” piece. It describes how progress will be
measured. The description should include what tool or methodology will be used; who
will collect data; when data will be collected; and if appropriate, where data will be
collected.
• As measured by a weekly one minute oral reading fluency probe administered by the
special education teacher….
• In his daily journal….
5) The timeframe is usually specified in the number of weeks or a certain date for
completion. A year is the maximum allowed length for the timeframe.
• In 45 instructional weeks…
• By November 19, 2013…
• By the end of the 2013–2014 school year…