BEST PRACTICES IN IEP WRITING

Connections

Present levels

Goals

Services

LRE

Connections

Present levels

Goals

Services

LRE

“First of all, you will find it difficult to write a clear and measurable goal if you have not first written a clear and measurable present level of performance.”

Peter W.D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright

PLAAFP = Foundation

The PLAAFP provides

information about present levels that leads to goals

information that relates to the most recent evaluation data as well as the current classroom data

baseline data for measurable IEP goals

Things to think about

All areas pertinent to the student’s needs must be addressed in the PLAAFP.

Documentation must be more extensive than a test score or grade-level equivalency.

The PLAAFP includes qualitative as well as quantitative data.

Remember to consider the previous IEP.

Present Levels

Contains a Description of

Academic Achievement Data driven CBA Informal performance

Functional Performance Social Behavioral Learning Characteristics

Progress in General Curriculum Data from classroom teacher

Connections

Present levels

Goals

Services

LRE

Meaningful & Measurable Meaningful:

Specifies a level of performance and an expectation that is reasonable

The skill or knowledge is necessary for success in school or post school activities

The team believes the accomplishment of the goal is important

Meaningful & Measurable Measurable

Reflects performance or behavior that can be observed, measured or counted

Once you can observe something, you can count it

Once you can count it, you can measure changes in that skill or behavior

AZ Academic Standards

PEA Curriculum

Classroom Instruction

Skill Needed

Measurable Goal

Goals Aligned to Standards

How to Choose Goals

Most impact for general education for this year

What goals does student need to gain more independence

Outcomes that will help students with post secondary goals

Skill deficitsNot lessonsNot curriculum

Basic Guidelines

Set reasonable expectations. Be specific in descriptions of

skills and behaviors. Use data to make decisions

about the student’s education.

Measurable Goals

have skills that can be counted or observed have baseline data are skill based rather than curriculum based are NOT standards have data that can be used for progress

reporting that measures specific progress

A well written annual IEP goal should contain

a specific skill/behavior to be achieved (do)

level of attainment to show mastery (extent or criteria)

a measurement tool or assessment strategy (how measured)

a baseline (if not in the PLAAFP) Even new skills must be assessed

Measurable Goal Worksheet

~~Baselines can be contained in the PLAAFP and/or the Goal Statement~~

                                                               

Do(what is the specific skill/behavior to be achieved in this goal?)

To What Extent or Criteria (How will the student show that he/she has mastered the goal?)

As Evaluated(Identify the specific measurement tool or assessment strategy.)

Baseline(What is the present level of the student related to this skill?)

Does this goal make sense?

Is this goal measurable?

Do

What is the specific skill/behavior to be achieved in this goal?

ObservableDrawRetellMatchSequenceLabelStateTrace

To What Extent or Criteria How will the student show that he/she

has mastered the goal?Percentage correctOn number of occasionsPercent accuracy

Be careful

If you say a student will do something “80% of the time” ~80% of what? 24 hr day? Must state accountability: 80% of 60 minute time period 80% of writing assignments 80% of problems solved correctly

Use of percentage doesn’t make a goal measurable; it has to make sense!

How will you measure?Teacher made charts

End of unit test

DIBELS

Weekly paragraph assignments

Work samples

Six Trait Rubric

Informal Reading Inventory

(Not an exhaustive list)

Measurement Tools

“Teacher observation” by itself is not a measurement tool.

“Formal/informal assessments” are not specific descriptions of the tool being used.

Baseline It describes how often the skill or behavior

occurred at the time the goal was written

2/5 attempts

50% of problems solved correctly

It should be in the PLAAFP and the goal

The baseline tool must match the tool used to evaluate progress

Measurable Goal Worksheet

~~Baselines can be contained in the PLAAFP and/or the Goal Statement~~

                                                               

Do(what is the specific skill/behavior to be achieved in this goal?)

To What Extent or Criteria (How will the student show that he/she has mastered the goal?)

As Evaluated(Identify the specific measurement tool or assessment strategy.)

Baseline(What is the present level of the student related to this skill?)

Does this goal make sense?

Is this goal measurable?

Goal #1

On bi-weekly tests the student will complete 20 double digit subtraction problems with trading with no more than 3 errors over 4 trials by December 15, 2011.

Baseline: Currently has 7 errors

GOOD GOAL

Goal #2 The student will put two pictures of events from

a story in sequential order with 80% accuracy. Baseline: 70%. Measurement Tool: teacher

data sheet

NO Given two pictures of events from a story, the

student will correctly identify the first event on 4 out of 5 occasions. He currently can do so on 1 out of 5 occasions. Measurement tool: teacher data sheet

Goal #3 The student will multiply whole numbers: single-digit by

single-digit using a multiplication chart with 70% accuracy.

Baseline: 60%- 3 of 4 problems Measurement Tool: 3 of 4 problems after observing a

model in a small group setting or during individual work.

NO The student will correctly multiply 7 out of 10 single-digit

by single-digit numbers after 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 3 out of 10 problems Measurement Tool: Teacher made tests and charting

Goal #4 By June 2011, the student will

increase the number of words she can read from 64 to 150 on the Kyrene Sight Word List.

GOOD GOAL

Goal #5

The student will answer 4 out of 5 factual or inferential questions after reading a passage from a first-grade text or material. Baseline: 0 out of 5 questions. Measurement tool: weekly reading tests.

GOOD GOAL

Goal # 6 The student will be able to answer 4 out of 5

factual and/or relevant questions from a first grade level text or material with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials.

Baseline: 0-answer 4 out of 5

NOGiven 5 questions from a grade level text, the

student will correctly answer 4 questions on a teacher made assessment on 4 of 5 opportunities. She currently answers no

questions correctly.

Goal #7

Upon request, the student will use manipulatives to count from 0-10 over four consecutive probes as measured by a variety of manipulatives/data collection

Baseline: can count to 5 using manipulatives.

Good Goal

AIMS-A Goals

Measurable annual goals for students taking AIMS-A or alternative assessment MUST include objectives

Goal must be measurable on its own

AIMS-A Goal

Using money manipulatives, student will count the total value of a group of bills (1's and 5's) up to $5.00, scoring 80% accuracy as measured by a teacher made test. (AZ Math Standards Strand 1, Concept 1, Grade 1 PO16) Baseline data 20%

Benchmark 1 30% Benchmark 2 60% Benchmark 3 80%

AIMS-A Goal Student will demonstrate improved reading

skills by increasing her sight word vocabulary by 30 new words that are based on environmental print around school when given words in isolation and or context in various activities as measured quarterly by teacher made tests and data sheets. Benchmark 1 signs around school (restroom,

cafeteria, library, office, etc.)Benchmark 2 personal schedule (language arts,

math, science, lunch, break, etc)Benchmark 3 names of teachers and friends

Practice

Progress ReportsA progress report must address the same

skill and reflect the same measurement

tool and data used in the goal.

Goal: Given 100 high frequency spelling words,

Teresa will correctly spell a minimum of 75/100 on

4 of 5 times tested on weekly quizzes by

December 15, 2010. Her baseline is 20/100 words.

Progress Report: As of October 7, Teresa is

correctly spelling 40/100 words on weekly

quizzes. She has difficulty with words with a silent e.

Progress Reports

Provided for each goal Addresses the same skill Uses same measurement tool Uses same type of data Provides sufficient information for the

team to project whether or not the student will achieve the goal by the end of the IEP

If no progress is being made, IEP should be revisited

Connections

Present levels

Goals

Services

LRE

Services

Must be specific to the needs of the child based on the present levels and the goals.

How much time a week does this child need direct specialized instruction to meet the goals as written?

Accommodations

Provided to allow student to access general education curriculum

Based on student NEED Not a menu Must be implemented

Connections

Present levels

Goals

Services

LRE

LRE

Based on the present levels, goals, and service time

How much time is with general ed peers

Service Code Description Time in Resource

Elem Middle

A

Inside Regular Class 80% or more of the day. (These are children who received special education and related services outside the regular class for less than 21% of the school day.)This may include children placed in: regular class with special education/related services provided within regular classes; regular class with special education/related services provided outside the regular classes; or regular class with special education provided in resource rooms. Up to 85 min Up to 87 min

B

Inside Regular Class for no more than 79% of day and no less than 40% of the day.(These are children who received special education and related services outside the regular classroom for at least 21% but no more than 60% of the school day.) This may include children placed in: resource rooms with special education/related services provided within the resource room; or resource rooms with part-time instruction in a regular class.

86-246 min 88-252min

C

Inside Regular Class less than 40% of the day. (These are children who received special education and related services outside the regular classroom for more than 60% of the schoolday.) This may include children placed in: self-contained special classrooms with part-time instruction in a regular class; or self-contained special classrooms with full-time special education instruction on a regular school campus. 247-410 min 253-420 min

IEP Best Practices

Follow the process Listen to concerns Solutions oriented “the district” is any district employee All participants stay for entire meeting

unless parent signs release Adhere to dates Family should leave with IEP