Measurable Annual Goals
Now that we have data and a detailed description of our student’s needs, it is time to create measurable annual goals and short-term objectives. First, we focus on goals and in a later section, benchmarks or short-term objectives.
IDEA regulations state that the IEP must contain:
A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to:
- meet the child’s needs resulting from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and
- meet each of the child’s other educational needs resulting from the child’s disability.
Source: 34 C.F.R. 300.320(a)(2)(i)(A)(B)
Minnesota Statues and Rules (Minn. R. 3525.2810, subp. 1(A)(2) refer to the IEP as the following: “A statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to meeting the pupil’s needs that result from the pupil’s disability to enable the pupil to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and meeting each of the pupil’s other educational needs that result from the pupil’s disability.”
The next required component of an IEP is the measurable annual goals section. The academic and/or functional goals described in this section are intended to meet a student’s disability-related needs that enable them to be involved in and make progress in (a) the general education curriculum (e.g., achieve grade-level mathematics skills) and (b) other education-related areas arising from the student’s disability (e.g., improve articulation, increase socially appropriate behaviors). Measurable annual goals describe what the student is reasonably expected to accomplish in a 12-month period when provided with appropriate special education services. Each measurable annual goal should:
- address academic and/or functional needs identified in a PLAAFP statement;
- be guided by grade-level content standards tied to participation in the general education curriculum;
- include benchmarks or short-term objectives (for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards);
- help IEP team members determine whether a student is making educational progress and whether the special education program is providing meaningful educational benefit; and
- lead to a corresponding special education service.
Developing Measurable Annual Goals
To begin the process of writing measurable annual goals, the IEP team should:
- start with the academic and functional needs identified in the PLAAFP statements;
- identify any relevant state academic standards for the student’s grade; and
- discuss what the student should be able to achieve during the next 12 months.
Once this is done, the team is ready to design annual goals that will help close the gap between the student’s current skill levels and the expected academic and/or functional performance levels.
MDE guidance tells us that each goal should include:
- Type of Learning or Performance: Id