Goal Components
Baseline Data
Accurate baseline data must be collected prior to writing an IEP goal addressing a behavioral need. This will allow for accurate progress monitoring to occur; without baseline data documenting where the student started, it will be impossible for the team to determine if progress has been made. When writing goals, the baseline data must directly relate to the targeted goal.
Example and Non-Example
Targeted Goal Area: |
Example & Non-Example of Baseline Data: |
Rationale: |
|---|---|---|
Increase in raising hand before speaking in class. |
Non-Example: In a 50-minute class period, student is off task (e.g., talking to peers, looking at cell phone, etc.) on average 20 minutes/day. |
Not directly related to the targeted desired behavior to increase (hand raising). |
Increase in raising hand before speaking in class. |
Non-Example: Student does not raise hand before speaking. |
Directly related to the targeted desired behavior but is not specific enough to allow team to know if progress has been made. |
Increase in raising hand before speaking in class. |
Example: In a 50-minute class period, student calls out answers/speaks out of turn/blurts out answers an average of 15 times/day. Student raises hand an average of 1 time/day. |
Data is directly related to target desired behavior and is detailed enough to allow team to measure if progress is made. |
SMART Goals
Goals written should be written in the S.M.A.R.T. format and include the components described in Components to Include (below).
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
Components to Include
All goals, of any type, must consider the following components to assure ability to adequately monitor progress and identify if a skill has been acquired. Goals can be written with components occurring in different order but must contain all six elements.
1. By When?
Specify a specific end date by which the goal will have been achieved. This is one element of crafting a S.M.A.R.T. goal (time-bound), however, additional time frame information will be needed (see "within what time frame and at what level of proficiency?", below).
Example
By month/date/year
2. Who?
Specify the student's name.
Example
Kai
3. Will Do What?
The goal should include detailed information about the behavior/skill (making it specific, part of crafting a S.M.A.R.T goal); goals should be specified in "camera ready" terms. In other words, what does it look or sound like? Is it measurable? Would all observers agree, if they saw or heard this behavior, that this was the behavior targeted by the goal?
Additionally, to be S.M.A.R.T goals, areas targeted should be:
- Relevant (e.g., identified as an individualized area of need for the student)
- Attainable (e.g., should take into consideration current present level of performance and be feasible for the student to achieve by the next annual IEP)
Example and Non-Example
Example & Non-Example |
Rationale |
|---|---|
Non-Example: Will decrease occurrences of defiant behavior. |
Observers might disagree on when defiance has occurred, thus leading to inaccurate measurement of performance. |
Example: Will decrease occurrences of defiant behavior by ceasing engagement in self-selected activity and beginning activity/assignment as directed by the teacher. |
Observers are likely to agree on when this behavior has occurred, thus leading to accurate measurement of performance. |
4. Under What Conditions?
Additional details to create a (specific) S.M.A.R.T goal include detailing what will be going on when the desired behavior/skill is expected to occur or what conditions are required for the behavior/skill to occur. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Where will this behavior occur?
- What activities are occurring when the behavior is needed?
- What task is required of the student or what materials does the student need?
- Which adults are working with the student?
- What degree and type of prompting is the student receiving? For example, "working on a written assignment for twenty minutes with no more than one verbal prompt in each five-minute period"
- Of note, annual IEP goals should be written without prompting. If a student is unable to accomplish the goal independently, without prompts, the team should consider pre-requisite skills and/or break the skill down into components that the student would be able to complete independently by the next annual IEP.
- If levels of prompting are used, they should only be included in benchmark objectives, leading up to independence in the annual goal.
Example and Non-Example
Example & Non-Example |
Rationale |
|---|---|
Annual Non-Example: Kai will do his work without complaining. |
Conditions are vague, what work is required is not specified, is there a time frame for completion, etc. |
Annual Example: Given an assignment during math class (independent work or group work), Kai will complete the assignment within the 50-minute class period. Benchmark 1: will complete with 1 prompt Benchmark 2: will complete with 2 prompts |
Conditions are specified (e.g., amount of work, conditions for work, and time frame) Prompts are only specified in the benchmarks. |
5. Within What Time Frame and At What Level of Proficiency?
A (specific, measurable, and time bound) S.M.A.R.T. goal should include two components:
- How well should the student perform the behavior (proficiency criteria, e.g., 80% accuracy)
- What time frame is required (e.g., in 4 of 5 trials over a 2-week period)
- Be sure to include the measurement criteria (such as trials or opportunities) as well as a time frame (such as 2 weeks). This allows the progress to be measured consistently; if there is no time frame, the 5 trials could be spread out over an entire year which would provide different information than if measured over a 1-month period.
Annual goals should be written to a high level of proficiency; for example, annual goals should not state a proficiency level of 50% as this is as likely as guessing. If a student cannot perform the skill targeted by the annual goal at a high proficiency level, the team should consider breaking the task down into smaller steps that the student can complete at a high proficiency level, or looking at developing goals for pre-requisite skills that would support the student in moving towards the larger goal.
Of note, educators should avoid using two partial measures (e.g., 80% accuracy over 4 of 5 trials). Rather, ensure that one measure is at 100% (e.g., 100% accuracy over 4 of 5 trials over a 2-week time-period OR 80% accuracy in 5 of 5 trials over a 2-week time-period).
Example and Non-Example
Example & Non-Example |
Rationale |
|---|---|
Non-Example: with 50% accuracy. |
Level of proficiency is too low to show that a student has mastery of a skill. |
Non-Example: with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials over a 2-week time-period. |
One of these measures should be at 100% (e.g., 100% accuracy OR in 5 of 5 trials). |
Non-Example: with 80% accuracy in 10 opportunities. |
Missing a time frame (e.g., 2-week period, over 1 month, etc.) |
Example: with 100% accuracy in 8 of 10 opportunities, over 1 month. |
Both mastery criteria and time frame are specified completely and accurately. |
6. As Measured By Whom and How?
The final element of a (specific and measurable) S.M.A.R.T goal is to detail which staff member(s) will measure performance. For example, methods of measurement may include: counting the times the student uses the behavior in a specific time period (event recording), collection of worksheets student completed during independent work time (permanent product), the number of continuous minutes a behavior occurs whenever it occurs (duration recording).
Of note, "teacher observation" is not a sufficient measure alone, as there is no specific data or product that can be examined by others to ensure validity.
Example and Non-Example
Example & Non-Example |
Rationale |
|---|---|
Non-Example: As measured by data collection and teacher observation. |
What type of data collection? Teacher observation is not a sufficient measure of student performance. |
Example: As measured by teacher/IA/behavior specialist with frequency data collection. |
Those responsible for measurement are detailed, along with the type of data collection. |
