How to write a measurable IEP goal

What the regulation actually requires

Two of these are commonly stated wrong, including in goal banks. Both are quoted from the federal regulation, read on the date at the bottom of this page.

34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(i)

An IEP must contain a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals.

34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)

Benchmarks or short-term objectives are federally required for children who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards. For every other student they are a state, district or team decision.

Often written the other way: Commonly written as "every IEP goal must be broken into short-term objectives".

34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)(ii)

The IEP must state when periodic reports on progress toward the annual goals will be provided. The regulation offers quarterly reports issued alongside report cards as an example — it does not set the interval.

Often written the other way: Commonly written as "quarterly progress reports are federally required". They are not; the interval is the IEP team’s to state.

34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)(i)

The IEP team must review the IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether the annual goals are being achieved.

34 CFR §300.320(b)

Measurable postsecondary goals and the transition services needed to reach them must be in the first IEP that will be in effect when the child turns 16 — earlier if the IEP team decides it is appropriate — and updated annually thereafter.

Often written the other way: Often given as 14. Sixteen is the federal floor; several states set an earlier age, so a state page must say which.

Verbs that cannot be measured

If the verb describes something happening inside the student's head, nobody can collect data on it. Each of these has an observable replacement, and the replacement is usually what the team meant.

• understand → explain, state in their own words, answer questions about
• know → name, identify, produce, list
• improve → the number it will improve to
• appreciate, enjoy, feel → choose, participate in, request
• be able to → drop it; write the behavior itself

When the criterion is not a number

Some skills are not measured by counting them — they are measured by how much help the student needed. For those, the criterion is a named level of support, and progress is fading down this ladder rather than moving up a scale.

1. 1 full physical assistance
2. 2 partial physical assistance
3. 3 a modeled demonstration
4. 4 a gestural prompt
5. 5 a verbal prompt
6. 6 a visual cue
7. 7 no adult prompting

Goals by skill area