Executive functioning IEP goals

Organization, task initiation, time management, materials and homework completion — the goals that decide whether everything else gets handed in.

Write a executive functioning goal

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On this goal, progress means a smaller number — the target should be lower than the present level.

Annual goal

By the annual review date, when an independent task is assigned, [Student] will begin working within 2 minutes without an adult prompt, as measured by a latency record kept with a timer during class.

Benchmarks

  1. 1

    By the annual review date, when an independent task is assigned, [Student] will begin working within 8 minutes without an adult prompt, as measured by a latency record kept with a timer during class.

  2. 2

    By the annual review date, when an independent task is assigned, [Student] will begin working within 6 minutes without an adult prompt, as measured by a latency record kept with a timer during class.

  3. 3

    By the annual review date, when an independent task is assigned, [Student] will begin working within 4 minutes without an adult prompt, as measured by a latency record kept with a timer during class.

Replace [Student] and any remaining bracket in your own document. The IEP team writes the goal from this student's present levels; this is a starting draft, not an IEP.

23 executive functioning goals

Each shown at an example present level and target.

Task initiation

· time on task

By the annual review date, when an independent task is assigned, [Student] will begin working within 2 minutes without an adult prompt, as measured by a latency record kept with a timer during class.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • a latency record kept with a timer during class
  • weekly observation records

Using an assignment planner

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, [Student] will record assignments and due dates in their planner or app for 90% of assignments given, as measured by the planner checked weekly against the class assignment list.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • the planner checked weekly against the class assignment list
  • a case manager planner audit each week

Breaking a task into steps

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, when given a multi-day assignment, [Student] will write the steps and a date for each before starting, in 4 of 5 assignments, as measured by submitted task plans compared with the assignment.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • submitted task plans compared with the assignment
  • weekly case manager check-ins recorded on a data sheet

Estimating how long a task takes

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, before beginning an assignment, [Student] will estimate how long it will take and afterwards compare the estimate with the actual time, coming within ten minutes on 80% of assignments, as measured by an estimate-and-actual log kept with each assignment.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • an estimate-and-actual log kept with each assignment
  • weekly review of the log by the case manager

Organising materials

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, at a weekly binder or locker check, [Student] will have papers filed in the correct section and no loose work, meeting 90% of checklist items, as measured by a weekly organization checklist scored by staff.

Grades 3-5, 6-8
Other ways to measure this
  • a weekly organization checklist scored by staff
  • binder audits recorded on a data sheet

Arriving with materials

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, [Student] will arrive at each class with the required materials in 9 of 10 class periods, as measured by a daily materials check kept by the teacher.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • a daily materials check kept by the teacher
  • weekly period-by-period records

Turning work in

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, [Student] will submit completed work on the due date for 90% of assignments across all classes, as measured by the gradebook submission record reviewed weekly.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • the gradebook submission record reviewed weekly
  • a case manager assignment log

Checking work before submitting

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, before handing in an assignment, [Student] will check it against the assignment directions and fix anything missing, in 4 of 5 assignments, as measured by work samples showing a completed self-check.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • work samples showing a completed self-check
  • weekly assignment reviews recorded on a data sheet

Sustained attention to a task

· time on task

By the annual review date, during independent work, [Student] will stay with one task for 20 minutes before switching or stopping, as measured by a timer and duration record kept during independent work.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • a timer and duration record kept during independent work
  • weekly observation records

Prompts needed to finish a routine

· a running total

By the annual review date, to complete the end-of-day packing routine, [Student] will need no more than 1 adult prompts, as measured by a prompt count kept by classroom staff.

Grades K–2, 3-5, 6-8
Other ways to measure this
  • a prompt count kept by classroom staff
  • daily routine data sheets

Following a multi-step routine

· fading prompts

By the annual review date, [Student] will complete the morning arrival routine from start to finish with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept each morning.

Grades PreK, K–2, 3-5
Other ways to measure this
  • a prompting-level data sheet kept each morning
  • daily routine checklists

Using a checklist

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, when given a task checklist, [Student] will mark each step as it is finished and use the list to find what comes next, in 4 of 5 tasks, as measured by completed checklists collected with the work.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • completed checklists collected with the work
  • weekly observation records

Managing long-term assignments

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, on a project assigned more than a week ahead, [Student] will complete an interim step by its planned date in 4 of 5 projects, as measured by project milestone records kept by the case manager.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • project milestone records kept by the case manager
  • the planner checked against the project timeline

Study strategies

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, before a test, [Student] will use a taught study strategy — self-quizzing, spaced review, or summarising notes — and record what they did, in 4 of 5 tests, as measured by a study log collected before each test.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • a study log collected before each test
  • case manager check-ins recorded on a data sheet

Transitioning between tasks

· time on task

By the annual review date, when one task ends and another begins, [Student] will put away the first and begin the second within 2 minutes, as measured by a transition timer record kept by staff.

Grades 3-5, 6-8
Other ways to measure this
  • a transition timer record kept by staff
  • daily observation data sheets

Managing digital assignments

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, [Student] will check the online assignment portal, submit files in the correct place and confirm the submission, doing so correctly for 92% of digital assignments, as measured by the submission record in the learning platform.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • the submission record in the learning platform
  • weekly case manager audits recorded on a data sheet

Working memory supports

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, when given multi-step oral directions, [Student] will write or repeat them back before starting, in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by observation records kept during instruction.

Grades 3-5, 6-8
Other ways to measure this
  • observation records kept during instruction
  • weekly direction-following data sheets

Prioritising

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, when given several assignments at once, [Student] will order them by due date and length and state which to do first, with 85% accuracy against the case manager’s ordering, as measured by weekly prioritisation tasks compared with the case manager’s ordering.

Grades 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • weekly prioritisation tasks compared with the case manager’s ordering
  • planner reviews recorded on a data sheet

Self-monitoring attention

· percent accuracy

By the annual review date, using a self-monitoring form at set intervals, [Student] will record whether they were on task, agreeing with the adult record at 85% of intervals, as measured by paired student and staff interval records.

Grades 3-5, 6-8
Other ways to measure this
  • paired student and staff interval records
  • weekly self-monitoring sheets

Recovering after an interruption

· time on task

By the annual review date, after an interruption during independent work, [Student] will return to the task within 2 minutes, as measured by a return-to-task timer record kept by staff.

Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Other ways to measure this
  • a return-to-task timer record kept by staff
  • weekly observation records

Keeping a workspace usable

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, at the end of a work period, [Student] will clear their desk and store materials where they belong, in 9 of 10 periods, as measured by an end-of-period checklist kept by staff.

Grades K–2, 3-5
Other ways to measure this
  • an end-of-period checklist kept by staff
  • daily observation records

Goal setting and review

· opportunities met

By the annual review date, at a weekly check-in, [Student] will set one academic goal for the week and report at the next check-in whether it was met, in 4 of 5 weeks, as measured by weekly goal-setting records kept by the case manager.

Grades 6-8, 9-12, transition
Other ways to measure this
  • weekly goal-setting records kept by the case manager
  • a student goal log reviewed each week

Test and assignment preparation independence

· fading prompts

By the annual review date, in the week before a test, [Student] will gather materials, plan study time and begin studying with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level record kept by the case manager.

Grades 9-12, transition
Other ways to measure this
  • a prompting-level record kept by the case manager
  • weekly check-ins noting prompts given

Other skill areas

The five parts of a measurable goal

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of the documents below, with the date it was read. Requirements change; if a source has moved on since that date, the source is right and this page is out of date.