IEP Goals Examples for Parents (California)

What makes a goal measurable?

California law requires IEP goals to be measurable annual goals. A well-written goal includes four components:

Baseline — where the student is starting from (e.g., "Currently reads at 50 words per minute")
Behavior — the skill or behavior to be demonstrated
Condition — under what circumstances (e.g., "given a grade-level text")
Criterion — how success will be measured (e.g., "with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions")

Why this matters

Vague goals can't be measured — which means you can't hold the district accountable for making progress. If you can't tell whether a goal was met at the end of the year, it needs to be rewritten.

Reading / literacy goals

Reading fluency

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will improve reading skills."

Measurable (better)

"Given a grade-level reading passage, [Student] will read aloud with 90 words per minute at 95% accuracy across 4 out of 5 consecutive probes, as measured by curriculum-based reading probes administered weekly by the resource specialist."

Baseline should be included in the present levels section of the IEP and referenced here.

Reading comprehension

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will understand what she reads."

Measurable (better)

"After reading a grade-level informational text independently, [Student] will identify the main idea and at least 2 supporting details in writing with 75% accuracy across 4 of 5 trials, as measured by teacher-scored comprehension checks."

Writing goals

Written expression

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will improve his writing."

Measurable (better)

"Given a writing prompt, [Student] will produce a 5-sentence paragraph that includes a topic sentence, 3 supporting details, and a closing sentence with no more than 3 mechanical errors, in 4 out of 5 opportunities as measured by teacher rubric."

Math goals

Math computation

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will work on math facts."

Measurable (better)

"Given a set of 20 single-digit multiplication problems, [Student] will complete them with 90% accuracy in 3 minutes or less across 4 of 5 consecutive timed assessments, as measured by monthly probes."

Math problem-solving

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will get better at word problems."

Measurable (better)

"Given a 2-step grade-level word problem, [Student] will identify the operation needed and show her work to solve correctly with 80% accuracy across 4 out of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher observation and work samples."

Speech and language goals

Articulation

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will improve his speech sounds."

Measurable (better)

"[Student] will produce the /r/ sound correctly in all positions of words at the phrase level with 80% accuracy across 4 of 5 therapy sessions, as measured by SLP data collection."

Receptive language

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will follow directions better."

Measurable (better)

"Given 2-step verbal directions in the classroom without visual cues, [Student] will follow them correctly in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive observation periods, as measured by teacher data."

Social-emotional and behavior goals

Self-regulation

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will behave better in class."

Measurable (better)

"When given a frustrating task, [Student] will independently use a taught calming strategy (e.g., deep breathing, movement break request) before escalating, in 4 out of 5 observed opportunities per week, as measured by teacher behavior tracking sheet."

Social skills

Vague (avoid)

"[Student] will make friends and get along with peers."

Measurable (better)

"During structured group activities, [Student] will initiate a positive interaction with a peer (greet, ask a question, or offer help) in 3 out of 4 observed opportunities weekly, as measured by paraprofessional data."

What to do if goals aren't measurable

Ask the team: "How will we measure progress on this goal? What does success look like with a number attached?"
Request that the baseline data be added — you can't measure growth without a starting point.
Ask who is responsible for collecting data, how often, and what tool they'll use.
If you disagree with a goal, you can note your disagreement in the IEP document and request that it be revised.

For a tool that generates goals aligned to California standards, see myABCIEP's IEP Prep Tool. For more on what the school is legally required to include in goals, visit Know Your Rights.