Individualized Education Program

1
Individualized Education Program
EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN DIVISION

• MODULE 11
• Developing Measurable Annual Goals, Short-Term
  Objectives/Benchmarks

2
MODULE OBJECTIVES

• Gain knowledge and information on state/federal
  requirements regarding the development of
  measurable annual goals, benchmarks, and
  short-term objectives.
• Identify the required components of measurable
  annual goals, benchmarks, and short-term
  objectives.
• Provide examples of appropriate measurable goals,
  benchmarks, and short-term objectives.

3
Policy and Resource References

• North Carolina Policies Governing Services for
  Children with Disabilities November 1, 2007
• Department of Education Federal Register August
  14, 2006
• http//IDEA.ed.gov

NC1503-4.1
4
Developing Measurable Annual Goals

• NC Policies requires that the Individualized
  Education
• Program include
• (2)(i) A statement of measurable annual goals,
  including academic and functional goals designed
  to-
• Meet the childs needs that result from the
  childs disability to enable the child to be
  involved in and make progress in the general
  education curriculum and

5
Annual Goals

• (B) Meet each of the childs other educational
  needs that result from the childs disability
• (ii) For children with disabilities who
  take alternate assessments aligned to alternate
  achievement standards, a description of
  benchmarks or short-term objectives.
• 
  
• NC 1503-4.1

6
Measurable Annual GoalsCreating Standards-based
IEPs

• Title 1/No Child Left Behind requires that
  students with disabilities assessed through
  modified achievement standards have annual goals
  aligned to grade level competencies.
• In NC, students in grades 3-8 10 who are
  assessed via the Extend 2 are subject to this
  requirement.
• ESEA 1111(h)
• 
  IDEA 612 (a)(15)
  

7
Measurable Annual GoalsStandards Based

• LEAs are not prohibited from requiring standards
  based IEPs for all students.
• While not required to be documented on the IEP
  for all students, in developing annual goals for
  all students,
• consideration must always be given to the
  state standards set forth in the general
  education curriculum.
• Connecting the standard to the annual goal
  maintains high expectations and improves results.

8

• The measurable annual goal is a statement that
  links directly to the areas of need identified in
  the present levels of academic achievement and
  functional performance.

9
Measurable Annual Goals

• The annual goals in the IEP are
  statements that describe what a child with a
  disability can reasonably be expected to
  accomplish within the duration of the IEP.

10
Measurable Annual Goals

• For each area needing specially designed
  instruction, determine the desired level of
  achievement or outcome for each goal for a
  student by considering the following
• Primary concerns stated in the present level of
  academic
• achievement/functional performance.
• Amount of time the student has left in school and
  the age of the student.
• Skills needed to progress to the next level of
  performance.
• Skills needed to achieve transition.
• Behavior / skills that will improve with
  modifications.

11
Measurable Annual Goals

• Strengths of the student.
• Concerns of the parent for enhancing the
  education of her/his child.
• Scope and sequence of the skill, curricular or
  behavior areas addressed.
• Special factors.
• Students learning behaviors.
• Clustering behaviors or skills that are related.

12
Measurable Annual GoalsMajor Components

• Any important givens/conditions (when, with what,
  where)as applicable.
• A skill/domain area (academic, behavioral,
  functional).
• An observable learner performance (what the
  learner will be doing, an action).
• Measurable criteria which specify the level at
  which the students performance will be
  acceptable (e.g., speed, accuracy, frequency).

13
Measurable Annual Goals

• What exactly does measurable mean?
• Unfortunately, IDEA doesnt define it.
• Characteristics of Measurability
• Reveals what to do to measure whether the Goal
  has been accomplished. To measure something is to
  do something.
• Yields the same conclusion if measured by several
  people.
• A measurable goal allows us to know how much
  progress has been made since the last measured
  performance.
• A measurable goal can be measured as written,
  without additional information.
• Measurable goals contain givens (if necessary),
  the learner performance, and the criterion (level
  of performance to be reached).

14
Measurable Annual Goals

• Criterion or Level of Performance
• (How well the learner must do)
• Frequently used examples of criteria
• 4 of 5 trials
• 3 consecutive days
• accuracy

15
Measurable Annual Goals

• Use of percentage
• The history of how this strange use of
  percentage began appears to be lost. But we
  should know not to aspire to have Josh cross the
  street safely 80 of the time.
• Excerpt taken from Writing Measurable IEP
  Goals and Objectives Bateman Herr, 2006

16
Measurable Annual Goals

• The use of percentage needs to be carefully
  limited to a narrow range of goals
• Appropriate use of Jane will correctly spell
  95 of the 6th grade spelling words dictated to
  her.
• Inappropriate use of Jane will improve her
  behavior 80 of the time with 90 accuracy.

17
Measurable Annual Goals

• Observable means
• Clearly defined
• Visible
• Countable behavior

18
Measurable Annual Goals

• Examples of observable behavior
• Reading orally
• Dressing ones self
• Speaking to adults without vulgarities
• Pointing, drawing, identifying, writing, etc.

19
Measurable Annual Goals

• Non-Examples of observable behavior
• Becoming independent
• Respecting authority
• Enjoying literature
• Improving, feeling, knowing, etc.

20
Measurable Annual Goals Non-Measurable
Measurable
21
Measurable Annual Goals

• Activity 1

22
PLAAFP Activity 1ISABEL

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• A review of informal checklist of
  social/emotional skills, indicate that Isabel is
  very social and loves to tease her friends in a
  playful way. When required to complete tasks,
  Isabel often avoids these tasks by talking with
  her friends, and it often takes 5-10 verbal
  prompts to get Isabel to begin the task. Once
  she begins, she almost always completes the
  tasks. When she is tired she exhibits extreme
  emotions uncontrollable giggling, sobbing, and
  occasional anger, approximately 5 times per week
  (according to parental and teacher report). This
  inhibits her progress in the general curriculum,
  as she needs direct instruction of social skills.

23
PLAAFP Activity 1, continuedIsabel

• Annual Goal When required to complete tasks,
  Isabel will begin the task with a maximum of 3
  prompts.
• Annual Goal When Isabel is tired, she will
  apply a replacement behavior in 3 of 4 instances.

24
When required to complete tasks
Social Skills
Begin
3 prompts
25
When Isabel is tired
Behavior
Replace
3 of 4 instances
26
SAMANTHA

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• A review of speech/language anecdotal log of
  observations indicates that
• Sam speaks using words and phrases. She doesnt
  use complete sentences
• or questions when speaking. She responds to
  greetings appropriately. She
• doesnt verbally express herself to gain others
  attention. Instead she grabs
• others and/or their clothing (e.g. hats, jackets)
  to initiate conversation or join
• in a group. These skill deficits affect her
  ability to communicate within the
• general education setting and develop appropriate
  social skills.
• Annual Goal Given non-instructional activities
  Sam will improve expressive
• language skills to initiate and/or join in
  conversations with others, an
• average of 3 times per week.
• Integrated Goal Yes

27
Given non-instructional activities
Expressive language
Initiate/join
3 times per week
28
ANTHONY

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• A review of curriculum based measures indicates
  that Anthony, a fourth grade student, can read 80
  words per minute of connected text with 100
  accuracy which is within the range of words per
  minutes established for typical peers in the
  second grade. Anthony demonstrates a relative
  strength in determining the meaning of unknown
  words by reading words in context and applying
  word structures (prefix, base words, and suffix).
  Anthonys difficulties with reading fluently
  affect his ability to focus on the details of
  reading passages/assignments, which impacts
  comprehension of grade level content area
  subjects.
• Annual Goal Given a second grade reading
  passage, Anthony will orally read 105 words of
  connected text per minute with 100 accuracy.
• 4th Grade Competency Standard Students will
  apply the basic features of reading to achieve
  fluent oral reading.

29
Given a second grade reading passage
Reading
Orally read connected text
105 words per minute with 100 accuracy
30
Herbie

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• Based upon classroom informal math assessment,
  Herbie can
• count to 50, count objects to 50, recognize and
  write numerals 0-9,
• and group objects in sets. He recognizes a line,
  square, and circle,
• but not a rectangle or triangle. He cannot add
  or subtract 2 digit by
• 1 digit problems without regrouping, These
  skill deficits impact his
• ability to apply his knowledge to the third grade
  curriculum.
• Annual Goal Herbie will correctly mark a
  rectangle, triangle, cube,
• and cylinder, 8 of 10 trials.
• Annual Goal When directed by the teacher,
  Herbie will rote count
• to 100 with no errors.

31
Math readiness
Mark
8 of 10 trials
32
When directed by the teacher
Math readiness
Rote count to 100
No errors
33
JACK

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• Based on informal teacher assessment and review
  of observations
• from anecdotal record, Jack can sort one dollar
  bills, up to four
• dollars. Jack is unable to make coin
  combinations to equal one
• dollar. This affects his ability to calculate and
  problem solve in the
• general curriculum as well as in daily life skill
  activities.
• Annual Goal Given coins (quarters, dimes,
  nickels, pennies), Jack
• will make coin combinations to equal one dollar,
  in 3 different ways,
• 9 of 10 trials.

34
Given coins
Math readiness
Combine coins to equal one dollar
3 different ways, 9 of 10 trials
35
Amelia

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• Amelia plays/engages in a preferential activity
  by herself for up to 30 minutes based on daily
  log of observations. She does not initiate play
  with her peers, and only plays alongside others
  when they have toys that are interesting to her.
  She often takes those toys rather than ask for a
  turn (on average 4 times per day). Amelias
  social skills interfere with her educational
  performance and development of relationships to
  work and play cooperatively with others.
• Annual Goal When other children are playing,
  Amelia will ask when she wants to play with
  particular toys that others are playing with, 4
  out of 5 times.

36
When other children are playing
Behavior
Ask
4 out of 5 times
37
Oliver

Present Level of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance According to teacher
observation/anecdotal records, Oliver continues
to struggle to create a product about a personal
event as it relates to text (Competency 8.1). He
has improved his recall of personal events. He
has worked on creating text about his personal
experience by creating photo journals of events
he has participated in. He currently can add one
or two words to describe the photo. Relating
those events to a text is frustrating for Oliver
because it is hard for him to make comparisons.
Annual Goal Given photo journals, Oliver will
write text to describe the photo using 5
descriptive words 4 of 5 trials.
38
Given photo journals
Writing
Write 5 descriptive words
4 of 5 trials
39
Measurable Annual Goals

• The IEP is the heart of the Individuals with
  Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and measurable
  goals developed from appropriate present levels
  of academic achievement and functional
  performance, are the heart of each IEP
• A child is the root of the heart
• Bateman Herr

40
Benchmarks/Short-term Objectives

• For children with disabilities who take
  alternate assessments aligned to alternate
  achievement standards, the IEP must include a
  description of benchmarks or short-term
  objectives
• NC 1503-4.1(2)(ii)

41
Benchmarks and Short Term Objectives

• Once the IEP team has developed measurable
  annual goals for a child, the team can develop
  strategies that will be most effective in
  realizing those goals and must develop
• either measurable, intermediate steps (short-term
  objectives), or
• major milestones (benchmarks) to monitor
  progress during the year, and, if appropriate, to
  revise the IEP consistent with the students
  instructional needs.

42
Short-Term Objectives

• Short term objectives (also called IEP
  objectives) are
• measurable, intermediate steps between the
  present levels of educational performance of a
  child with a disability and the annual goals
  that are established for the child, and
• developed based on a logical breakdown of the
  major components of the annual goals, and can
  serve as milestones for measuring progress
  toward meeting the goals.

43
Benchmarks

• , IEP teams may develop benchmarks,
  describing the amount of progress the child is
  expected to make within specified segments of the
  year. benchmarks
• establish expected performance levels that allow
  for regular checks of progress that may coincide
  with the reporting periods for informing parents
  of their childs progress toward achieving the
  annual goals, and
• are the major milestones that the student will
  demonstrate that will lead to the annual goal.
  Benchmarks usually designate a target time
• period for a behavior to occur.

44
NOTED CHANGE

• An IEP team may use either short term
  objectives or benchmarks or a combination
• of the two depending on the nature of the annual
  goals and the needs of the child.

45
BENCHMARKS(Components)

• WHO (Student)
• WHAT (Target Behavior)
• WHEN

46
BENCHMARKS(Components)

• WHO (Student)
• Bill
• WHAT (Target Behavior)
• Use decoding strategies with words in isolation,
  phrases, and sentences.
• WHEN
• Bill will use decoding strategies with words in
  isolation, phrases and sentences by 6/1/10.

47
SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES(Components)

• WHO (Student)
• WHAT (Target Behavior)
• CONDITIONS / CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN NEEDED
• CRITERIA (Level To Indicate Attainment)

ON TARGET
48
Short-Term Objectives(Components)

• WHO (Student)
• Bill
• WHAT (Target Behavior)
• Identify a (appropriate) decoding strategy
• CONDITIONS/CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN NEEDED
• Given one syllable words
• CRITERIA (Level To Indicate Attainment)
• 8 of 10 trials

ON TARGET
49
Benchmarks and Short-Term Objectives

• ACTIVITY 2

50
PLAAFP Activity 2ISABEL

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• A review of informal checklist of
  social/emotional skills, indicates that Isabel is
  very
• social and loves to tease her friends in a
  playful way. When required to complete
• tasks, Isabel often avoids these tasks by talking
  with her friends, and it often takes
• 5-10 verbal prompts to get Isabel to begin the
  task. Once she begins, she almost
• always completes the tasks. When she is tired
  she exhibits extreme emotions
• uncontrollable giggling, sobbing, and occasional
  anger, approximately 5 times per
• week (according to parental and teacher report).
  This inhibits her progress in the
• general curriculum, as she needs direct
  instruction of social skills.
• Annual Goal When required to complete tasks,
  Isabel will begin the task with a
• maximum of 3 prompts.
• Annual Goal When Isabel is tired, she will apply
  a replacement behavior in 3 of 4
• instances.

51
ISABEL

• Annual Goal When required to complete tasks,
  Isabel will begin the task with a maximum of 3
  prompts.
• Benchmarks
• By November 1, 2009, Isabel will begin a task
  with no more than 6 prompts.
• By February 1, 2010, Isabel will begin a task
  with no more than 4 prompts.
• By April 1, 2010, Isabel will begin a task with
  no more than 3 prompts.

52
Isabel
Begin a task with no more than 3 prompts
By April 1, 2010
53
ISABEL

• Annual Goal When Isabel is tired, she will
  apply a replacement behavior in 3 of 4
  instances.
• Short-term Objectives
• Given instruction, Isabel will identify 2
  replacement behaviors to use when she is tired, 8
  of 10 trials,
• When Isabel is tired and demonstrates emotional
  outburst, she will apply a replacement behavior
  in 1 of 4 instances, and
• When Isabel is tired and demonstrates emotional
  outburst, she will apply a replacement behavior
  in 2 of 4 instances.

54
Isabel
Identify 2 replacement behaviors
Given instruction
8 of 10 trials
55
SAMANTHA

• Present Level of Academic Achievement and
  Functional Performance
• A review of speech/language anecdotal log of
  observations indicates that Sam speaks using
  words and phrases. She doesnt use complete
  sentences or questions when speaking. She
  responds to greetings appropriately. She doesnt
  verbally express herself to gain others
  attention. Instead she grabs others and/or their
  clothing (e.g. hats, jackets) to initiate
  conversation or join in a group. These skill
  deficits affect her ability to communicate within
  the general education setting and develop
  appropriate social skills.
• Annual Goal Sam will improve expressive
  language skills to initiate and/or join in
  conversations with others, an average of 3 times
  per week during non-instructional activities.
• Integrated Goal Yes

56
SAMANTHA

• Annual Goal Sam will improve expressive
  language skills to initiate and/or join in
  conversations with others, an average of 3
  times per week during non- instructional
  activities.
• Benchmarks
• By October 10, 2010 Sam will join in conversation
  with others.
• By December 10, 2010 Sam will initiate
  conversation with others.

57
Samantha
Initiate/join in conversations
December 10, 2010
58
SAMANTHA

• Annual Goal Sam will improve expressive
  language skills to initiate and/or
  join in conversations with others, an average of
  3 times per week during
  non-instructional activities.
• Short-term Objectives
• Given non-instructional activities, Sam will join
  in conversation with others 2 times per week.
• Given non-instructional activities, Sam will join
  in conversation with others 3 times per week.
• Given non-instructional activities, Sam will
  initiate conversation with others 2 times per
  week.
• Given non-instructional activities, Sam will
  initiate conversation with others 3 times per
  week.

59
Samantha
Initiate/join in conversations
Given non-instructional activities
3 times per week
60
Questions/Answers?????