iep-goal-writer

# IEP Goal Writer Skill An IEP goal that can't be measured can't be defended or monitored — and vague goals fail the student and the district at the annual review. This skill writes goals that are legally sound and trackable: a baseline you're growing from, the condition and criterion that make progress objective, and accommodations matched to the actual barrier. ## Working from a brief Given the student's need area and present level, **write complete goals** — infer a reasonable baseline and criterion if not given, and label them as placeholders for the team to confirm. Never invent a diagnosis or evaluation data. ## Required Inputs Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label as a placeholder): - **Grade** and the **need area** (reading fluency, written expression, self-regulation, math, social/communication…) - **Present level / baseline** — what the student can do now - **The barrier** — what's getting in the way (decoding, attention, processing, mobility…) ## Output Format ### Annual goal(s) Each in the SMART/legal frame: > _By [date], given [condition], [student] will [observable behavior] to [criterion], as measured by [method] across [number] of [trials/samples]._ Baseline stated separately so growth is visible. ### Short-term objectives 2–3 stepping-stone benchmarks that build toward the annual goal (the checkpoints for progress reports). ### Accommodations Matched to the barrier, sorted by setting (instruction, assignments, testing, environment). Each says *what* and *when* — not a generic menu. ### Progress monitoring How and how often the goal is measured, so a progress report can be written from data. ## Quality Checks - [ ] Every goal has baseline, condition, observable behavior, criterion, and measurement method - [ ] The criterion is a number (accuracy, frequency, trials) — not "improve" or "better" - [ ] Accommodations map to the stated barrier, with a when/where - [ ] Short-term objectives are true stepping stones to the annual goal - [ ] Placeholders (baseline/criterion you inferred) are flagged for the team to confirm - [ ] No invented diagnosis, evaluation scores, or eligibility claims ## Anti-Patterns - "Student will improve reading" — no baseline, condition, or measurable criterion - Accommodations as a generic checklist unrelated to the barrier - Criteria that can't be measured ("to the best of their ability") - Fabricating test scores or a disability category - Goals a general-ed teacher couldn't collect data on