There is a lot of terminology that Special Ed teachers must become accustomed to in order to effectively write an IEP. Understanding the difference between terms can be confusing for even the most experienced educators.
Knowing the difference between IEP goals and IEP objectives is one area that commonly trips teachers up as they sit down to write IEPs.
If you are struggling with remembering the difference, or need to explain the difference to parents, check out the advice below.
Is It an IEP Goal or IEP Objective?
Here are some ways to remember the difference between IEP goals and IEP objectives.
IEP Goals
IEP goals are the overall target by a set time. It is where the student should be or aim to be, by the next IEP meeting. They are the backbone of the IEP and provide educators and students with an end outcome in mind.
Goals are driven by what the student needs and are SMART in nature. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. They explain exactly what the outcome should be based on the student’s needs, how it will be measured and achieved, and when it will be accomplished.
An example of an IEP goal from The Vault is:
With minimal physical prompting, student will trace and then print 26 lowercase letters of the alphabet with 75% accuracy in 3 of 4 trials.
The goal is specific (trace and print 26 lowercase letters), measurable (75% accuracy), attainable (3 of 4 trials), relevant to the student’s needs, and can be bound by the term of the IEP.
Here is a short snippet from one of the trainings inside of TII membership about IEP goals vs. objectives:
If you are looking for more specifics on IEP’s like writing IEP goals and behavior plans – you’re in the right place!
You can join The Intentional IEP to gain access to over 150+ different IEP related trainings, and access to our IEP Goal Bank. Click the image above to join!
IEP Objectives
If IEP goals are the overarching framework, IEP objectives are the baby steps to get there. They support the goals by providing clear parts or steps to reach that end result.
While objectives are not always required, they can vary state by state, they are especially useful for complex goals. Objectives break down the steps of those complex or large goals so that students can make clear progress in an organized and appropriate fashion.
Objectives should not match your main goal, as they are not the same. Instead, they should provide students with the supports they need in order to reach mastery. The main goal of the IEP is usually written to include little or no supports so that the student demonstrates the skill independently.
When writing IEP objectives, keep in mind that they usually build upon each other. For instance, the first objective will not be the student writing the first three letters of the alphabet if he or she cannot currently hold a pencil. Instead, an objective related to pencil grip would be a more appropriate place to start.
Writing IEP goals and objectives can be confusing and time-consuming. It is common for teachers to second-guess themselves while writing IEPs which, in turn, takes even more time.
If you struggle with writing IEP goals and objectives, The Intentional IEP is here to help you. The Vault is a growing IEP goal bank with over 12,000+ prewritten IEP goals, each written by a certified special education teacher on the TII Team. The IEP goals span40 domainsacross all grade levels and subjects.
Want to take a look inside?Let me show you.
Want access to these IEP Goal Writing resources in the IEP Toolkit? It can be yours when you join The Intentional IEP! Join here, or click the image above.
Read Previous Post|Back to the Blog| Read Next Post
