Identify the student's strengths and needs. Compare her performance with other typical students of the same age. Speak to parents, caregivers and other school staff. Use assessment results to help you identify key areas to target. Make a written statement of what the student can achieve now.
Select one or two key targets. Prioritize the most important and useful for the student, the teacher and parents or caregivers. Be realistic about what can be achieved in a year. For example, a long-term goal for a student who has cerebral palsy may be to use pen and paper. However, physical impairments may make this unachievable. Focus instead on developing alternative methods of communication, such as using a keyboard or assistive technology.
Prepare targets that can be measured. This is essential to monitor the progress and success of the plan. Again be realistic. No one is perfect, so levels such as 80 percent of observed behavior, or three out of four attempts, may be appropriate.
Set a time-frame. IEP goals are set for the whole year while objectives, the smaller steps required to achieve the goal, are for shorter time periods.
Write your goal clearly and succinctly. Combine all the elements outlined into one statement for each target. For example, "By the end of the school year, John will state the correct time on 9 out of 10 trials." "By 6 June, James will increase reading skills to second grade level." "At the end of the school year, Mary will work quietly without distracting others for 80 percent of her lesson time."