How to Write IEP Goals that are Appropriate and Achievable

IEP (Individualized Education Program) goal writing is a crucial skill for any educator who teaches students with special needs. These goals are written and updated annually, and they are an essential tool that helps educators, families, and students align around progress and performance.   

Sometimes general education and special education teachers struggle to write goals because they haven’t had enough training or practice working with these documents. Once teachers recognize and understand the necessary steps to write IEP goals that are specific, clear, and measurable, they will have a solid plan to follow to help their students achieve those goals. 

Examine the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) to determine exactly how the student’s learning needs affect their ability to master grade level content or skills.

Once you’ve identified the specific skill or content area being impacted by the student’s learning needs, match it with the corresponding curriculum and/or state standard.

Study the identified standard to determine exactly what the student needs to do in order to demonstrate mastery. The standard will describe specifically what the student is expected to know and how they should be able to show it.

After following these steps, you should be ready to write appropriate and achievable IEP goals. Example: By [date], when given a daily reading log to complete, student will write sentences using correct punctuation and capitalization 80-95% of the time as measured by classroom assessments and teacher feedback.  

Key Question: Do my goals meet the following criterion? 

• Achievable in one school year 
• Measurable (quantifiable) 
• Student-centric (what the student will do) 
• Aligned to a specific standard and its learning outcome(s) 
• Includes instructional strategies targeted to address the learning need

Instruction that is designed specifically to meet the student’s IEP goals is what will help them achieve mastery of the grade-level standards. Start by identifying engaging instructional strategies that are targeted to the student’s specific learning needs manifested in a particular standard. Select grade-level, standards-based curriculum, materials, and resources to support instruction. 

Simplify the tasks of viewing, tracking, and updating IEP documents. 

Teachers who work with students with special learning needs are responsible for remembering the details of countless documents. Their jobs are demanding enough without having to sift through piles of paperwork looking for a student’s IEP. Moving your school or district’s special education documentation to an online platform such as PowerSchool Special Programs gives teachers access to critical program data and streamlines their tasks that document student progress.

Heather Woodard, the Director of Special Education at Clovis Municipal School District (NM) says, “We use Special Programs for IEPs. It allows teachers to write IEPs more efficiently, which allows them to spend more time in the classroom with students. The ‘insert statements’ part of the program is especially helpful.” 

Special Programs also supports data collection, document translation for families whose first language is not English, and simplified reporting, among other features. For more information on successful collaboration between teachers, families, and students, read Four Keys to Successful Collaboration on IEPs.