What Makes a Good IEP Goal?

A good IEP goal starts from where your child is now, names a skill that can be observed, and says exactly how progress will be measured. If you cannot tell how a team member would count or see progress, the goal is probably too vague.

An IEP goal is a written target for one skill your child is working on, usually over a school year. Most useful goals have four parts. First, a starting point that describes what your child can do now. Second, a target that describes what your child should be able to do by the end of the year. Third, a way to measure it, such as a percent of correct responses or a number of trials. Fourth, a note about how often progress will be checked and reported.

Words like improve, understand, or make progress are hard to measure, so it is reasonable to ask for numbers. Goals should connect to a need described in the present levels section. Ask who collects the progress data and how often. Ask what counts as enough progress to stay on track. You can also ask what happens if your child is not making progress, and how the team would adjust the goal or the services.

A vague goal says: "Improve reading comprehension." A more specific example says: "The student currently answers comprehension questions about a grade-level passage with 40 percent accuracy. By the annual review date, when given a comparable passage, the student will answer comprehension questions with at least 80 percent accuracy across three consecutive weekly checks." This example identifies a starting point, a target, a deadline, and a way to measure progress. The actual skill, passage level, supports, and target should reflect your child's needs. This is an illustration, not a recommended goal for every child.