Maryland Online IEP  

02: Goals and Objectives

Presentation

The goal of special education is to enable students with disabilities to “access and progress in” the general education curriculum by addressing the needs that arise from the disability, in order to ensure that they leave school prepared for college, career, and life in the community. The IEP provides the supports and services that students need to meet the rigorous standards that apply to all students. Within the IEP, the annual goals set the focus for instruction on critical skills that will enable students to approach or meet grade-level expectations. In a Dear Colleague Letter released in November 2015, OSEP clarified that IEPs must be aligned to the academic content standards for the grade level in which a student is enrolled.

To promote these outcomes:

  • Annual goals must address gaps between the student's present level of academic and functional performance, the grade-level Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, and age/appropriate expectations.
  • Objectives are developed to reflect sequential targets of increasing proficiency, accuracy, complexity or reduced supports across the time period specified by the IEP.
  • IEP Goals and Objectives are written to include five critical components:
    • Conditions
    • Behavior
    • Criteria (Mastery and Retention)
    • Method of Measurement
    • Timeframe

In this learning module, you will be provided with information and tools to support the development of measurable, ambitious and attainable goals and objectives as part of a standards-aligned IEP which supports accelerated student progress.

While you are viewing this module, think about:

  • What resources are necessary for you to develop goals and objectives that are appropriately aligned to both student needs and the MCCRS?
  • How will you write functional IEP goals?
  • How will you ensure that each of the five components of goals and objectives are present?

Purpose of Goals and Objectives

IEP goals and objectives address unique academic and functional (non-academic) needs identified within the present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement, as well as the concerns of the family. Annual IEP Goals reflect the area(s) in which a student with a disability needs specially designed instruction (SDI) and/or related services specifically to develop essential skills that will lead to increased participation and accelerated progress in the general education curriculum at the grade level in which the student is enrolled and allow the student to approach or meet the grade level standards.

Educators and service providers must understand how to prioritize academic and functional standards and skills that, when targeted by IEP goals and objectives, are most likely to accelerate progress in the general education curriculum. Annual IEP goals should not be developed for every grade-level standard in every content area but should focus on essential skills and anchor standards that promote an accelerated rate of learning. Goals and objectives are uniquely designed to meet the student needs and not just copied directly from the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards and/or age appropriate expectations.

The performance targets are based on the team’s best estimation of student progress (grounded in previous rates of academic growth derived from trend data and projections for an accelerated rate of learning) and should be achievable within the year of IEP implementation.

In the following poll:

  • Think about the goals and objectives that you have written in the past.
  • Rate your comfort level in designing standards-aligned goals and objectives on a scale of 1-5.
  • Review your colleagues’ ratings.
  • Reflect upon your rating in comparison to your colleagues, and how learning developing goals and objectives leads to the development of an effective standards-aligned IEP.
If there appear to be loading issues, check out the interactive through the following link: Designing Standards-aligned Goals and Objectives

Goal Components

IEP goals and objectives are written to include five critical components (Conditions, Behavior, Criteria (Mastery and Retention), Method of Measurement and Timeframe).

Conditions: The circumstances under which the skill will be performed. Conditions include factors such as materials, assistance provided, directions given and the environment (physical environment or in the context of an activity); Behavior: The observable, measurable action the student will perform; Criteria (Mastery and Retention): TThe expected level of performance (mastery) and how many times the student will demonstrate the level of performance for the goal and objective(s) to be considered achieved (retention); Method of Measurement: A reliable or valid tool used for additional means of objectively determining whether or not the specified criteria has been met; and Timeframe: The date by which the goal/objective will be accomplished (up to, but not exceeding one year)

Five Major Steps in the Development of Goals and Objectives

Now, let's take a moment to review each of the five major steps in the development of goals and objectives. Select each of the following steps to review the information for the step.

Common Errors in Writing Goals and Objectives

  1. MCCRS are copied and pasted directly into the student’s annual goal.
  2. Target of the goal is not based upon previous rates of academic growth or accelerated strategies for learning.
  3. Objectives are not individualized for the skill and student.
  4. Criteria and method of measurement selected for the goal and objectives do not align with the skills.
  5. Goals include mastery and/or retention criteria, but not both.
  6. Family input is not included.
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