Writing Standards-driven, Integrated, Measurable Goals for High School

Susan Schaldach, Lauren Ellison

San Juan BOCES4/4/2008

Writing Measurable Goals

• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Relevant• Time limited

• Integrated• Standards/Access/Key

component/Benchmark driven

Post Secondary Goals and Annual Goals

• The annual goals should directly support and promote the accomplishment of their post secondary goals.

Postsecondary Goals in Education/Training

• Refers to those goals that a child hopes to achieve after leaving high school.– After high school Alison will attend a 4 year

college and major in child development.This is a good goal for the following reasons:1. Participation in postsecondary education is

the focus of the goal.2. Attending a college can be observed.3. Attending college occurs after graduation

from HS.

NOT a Postsecondary Goal in Education/Training

• NOT the process of pursuing or moving toward a desired outcome.

– Upon graduation, John will continue to learn about life skills and reading.

This goal is not appropriate for the following reasons:

1. Participation in learning is the focus of this goal, but no specific place or program is specified.

2. The expectation for learning or behavior is not explicitly stated.

3. Cannot measure if student “continues to learn”.

Postsecondary Goal in Employment

• After high school John will work in an on-campus part-time job while in college.

This is a good goal because:

1. Obtaining employment is the focus of the statement.

2. Working part-time is an explicit outcome that can be observed.

3. The phrase “while in college” indicates that the goal will occur after John has graduated HS.

NOT a Postsecondary Goal in Employment

• John will attend a job fair on the college campus.

This is a poor example because:

1. While “attending a job fair” is measurable, the statement suggests an activity toward a postsecondary goal.

2. This activity could occur while John is still in HS.

Postsecondary Goals in Independent Living

• After HS, Lisa will utilize public transportation including the public bus and trolley.

This goal is good because:

1. Participation in independent living skill development, specifically community participation is the focus of this goal.

2. Use of the bus can be measured.

3. The expectation is explicit.

4. The goal states it will be after graduation.

NOT a Postsecondary Goal in Independent Living

• Lisa will learn to use the bus system.

This goal is not a good example because:

1. The expectation for learning is not explicit.

2. It is not stated that the goal will occur after HS.

Annual Goal Statements Should:

• Describe an improvement from the measurable current level of performance

• Clearly identifies the performance that is being monitored and can be directly measured or observed

• Reflect an area of need that is related to progress in the general education curriculum

• Describe conditions under which the student will perform

Annual Goal Considerations

• Annual goals reflect the IEP team’s judgment based on: – Current levels of performance– Potential for learning– Rate of development

• With specialized instruction, what do we expect the student to do or know at the end of the next 12 months?

• Recognized by both parents and teachers as high priority items and educationally meaningful.

• Goal may be established for their functional value in increasing student’s independence.

Standards as goal statements

• The student will read and understand a variety of materials.

• The student will develop number sense and use numbers and number relationships in problem solving situations and communicate the reasoning behind it.

AARGH!!!!!

It is not appropriate to use a standard as a goal statement.

Standards-Driven Annual Goalsshould be LINKED to:

• State Content Standards-statements of what students should know and be able to do by the time they finish their educational career. OR

• Benchmarks- statements of what students should know and do by certain levels or times. OR

• Key Components-essential concepts/skills of the Colorado Model Content Standards OR

• Access Skills-underlying skills students need to reach specific indicators of content standards:– Communication and basic language– Decision-making and problem-solving– Self-advocacy and self-determination– Physical/mobility management– Inter/intra-personal relationships– Organization– Use of technology– Career exploration and development

Measurable Annual Goals

• Measurable means you count it or observe it.

• Examples of unmeasurable terms:– Weak– Difficulty– Unmotivated– Limited– Defiant– Uncooperative

Unit of Measurement (Annual Goals)

• How achievement of the goal will be measured.

– Can specify a grade or age level– Indicate a rate

• 3 out of 4 times• 85% of the time• 5 minutes out of 10• 90% success• Accomplished or not accomplished• Does or does not

Specifying a Rate

*When specifying a rate, does “80% of the time” mean you will watch the student 24/7?

*Specify the whole time that will be used for accountability:

-When asked to work independently

-When dealing with female authority figures

-In math class

-During passing time

-Given a eighth grade reading probe

Example Linking Key Component to a Goal

• Standard: Student will read and understand a variety of materials.

• Goal: Student will increase decoding strategies to comprehend unknown words.

• Objective: In 35 weeks, student will achieve 100 words read correctly per minute from a 6th grade reading progress monitor passage.

Unit of Measurement

• -How achievement of the goal will be measured.

– 100 words read correctly per minute from a 6th grade reading progress monitor passage.

– Evaluation Method: (choices)• Monitor and chart progress• Focused assessment• Portfolio collection• Other

Example Linking Access Skill to a Goal

• Access Skill: develop organizational skills needed to work effectively and efficiently.

• Goal: Student will establish and maintain a system for organizing his work and other responsibilities so that he completes required work and assignments.

• Objective: Given weekly classroom assignments, student will turn them in on time 8/10 times.

Unit of Measurement

• Student will turn in weekly classroom science assignments on time 8/10 times.

Evaluation Method

• Monitor and Chart Progress

• Focused Assessments

• Portfolio Collection

• Other

Linking Annual Goals to Postsecondary Goals in

Education/Training

• PSG: The fall after HS, Jodi will enroll in courses at Gaston Community College.

• AG: Because she needs better reading skills for college, Jodi will improve her reading comprehension scores by one grade level through daily instruction using high-interest reading materials such as the newspaper, teen magazines and young adult women’s magazines, school approved websites and short stories for adults by April 1, 2007.

Linking Annual Goals to Postsecondary Goals in

Employment• PSG: After finishing HS, Alex will work full

time in a local office supply store.• AG: Since Alex needs better employment

skills now and after high school, given a list of possible scenarios at work, Alex will learn to distinguish those that require a meeting with his supervisor with 90% or better accuracy on 1 trial/week for the duration of the IEP.

Linking Annual Goals to Postsecondary Goals in

Independent Living• PSG: Upon completion of HS, Paul will play

soccer in a recreational soccer league at the YMCA.

• AG: Because Paul needs skills after high school that will allow him independence, he will learn to manage his own activities. Given the phone number for the YMCA, Paul will call to request an application and complete the application by writing his personal information in the spaces provided with 90% accuracy by January, 2008.

Linking to Transition

• The student desires to …. After high school and to be successful she needs to improve……

• The student needs….. Skills to be successful after high school in (college, employment, training) so……

Common Errors

• Standards are written as goals.• Goals do not include access skills even when

assessment data indicates the need.• There is not a goal to address the students’ disability or

area of need.• Transition goals are not directly connected to PSG with a

statement that ties them together.• The transition connection to the goal is not logical.• Goals are written that would be appropriate for any

student (“will pass all classes, will improve attendance, will graduate,” etc)

• Separate goals are written for each service provider.

Continued• There is a misuse of percentages or trials (“will

successfully cross the street 80% of the time” or “3 out of 4 times”)

• The reference to measurement is vague (“teacher observation”, “informal assessment” without specific method identified)

• Goals and objectives will obviously take more than a year to obtain (2nd to 7th grade reading in one year)

• Baseline is not determined or clearly stated (reading around 2nd grade)

• Progress toward goal is not documented 3x per year.

Goal of Goals

• The ultimate goal for all students is to be able to function more completely, competently, adaptively and independently in their natural environments!

References

Chandler. Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners. IEP Goals, But Not an OT Goal in Sight. October 1, 2007

Colorado Department of Education, Procedural Manual. March 2008

McGonigel, Woodruff, & Roszmann-Millican, 1994; Rush & Shelden, 1996

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center, Indicator 13 training manual, September 2007

Rainforth, York, & Macdonald, 1992

Rush, D. and Shelden, M. (2001). Coaching in Natural Environments. Teaming & the Primary Service Provider as Coach Model of Team Interaction. Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute. [Online]. Available: http://www.coachinginearlychildhood.org/webmodules/teaming/teammodels.php [Retrieved: May, 2004].

Shonkoff and Meisels, 1990