Measurable Annual Goals
Now that we have data and a detailed description of our student’s needs, it is time to create measurable annual goals and short-term objectives. First, we focus on goals and in a later section, benchmarks or short-term objectives.
IDEA regulations state that the IEP must contain:
A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to:
- meet the child’s needs resulting from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and
- meet each of the child’s other educational needs resulting from the child’s disability.
Source: 34 C.F.R. 300.320(a)(2)(i)(A)(B)
Minnesota Statues and Rules (Minn. R. 3525.2810, subp. 1(A)(2) refer to the IEP as the following: “A statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to meeting the pupil’s needs that result from the pupil’s disability to enable the pupil to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and meeting each of the pupil’s other educational needs that result from the pupil’s disability.”
The next required component of an IEP is the measurable annual goals section. The academic and/or functional goals described in this section are intended to meet a student’s disability-related needs that enable them to be involved in and make progress in (a) the general education curriculum (e.g., achieve grade-level mathematics skills) and (b) other education-related areas arising from the student’s disability (e.g., improve articulation, increase socially appropriate behaviors). Measurable annual goals describe what the student is reasonably expected to accomplish in a 12-month period when provided with appropriate special education services. Each measurable annual goal should:
- address academic and/or functional needs identified in a PLAAFP statement;
- be guided by grade-level content standards tied to participation in the general education curriculum;
- include benchmarks or short-term objectives (for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards);
- help IEP team members determine whether a student is making educational progress and whether the special education program is providing meaningful educational benefit; and
- lead to a corresponding special education service.
Developing Measurable Annual Goals
To begin the process of writing measurable annual goals, the IEP team should:
- start with the academic and functional needs identified in the PLAAFP statements;
- identify any relevant state academic standards for the student’s grade; and
- discuss what the student should be able to achieve during the next 12 months.
Once this is done, the team is ready to design annual goals that will help close the gap between the student’s current skill levels and the expected academic and/or functional performance levels.
MDE guidance tells us that each goal should include:
- Type of Learning or Performance: Identifies the Skill/Behavior and Intent of the Goal
The goal identifies/names a skill or behavior and provides an example or depth of learning to be addressed. The goal identifies where or what setting/condition learning will occur or be assessed and is easily understood by any team member.
2. Direction of Change: Includes “From and To” Levels of Performance
The goal outlines a clear “From and To” level of performance; there is ease in understanding the present level of performance, and the anticipated outcome or projected level of performance is clear and understood.
3. Measurement: Identifies Assessment/Evaluation Type Named
The goal includes a useful assessment/evaluation type that is applicable to the classroom/school setting. Assessment/evaluation is an effective data-collection type and can be utilized periodically for progress monitoring; the measurement system is clear and/or described for immediate application (e.g., prescribed rubric).
4. Criteria of Performance: Identifies When the Goal Is Considered Met or Achieved
Clearly specifies how the measurement system is used to monitor progress and evaluate when the goal has been achieved.
SMARTIE Goals
There are multiple versions of SMART in which the letters stand for different terms (e.g., ambitious for ‘A’ or relevant for ‘R’). To help develop well-written, measurable goals, IEP teams may consider using the acronym SMARTIE. These characteristics, when applied along with the four goal elements above, can support IEP team members in the goal-development process.
SMARTIE goals refine the traditional SMART framework by incorporating an explicit focus on equity and inclusion, thereby enhancing efforts towards achieving better outcomes for marginalized communities, addressing disparities, and fostering a sense of belonging. The acronym SMARTIE represents goals that are Strategic, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. This approach ensures that a the IEP goals commitment to racial equity and inclusion is supported by concrete and actionable steps, making the pursuit of objectives not just strategic and measurable, but also inclusive and equitable.
Learn more about SMARTIE goals by browsing SMARTIE Goals Worksheet on the The Mangement Center website.
Final Thoughts on IEP Goal Writing
The primary factor to consider when using SMART or SMARTIE goals or any other rendition of them is to determine whether they will help develop better IEP goals. The IEP team should keep in mind that these goals must be written in brief, specific, and clear language that can be easily understood by all members of the IEP team. The order in which the goal elements are written depends on the information laid out in the overall goal. For example, the timeframe may be placed prior to the condition in some instances and after the performance criterion in others.
As we think about our students and our families, it is essential to center equity and inclusion. This means ensuring that we are including students and families in setting and measuring goals. Review your goals and consider how they will build success or shrink disparity gaps for our students of color and those with intersecting identities. Consider how you are connecting with your families. Is it in a way that meets their needs or yours? These are additional elements that have not traditionally been a focus of IEP goals.
Watch the short video. SMARTIE Goals–School Improvement Updates (04:38). The video does not specifically address IEPs, but may help you think about how you could transfer that knowledge to your work.
Then, consider:
- Do the goals include “IE” elements? If so, provide evidence from the reading to support.
- If not, how could those pieces could be added to improve the goals?
Example IEP Goals
Chris & K
(1) Kindergarten (K). Using the PLAAFP from the previous section and the identified needs for the Kindergarten student, we have crafted the following goal:
- K will improve his reading fluency skills from independently reading at a rate of 54 words per minute to 75 words per minute on a fourth-grade-level reading probe with 80% accuracy on three out of four attempts by his next annual review.
(2) Chris. Using the PLAAFP from the previous section and the identified needs for Chris, we have crafted the following goals:
- G1: Chris will improve his reading comprehension skills from needing prompts to a level of being able to independently identify the main idea and supporting details, summarize, and identify the sequence in expository and narrative passages written at his instructional level (1000-1199 Lexile) with 80% accuracy on three out of four attempts by his next annual review.
- G2: Chris will improve his classroom-appropriate behavior from present levels to a level where he is able to reduce his bullying/provoking behaviors and staff redirections to an average of 1.5 or less each per class period by the end of this annual IEP.
- G3: Chris will improve his organization skills from present levels to a level where he is able to arrive to class on time, document assigned work, and hand in assignments with 95% accuracy by the end of this annual IEP.
Think, Write/Record, Share
- What differences/similarities do you see between the two sets of goals?
- Do the goals promote access to the general education curriculum? If so, how?
- Are there any unintended consequences to these goals?
- What questions or concerns do you have?
Note how Chris’ first goal specifically references content from the academic standards. This goal directly supports his progress in the general education curriculum.
Practice
Annie’s IEP Goal
Let’s practice identifying the key components of a goal. Read through the goal below from Annie’s IEP and identify the following key components:
- Draw a circle around the type of learning or performance.
- Draw a square around the direction of change.
- Underline the measurement/assessment/evaluation type.
- Put a star by the criteria of performance.
“Annie will increase her reading comprehension skills from a level of recalling minimal non-sequential details to a level of identifying the main idea and relevant sequential details with 90% accuracy by her next annual review.”