Prioritizing IEP Goals: Why Fewer Goals Lead to Better Student Progress
Learn why prioritizing IEP goals leads to stronger instruction, better data collection, and real student progress—without overwhelming teams.
Is This IEP Goal Too Ambitious? How to Use Baseline Data to Find the Right Answer
Not sure if an IEP goal is too ambitious for your student? The only way to know is to look at the baseline data. Here’s how to start.
What Makes a Good Hygiene IEP Goal
Hygiene IEP goals build independence and confidence. Learn when they’re appropriate, how to write them, and tips for measurable success.
IEP Goals for Preschool
Discover 10 essential preschool IEP goals—from social skills to independence—and learn how to track progress while supporting whole-child growth.
What is Age Anchoring and What Does It Mean for IEP Writing?
What is age anchoring and why is it so important for IEP goal writing? Learn more about it here and get tips for explaining it to your team.
How to Break Down IEP Goals to Help Students Learn
Learn how to break down IEP goals into clear, manageable steps using tools like the IEP Matrix to support student success and growth.
How to Prioritize IEP Goals for Students with a Wide Range of Needs
Learn how to prioritize IEP goals effectively for students with diverse needs. Discover practical strategies to focus on foundational skills, use task boxes, and streamline goal practice in special education.
Functional Skills to Write IEP Goals For
Functional skills need IEP goals. Learn why they’re important and how to help your students gain the independence they’ll need.
Organizing IEP Goals to Make Them Easily Accessible
Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals are at the heart of special education, guiding instruction, progress monitoring, and student success. However, keeping these goals organized and easily accessible in the classroom can be challenging, especially when balancing multiple students with varying needs. Whether you’re a special education teacher, paraprofessional, or related service provider, having an efficient […]
How to Write Trauma-Informed Goals
Writing trauma-informed goals can make a significant difference in a student’s progress and overall well-being. Here’s how to write them.
10 Social Skills Goals for Non-Verbal Students
Supporting non-verbal students in developing their social skills is essential for fostering meaningful interactions and promoting inclusion in various settings. Here are ten social skills goals that can be included in an Individualized Education Program (IEP), along with explanations of their benefits. Remember that you will need to adjust the goals to make them measurable […]
Do We Need 80% Accuracy for IEP Goals?
When it comes to setting IEP goals related to skills, determining the appropriate accuracy percentage is essential for measuring progress effectively. Should everything just be a blanket 80% accuracy for each and every goal without evaluating them? No, it absolutely should not (we’ll get there!). I have encountered so many new-to-me IEPs where the student’s accuracy percentages were all 80%. While I […]
10 Terrible IEP Goals and How to Fix Them
Unfortunately, as a special educator, you probably know that many IEP goals fall short and need more clarity, specificity, and measurability. Together, we will explore the pitfalls of ineffective IEP goals and provide insights on how to enhance and refine them. We will give ten examples of poorly written goals and then show you how to write it […]
Understanding “Trials” in an IEP Goal
You’ve heard the term before, but what do “trials” actually mean in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goal? Students with special needs who have an IEP rely on the legal document to help them succeed in their education journey. Within an IEP, goals are set to help students make progress in various areas. Goals can […]
Why Goal Banks Are Better Than Using AI
While there are different approaches to crafting IEP goals, one effective method preferred by many special educators is the use of IEP goal banks. These goal banks serve as a starting point for educators as they craft IEP goals that align with each students’ needs. While there has been debate over whether or not artificial […]
Understanding Autism IEP Goals, Objectives, and More
Autism IEP goals can, initially, seem intimidating, but they don’t have to be. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) play a pivotal role in providing tailored support and accommodations to meet the distinctive needs of students. For students with autism, the implementation of IEPs becomes particularly crucial as they aim to address the specific challenges that may […]
10 Things to Remember When Writing IEP Goals
Writing Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals is a crucial aspect of a special education teacher’s job. These goals serve as roadmaps for students with disabilities, outlining the specific skills they need to develop and the progress they need to make. As a special education teacher, it’s essential to create IEP goals that are meaningful, measurable, […]
Understanding “X of Y Trials”
Understanding special ed jargon can be challenging! With so many acronyms and a language all its own, even the most seasoned teachers need clarification. When it comes to IEP writing, one of the most common phrases refers to the number of times a student should show mastery of a skill. It is usually referred to […]
7 Reasons to Use an IEP Goal Bank
Writing an individualized education plan (IEP) that meets the needs of each student can be a daunting task -especially when you have a large caseload! Fortunately, educators have access to IEP goal banks that can help them easily create accurate and up-to-date IEPs tailored to their students’ specific learning objectives. By using IEP goal banks, […]
2 IEP Goals to Help Students with Transitioning Between Tasks
Transitioning from one activity to another can be challenging for some students. Supporting them in a way that makes sense begins with including the goal in their IEP. The examples below are a great place to start to make sure that your students can effectively transition to new activities and classes with minimal assistance. Why […]
How Often Should You Work on IEP Goals
When it comes to IEP goals, there is no question that they must be worked on throughout the school year. But when you have a large caseload of students with multiple IEP goals, how often should you work on IEP goals for each child? Practicing IEP Goals Organizing how often students should be practicing IEP […]
Ideas for Working on Executive Functioning IEP Goals at Home
Executive functioning skills are those that are used every day to navigate life. They include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. Without strong executive functioning skills, students can struggle with focusing, handling emotions, and following directions in order to get their work done. For those reasons, it is important that working on executive functioning skills […]
How to Develop Meaningful IEP Goals
Developing meaningful IEP goals starts by understanding what your student needs and what he is working towards. They should be SMART goals that the student can achieve within the IEP’s time period, and should be directly aligned with the child’s Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance. If you are struggling to create and write […]
Structuring IEP Goal Work in Special Education Classrooms
When students have multiple goals it can be challenging to keep track of all of them. Multiply that by the number of students on your caseload and it can quickly become overwhelming. That is why structuring IEP goal work is essential for successful management of a caseload and the ultimate success of students. How to […]
7 Steps to Choosing IEP Goals
There is a lot that goes into choosing and creating IEP goals. Do you know what information to use to guide you? Do you know where to find it? How do you integrate the information in the family’s vision statement? With so much to consider, it can be a daunting task to choose the IEP […]
Using Morning Work to Prepare Students for IEP Goal Work
Recently a first-year teacher asked how morning work could benefit her class, especially if it was repetitive. Would it be beneficial if students had mastered the skills already? Would it be boring and ineffective? While some morning work may not be appropriate, teachers have found that repetitive tasks are a great way to prepare students […]
What to Do When IEP Goals Aren’t Working
A great IEP is the key to success for any disabled individual. If your student’s IEP goals aren’t working or the child seems to be struggling, it’s time to take action. Being proactive can mean the difference between a successful year for the student and one that’s filled with frustration and difficulties. Steps to Take […]
How to Set Up IEP Work Bins for Your Students
Helping students make progress on and master their IEP goals is key to every child’s success, not just for that year’s annual IEP – but for the child’s success with “…further education, employment, and independent living.” But with dozens of students on a caseload, it can be challenging to find enough hours in the school […]
The Difference Between IEP Goals and IEP Objectives
There is a lot of terminology that Special Ed teachers must become accustomed to in order to effectively write an IEP. Understanding the difference between terms can be confusing for even the most experienced educators. Knowing the difference between IEP goals and IEP objectives is one area that commonly trips teachers up as they sit […]
Determining How Many Trials Per IEP Goal or Objective
Each IEP you write is individualized, that’s the purpose of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for our students with special needs. When you are writing IEP goals, you shouldn’t be using one standard measurement for skill mastery. The IEP goal trials also don’t have to be one specific amount of problems or questions per progress […]
Determining IEP Goal Objectives and Benchmarks
Over my years as a special education teacher who has taught in multiple states, I’ve realized that the district or school you work for probably wants you to write IEP goals differently than your neighboring county or state. While this isn’t necessarily a “bad thing”, it definitely makes it more difficult to know what a […]
Determining IEP Goal Mastery Criteria
As we know, IEP goals must be measurable. We collect data and report on IEP goals that we have assigned levels of mastery to. But how do we determine if a goal is “mastered”? What criteria must a child meet before we determine that there has been goal mastery? One of the big needs for […]
Why Transition IEPs Still Need Academic Goals
Transition – this is a word we hear a lot with our upper grades students in special education. Let’s start by going back to what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) says about transition IEPs: IDEA 2004 tells us that transition goals must be included in a student’s IEP no later than when they […]