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Objective Writing

First determine if your State required objectives to be part of the IEP. Federal law repealed objectives; however, individual States may still require them. If you need to write objectives, read on!

• Every IEP must have at least one goal and 2 objectives.
• Every goal needs more than one objective (i.e., 2 or more).
• Objectives always have 4 parts.
1. Condition: where, how, when
2. Skill
3. Criterion: the number to be reached
4. Measurement tool: "as measured by..."

The measurement tool cannot be observation or teacher discretion. The tool must be a tangible record you could produce to show someone if requested to do so, i.e. observation notes, worksheets, point sheets, charts.

Objective Template:

__(condition)__, Student will __(skill)__ to __(criteria) __ as measured by __(a tangible tool)__,

Examples:

• Given twenty simple addition problems and manipulatives, Seldy will solve them with 90% accuracy in 2 minutes as measured by math charts.
• In a small special ed group setting, Bella will initiate the 3-step problem-solving method she has learned within 1 minute of encountering difficulty as measured by teacher notes.
• With no more than two verbal prompts and a picture schedule, Kim will complete her work chores in the designated time as measured by observation notes.

Objectives can be sequenced in three ways:

1. skill or behavior
2. condition
3. criteria

You were taught the hardest way in college--skill. First you teach Skill A to mastery, then Skill B (and so on). If the student can do Skill A, B, etc., then the student has met the goal. Figuring out the subskills takes a LOT of time.

However, sequencing by condition or criteria is much quicker.

For condition, you basically take the goal and have the student perform it under different situations. Condition sequencing works well for behavior, social skills, self-management and other "soft" topics.

GOAL:

Bella will improve her self-management skills so that she initiates the 3-step problem-solving method she has learned from not doing so independently to doing so within 1 minute of encountering difficulty.

Objectives:

1. In a small special ed group setting, Bella will initiate the 3-step problem-solving method she has learned within 1 minute of encountering difficulty as measured by teacher notes.
2. In a small general ed group setting, Bella will initiate the 3-step problem-solving method she has learned within 1 minute of encountering difficulty as measured by teacher notes.

For criteria, you simply steadily change the criteria until you reach the goal.

Goal:

Freddie will improve his reading skills from 60 wpm to 75 wpm with 90% accuracy.

Objectives:

1. Given instructional level reading materials, Freddie will read 68 wpm with 90% accuracy as measured by reading charts.
2. Given instructional level reading materials, Freddie will read 75 wpm with 90% accuracy as measured by reading charts.

Need more examples of good PLEPs and Goals? Join The Club and have access to over 200 PLEP-goal pages.

Click here to learn about writing better PLEPs.

Click here to see a PLEP template that might be useful.

Click here to learn about writing better goals.

Click here for a FREE sample PLEP-goal page.