Goals and Data Collection Developing and Writing IEP Goals

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1 Goals and Data Collection Developing and Writing IEP Goals 1

2 IEP goals are always rooted in the present level. Before starting to write any IEP goals, the wise IEP team considers some preliminary questions. First, what does regular education look like for this student? What happens in school for a typically developing 4 th grader, for example? Second, what are the student s academic and functional needs as identified and documented by data in the present level? Third, what emerges when the student s needs and strengths are compared with the regular education curriculum requirements? Where does the IEP team find a good fit, and where is there no fit at all? 2

3 In order to ascertain how to align IEP goals with the regular education curriculum, the IEP team may refer to several different sources, depending on the needs of the student. Grade Level Equivalents (GLEs), Adapted Grade Level Equivalents (AGLEs), local district curriculum guides/standards, and state standards are all useful and acceptable guides for school age students. For early childhood, the IEP team may consult developmental curriculum checklists. 3

4 After carefully comparing the student s present level with the regular education curriculum, the IEP team needs to consider several more vital questions. What are the most important skills and knowledge, the most critical instructional needs, for the student at this time? What is the baseline or starting point for learning these skills and this knowledge? What is a reasonable expectation for progress in the next 12 months? In other words, what s the priority? Where are we now? How far can we reasonably expect to get? Throughout this entire process, the IEP team must have the student s participation and involvement in regular education, to the greatest possible extent, clearly in mind as the ultimate objective. 4

5 This arduous preliminary process should result in IEP team consensus regarding IEP goals. Now the individual goals may be drafted. Each goal must contain several required components: area (what is the skill or behavior?), direction (will the skill or behavior increase, decrease, or maintain?), action (what is the desired skill or participation level?), condition (what prompts, cues, or supports will be provided or allowed?), and measurement (what is the percentage of accuracy and/or frequency of occurrence that will demonstrate mastery?). Please don t be surprised or discouraged if the goal goes through more than one draft. Goal writing is an acquired skill that often involves multiple revisions. 5

6 This process can be tricky! The IEP team should double check each goal with these questions: Does the behavior or skill really derive from the present level? Is there a baseline to establish a starting point? Does the behavior or skill really relate to some aspect of the regular education curriculum? Will achievement of this goal really increase the student s ability to participate in regular education? And last but not least did the team include all of the required goal components? 6

7 But you can get help with all this! No one is expected to learn the process all alone! The following goal framework provides a clear diagram of the required goal components along with suggested phrases and statements. The following goal checklist provides a structured review of goal requirements to assist you in the revision process. And your administrator is always a valuable resource in difficult or ambiguous situations. Never hesitate to ask for help! 7

8 This is the goal framework; a full sized version is available on the training unit resources page. 8

9 This is the goal checklist; a full sized version is available on the training unit resources page. 9

10 IEP teams must also add goal benchmarks or objectives if the student will be taking an alternative assessment such as the MAP A. Benchmarks must align with alternate performance indicators (such as AGLEs). They address the major milestones toward achievement of the goal, and must be measurable, representative of expectations, developmentally appropriate, and related to progress toward the goal. 10

11 Objectives may also be written for goals when the student will be taking an alternative assessment such as the MAP A. They too must align to alternative performance indicators such as AGLEs. While benchmarks address major milestones in goal achievement, objectives are short term and sequential. They are most appropriate for goals that may be divided into discrete skill components (tying shoelaces, for example). Objectives must include conditions, observable behavior, and conditions for success. 11