How to Create Eloquent IEP Goals

mindset Nov 03, 2020

As educators, our goal is not only to teach but to teach efficiently and effectively. An important tool that helps us do just that is the Individualized Education Program (IEP), which outlines the objectives for students, especially those who have special needs. In today’s episode of A Step Forward (Episode 53), we delve into what makes an eloquent IEP goal, how to write one, and how doing so can reduce your workload and stress. It’s all about making our work easier while still pushing our students toward independence and success.

The Power of a Well-Structured IEP Goal

An IEP goal is not something that you pull out of thin air. It should be rooted in data, and come from a well-defined process. The sequence is crucial. Here's the rundown:

Assessment: Start with a comprehensive evaluation of the student’s abilities. This assessment forms the foundation for all subsequent steps.
Recommendations: These stem directly from the assessment and offer specific insights into what needs to be worked on.
Plot P (Progression): After the recommendations, you create a plot that outlines the areas of improvement.
IEP Goal: Finally, the IEP goal is formulated based on these three components. You can trace every goal back to the original assessment and recommendations.

This process removes much of the guesswork, allowing you to write goals that are clear, measurable, and practical. For new educators, it might feel overwhelming at first, but over time, this method saves significant time and reduces stress.

Components of an IEP Goal: Breaking It Down

There are four essential components in any IEP goal:

Date: Simple and straightforward.
Condition: The specific support the student will need in order to achieve the goal.
Behavior: This is the core action or skill that you want the student to demonstrate.
Criteria: The standard by which success will be measured.

The behavior is the most critical element because it defines the skill the student is working to develop. Once the behavior is clear, you can adjust the condition (what supports the student needs) and the criteria (how often or how accurately the skill must be demonstrated).

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Being too vague about the condition: Often, terms like "with prompts" or "with verbal cues" are used. But, what exactly does that mean? Is the student using a monocular or a cane? Do they need tactile maps or an iPhone? The more specific you can be, the better.
Overlooking the criterion: It’s easy to simply state a percentage (e.g., 70% of the time) as the criterion. However, this can lead to confusion for parents who may not fully understand what that percentage really means. Instead, focus on making your data measurable within one class period or session. This allows you to have clear, actionable data that reflects real progress.

One key tip: Make your goals measurable in one class period or lesson, ensuring that progress is tracked consistently. This also makes your life easier when it’s time to write progress reports—just pull data from the most recent lesson.

Adapting IEP Goals for Remote or Hybrid Learning

We’ve all had to adapt our teaching methods, especially with the rise of remote and hybrid learning. But the beauty of IEP goals is that they can be adjusted to fit any learning environment. The core concept or skill remains the same, but the conditions and criteria can change based on the learning setting.

For example, if a student’s goal involves crossing a complex intersection, that might be adjusted to practicing on a single step at home, given the limitations of remote learning. Alternatively, the environment might shift from a school stairwell to a more controlled setup at home. The essential skill—crossing safely—remains, but the conditions and criteria will reflect the current circumstances.

Streamlining Your Teaching with Better Goals

The beauty of writing clear, measurable IEP goals is that they don’t just help your students—they help you as well. With a solid goal, you can plan lessons more effectively, track progress with ease, and reduce unnecessary stress. This is especially important as we continue to adjust to changing learning environments. Whether you’re working remotely, hybrid, or transitioning back to campus, you can adapt your approach without compromising your students' growth.

We know that planning for remote O&M lessons can take much longer than planning for in-person lessons. But with the right framework for your IEP goals, the planning process becomes more efficient. You can focus on delivering the best education to your students while also reducing the time and effort it takes to manage each lesson.

Join the Conversation

If you want to dig deeper into this topic, we’re hosting a professional development webinar on November 12, where we’ll discuss what's working in O&M right now, especially in remote and hybrid environments. Join us as we share strategies from specialists around the world. You’ll walk away with tools to elevate your practice and better support your students, no matter the situation.

In the end, writing eloquent IEP goals is all about reducing the guesswork, providing clear expectations, and being specific about how and where progress will be made. Whether you're teaching in person, remotely, or a combination of both, these goals serve as the roadmap to helping your students achieve independence and success. And that, my friends, is the ultimate goal.

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