I have gotten a bunch of emails lately about IEP goal writing and while I feel like I could write a long, rambling novel about this topic – I will try to keep this short and sweet. I know we all know about IEP goals being measurable. But what does measurable really mean? And how can we make measurable meaningful? Some goals are written spotlessly, perfectly measurable but you know what? You will do not use that measurable criteria because it’s either too complicated or doesn’t fit.
So how can we make measurable meaningful? Check out this post on writing measurable goals – a MUST read. You need to think about how you will be taking data on this goal. Will you be doing discrete trial, fluency, or trials throughout the day? Base the ‘measurable’ mastery criteria on how you will be taking data. Start there. As far as what the mastery criteria entails – what does mastery look like? 80% mastery criteria drive me NUTS. Doing something correctly 80% of the time is not mastery. If you crash your car 2 times out of every 10 car trips – have you mastered driving? Think about what mastery will look like.
When writing goals there are several components you NEED:
- what materials are going to be provided to accomplish this goal
- what setting will this goal be accomplished in (doing something in the special ed room can be very different than accomplishing this task in the community or general education classroom)
- measurable criteria
- # correct out of certain # of trials or opportunities
- percentage correct
- frequency (number correct in a specified time period – ie. 25 per minute)
- prompts – use adult prompts as a measurable criteria
- for all criteria: how many days must this criteria be reached to be considered mastered? Consecutive of nonconsecutive days/sessions?
Some notes:
- I do not like or use percent correct as a measure. Percent does not give me enough information and can be far too subjective to accurately compare data. 80% correct on 4 trials is very different than 80% on 100 trials. Also how long are these trials taking? Completing 4 math problems in 10 minutes is very different than 4 math problems in 30 seconds. Would you consider those two students having the same level of mastery? Even though both had 100% accuracy. Ugh nope.
- I really like using frequency! You can easily compare data from each session or school day. It can be easily assessed and incorporates the most amount of information. 25 Dolch words per minute is 25 Dolch words per minute no matter what.
- I also like using prompts as a mastery criteria for my students who are lower functioning. For benchmarks, I will use a certain number of adult prompts. For example, first benchmark is task accomplish with 3 or less physical, gestural, or verbal adult prompts, next benchmark with 2 or less, and final goal is task accomplished with only 1 adult prompt of any kind.
- Final note: you want a complete stranger to pick up this goal and know exactly what it looks like and what you mean!
Here are some sample goals I have used recently – these are for various students! There are no setting indicated in these goals because setting is in a different portion of the goal page for me. But setting should be indicated as well!
Language arts:
- Provided a text at the appropriate reading level as indicated by student’s Fountas and Pinnell Reading assessment, student will read the book with less than 2 verbal or gestural adult prompts and orally answer 4 out of 5 comprehension questions correctly (asked orally) on 5 consecutive sessions or days.
- Provided a journal prompt in the form of a familiar picture or familiar written or orally given topic, student will write 10 or more on topic sentences with correct spelling and sentence structure with 5 or less errors total on 5 consecutive sessions or days.
- When given a flashcard or visual representation, student will correctly say the name of both upper and lower case letters, numbers 1 – 20, and 10 different colors at a frequency of 30 per minute on 5 consecutive sessions.
- When given a flashcard picture, actual item, or other visual representation, student will correctly say the name of 100 new words at a frequency of 30 per minute on 5 consecutive sessions.
- Student will match the written word to a picture representation correctly on 10 out of 10 trials on 5 consecutive days for 50 different words in total.
Math:
- Student will solve up to 3 digit addition and subtraction problems with and without regrouping when both are intermixed within the same field worth at a frequency of 5 per minute on 5 consecutive days.
- Student will correctly complete double digit multiplication with and without regrouping when both types are intermixed on the same page on 19 out of 20 problems on 5 consecutive days.
- Student will correctly complete single digit addition problems with numbers 1 – 5 either orally or written at a frequency of 15 per minute on five consecutive days.
- Given up to 6 different coins or pictures of coins, student will say the correct total in less than 3 seconds on 9 out of 10 trials.
- Given up an analog clock and a time representation to the minute, student will say the correct time at a frequency of 20 per minute on 3 consecutive days.
- When provided an array of known items and the verbal prompt, “Give me” followed by a number up to 10, student will give the correct number of items in less than 5 seconds on 4 out of 5 consecutive trials on 10 consecutive days.
- Student will verbally name and state the value of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter when presented with the coin or picture representation of the coin and delivered intermixed in less than 3 seconds on 9 out of 10 trials on 5 consecutive days OR at a frequency of 25 per minute.
Science:
- When given the verbal command, “Point to ..” student will point to the correct body part on himself for 8 unknown body parts (when delivered in succession and intermixed) on 9 out 10 trials in less than 5 seconds on 5 consecutive days OR frequency of 20 per minute.
Social Studies:
- Within the community, student will engage in 3 appropriate verbal responses or relevant community tasks with only one adult physical, gestural, or verbal prompt for all 3 tasks on 3 consecutive community trip opportunities.
Social/Emotional:
- In a group situation with familiar peers, student will maintain appropriate space with no more than 1 adult prompt in a ten minute time period on 5 consecutive days.
- Student will participate in a structured group activity with an adult and one or two peers and engage in 3 or more social interactions with less than 2 adult prompts in total on 5 consecutive days.
- In the classroom, community, and school environments, student will independently verbally ask and answer relevant questions without any type of adult prompts at least 10 times per school day on 5 consecutive days.
- Provided a situation when student feels frustrated, uncomfortable, or annoyed, student will express his emotions using words on 3 consecutive opportunities with no adult prompts.
- When greeted or asked a question by a peer or teacher, student will appropriately comment or ask a relevant question back on 5 consecutive opportunities with no adult prompts.
- Student will correctly verbally answer 5 personal information questions (What’s your name? What city do you live in? How old are you? What school do you go to? and Who is your teacher?) within 5 seconds with less than 2 prompts on all 5 questions on 5 consecutive sessions when questions are delivered in sucecssion and intermixed.
- When greeted or asked a question by a peer or teacher, student will respond appropriately without repeating the same response on 9 out of 10 consecutive opportunities on 5 consecutive days.
Independent Functioning:
- Student will work independently on a previously mastered task for 20 minutes with only 1 adult prompt and engage in only task related behaviors on 5 consecutive days.
- Student will respond appropriately to 10 previously unknown one step commands when delivered in succession in English at a rate of 25 per minute.
- When there is a change in the schedule, demand placed, or non-preferred work task presented, student will utilize visuals such as a star chart or first/then and maintain appropriate behaviors such as a quiet voice, work completion, and compliance on 5 consecutive opportunities on 5 consecutive days.
- Student will demonstrate knowledge of the calendar by verbally identifying the day, month, and season when asked with no more than 2 visual prompts for all 3 questions when intermixed on 5 consecutive days.
Check out my parent IEP questionnaire free download from two weeks ago!
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