Take notes on the student's current academic level and areas of weakness. Conduct observation tests, speak with other teachers who worked with the student, parents, standardized tests and classwork. This will enable you to pick relevant goals and objectives for the student to work on throughout the next year that the Individual Education Plan (IEP) is in effect.
Write goals according to the standards set forth in the law. Each goal must be a concise statement, usually one sentence, that includes what a student will do or achieve, criteria for meeting the goal and the means of data collection. For example, Mike, a third-grade student currently reading at a first-grade level, may have a goal written as, "By June 20xx, Mike will read third-grade level text aloud with fewer than two errors on 8 out of 10 (80%) occassions as measured by observation."
Write objectives for each goal. The objectives are like stepping stones, showing anyone who reads the IEP what the student is working on. An example of the first objective for Mike's goal may be written as, "By the end of quarter 1, Mike will read a beginning second-grade level text aloud with fewer than two errors on 8 out of 10 (80%) occassions, as measured by observation."
Write a second objective, such as, "By the end of quarter 2, Mike will read level 2.5 text aloud with fewer than two errors on 8/10 (80%) occassions, as measured by observation." The third objective would be written the same way, adjusting the reading level and target month.