IEP goals need to be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. Let’s define measurability in SMART goals.
We sit in a lot of IEP meetings where the teacher or therapists say “We were not sure what this goal means.” Advocates often see proposed goals that are not measurable. Here are two examples from a hypothetical IEP draft:
“By January 30, 2021, using descriptive and abstract target vocabulary, Jacob will explain a character’s personality, perspective, and sets of problems encountered in stories and scripts at 85% accuracy levels.”
This example does not have a numeric parameter for Jacob’s goal to use descriptive and abstract target vocabulary. How are we defining descriptive and abstract target vocabulary? How many examples does Jacob need to provide to meet the goal? What amount of detail does Jacob need to provide? What grade level is Jacob’s vocabulary? He is in sixth grade; do we expect a sixth grade level work from him, or is he currently working at a fourth grade level?
“By January 30, Jacob will learn about social cognition and practice appropriate pragmatic language such as: taking perspective, organizing thoughts, and learning how to formulate language for verbal problem solving (contributing to group discussions) doing so 80% of the time.”
How do we measure Jacob’s progress? What is meant by taking perspective? What method is used to define and measure, “…learning how to formulate language?” How do we measure his success? How will he demonstrate the progress in his learning?
SMART Goals Are Not Abstract
The individual who wrote the goal may have a complete understanding of what Jacob needs to accomplish during the 2020 school year. Regardless if this individual thinks they can measure an abstract goal or not, consider that the IEP should have a universal meaning to anyone who reads it. If Jacob were to change schools or the SLP moves to another school or another district, the new SLP will not have a clear idea of where Jacob began the year or where he needs to be by January 2021.
Abstract, unmeasurable goals will not improve your child’s education. A well-written IEP with SMART goals and well-written baselines is a blueprint—as well as a legal contract—for your child’s education. When measurable goals and baselines are clearly written, a new therapist or teacher can pick up your student’s IEP and clearly understand the entire document. That new person will also know exactly where the student started the school year, what progress they had made (summary progress notes), and exactly where the child needs to be at the end of the IEP year.
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