2010 Utah Parent Center Page 1 of 5

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1 What Is a Gal? A measurable annual gal is a statement f what the IEP team agrees is apprpriate fr a child t try t accmplish during the year in a given area where the child has needs. Gals can be written t measure prgress in bth academic and functinal perfrmance. Yu as a parent play a very imprtant part in determining what the gals are. Yur pririties shuld be cnsidered by the team. Why Is Educatinal Gal Setting Imprtant? Writing measurable annual gals (and shrt-term bjectives r benchmarks fr students wh take alternate assessments) is a majr part f the IEP prcess. Annual gals are cncerned with meeting the needs f a child wh requires special educatin and related services. The gals are directed twards: 1. Clsing the gap between the child s indicated ability and present level f academic achievement and functinal perfrmance. 2. Helping the child t increase in ability. Annual gals (and shrt-term bjectives r benchmarks) represent hw effrts will be directed t address the student s needs as listed n the IEP. They fcus n reducing the prblems which result frm the student s disability and interfere with learning r educatinal perfrmance. Kinds f Educatinal Gals Mst educatinal gals fall int ne r mre f the fllwing areas: [See Prfiles in Appendix] Academic - reading, written language, spelling, math, science Self-Help eating, dressing, shpping, traveling, safety, budgeting Mtr Skills - riding a bike, jumping, handwriting, buttning and zipping Scial/Emtinal Skills - sharing, making friends, trying new things, smiling, respnding t teasing Vcatinal/Pre-vcatinal Skills - fllwing directins, cmpleting jbs, using tls, making change, apprpriate scial skills in a jb setting Behaviral dealing with aggressin, staying n task, fllwing instructins, apprpriate classrm cnduct, dealing apprpriately with emtins Speech/Cmmunicatin - learning sign language, speech prnunciatin, and verbal memry. Evaluatin data is used t determine the areas f need. Apprpriate gals and services n the IEP shuld lead t an apprpriate placement. After writing the gals and deciding n the needed services, the team shuld ask, Where can the student best receive these services in the least restrictive setting? Steps t Gal Setting Cntent: A measurable annual gal is made up f: 1. The Present Level f Academic Achievement and Functinal Perfrmance (PLAAFP), and 2. The annual gal. The gal shuld relate directly t an area f need the student has. The area f need is described in measurable terms in the PLAAFP. Fr students wh take alternate assessments, the gal must als include benchmarks r shrt term bjective (STOs) which are smaller steps t help the student reach the gal. The fllwing infrmatin shws the steps in educatinal gal setting. If yur child has special needs, s d yu! We can help! 230 West 200 Suth, Suite 1101 Salt Lake City, UT r Utah Parent Center Page 1 f 5

2 Present Levels f Academic Achievement and Functinal Perfrmance (PLAAFP) Present levels f academic achievement and functinal perfrmance (PLAAFP) are based n the evaluatin data and shuld be specific as t hw the disability f the student affects academic and functinal prgress. The PLAAFP shuld answer these questins: What can the child d? Hw des the child s disability affect participatin and prgress in the general curriculum (cre curriculum) (r apprpriate activities fr preschl age children)? In rder fr the PLAAFP t serve as a starting place, it must be measurable, s that the prgress f the student can be measured. Shrt-Term Objectives (STO) r Benchmarks Shrt-term bjectives (STO) r benchmarks are nly required fr students wh take alternate assessments. They can, hwever, be used any time a team chses t use them. They are steps t help the student mve frm a present level f academic achievement and functinal perfrmance (PLAAFP) t cmplete an annual gal. Shrt-term bjectives and benchmarks are helpful because they: Describe what the student is expected t learn in a particular area within a specified time. Determine the amunt f prgress the student is making tward meeting the gal. Measurable Annual Gals Measurable annual gals describe a skill r behavir the IEP team wuld like the student t learn r imprve. The gals must be measurable and describe what a student can reasnably be expected t learn within 12 mnths (see examples n pages and n pages 58-59). Measurable Pstsecndary Gals Transitin IEPs are als required t have measurable pstsecndary gals. See Sectin 9 f this bklet fr detailed infrmatin n writing measurable pstsecndary gals. They are ften written in the student s wn wrds. Deciding What t Include In the Gal Yu may wish t ask yurself sme f the fllwing questins as yu prepare t write gals fr yur child: What can my child d and nt d nw? What is the current level f skill r knwledge? (This will be stated in the PLAAFP which is the first part f the gal.) Hw is this need f my child related t the child s disability? What d I want my child t knw r be able t d at the end f this year? Is this a reasnable expectatin? Why can t my child d this nw? What is it abut the disability that interferes with achieving the gal? What needs t be addressed? What wuld be the starting pint fr my child? Is the gal smething that can be measured? Hw will we knw when the gal has been cmpleted? Is what we are lking fr bservable and measurable? D we need intermediate steps such as shrt term bjectives r benchmarks t achieve the gal? (Fr the students wh take alternate assessments, these are required.) If we are using shrt term bjectives r benchmarks, hw can they be measured? Are they clear, bservable steps that will advance the student frm the PLAAFP t the measurable annual gal? Schl persnnel shuld knw hw t write apprpriate measurable annual gals. It is nt necessarily the respnsibility f the parents. Hwever, having a gd understanding f hw the prcess wrks and what makes a gd gal can help parents t be mre knwledgeable participants in the prcess and t mnitr the student s prgress. Parents have every right t expect that the child s gals will match the child s needs and be calculated t help the child be successful Utah Parent Center Page 2 f 5

3 Examples: Gal Writing Think abut what makes a gal measurable as yu review the fllwing examples. Simply adding a number r percentage des nt guarantee that the gal is measurable unless the number relates t smething yu can actually quantify and measure. Examples f Gals That Are Nt Measurable Jcelyn will stay n task with 90% accuracy. Brandn will have a better attitude tward schl 80% f the time. Skyler will be 75% successful in the general educatin classrm. Rewriting Gals That Are Nt Measurable Example # 1 Vague/Nt Measurable PLAAFP. Kylie is at least tw years behind her class in reading, and she has difficulty with writing. ANNUAL GOAL. Kylie will Increase her reading skills by ne year. Imprved/Measurable PLAAFP. Kylie s reading decding skills are n a 4th grade level and she is in 7th grade.. Her cmprehensin skills are n a 5th grade level. Her listening cmprehensin skills are n an 8th grade level.. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL. Kylie will increase her reading decding skills t the 6th grade level. She will cmprehend written materials at the 6th grade level with 80% accuracy. Example # 2 Vague/Nt Measurable PLAAFP.Jshua has pr study and rganizatinal skills 50% f the time ANNUAL GOAL.Jshua will demnstrate gd study and rganizatinal skills 80% f the time Imprved/Measurable PLAAFP.During September Jshua crrectly wrte dwn his daily hmewrk assignment in his assignment bk nly 25% f the time as measured by teacher recrds. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL...Jshua will crrectly write dwn his daily hmewrk assignments in his assignment bk 95% f the time as measured by teacher recrds by June 5. Measurable Annual Gals Example # 1 PLAAFP.Anita averages 10 unexcused absences/tardies per mnth. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL.By June 1, Anita will average less than 1-2 unexcused absences/tardies per mnth. Example #2 PLAAFP Jill rally reads 6th grade material at a rate f wrds per minute and crrectly answers 30-40% f factual cmprehensin questins asked rally. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL By June 15 Jill will rally read 7th grade material at wrds per minute with 0-2 errrs and crrectly answer % f factual questins asked ver the material. Example #3 PLAAFP.Jeremy submits fewer than 50% his hmewrk assignments. He frequently lses assignments and ntes and cmes t class withut necessary materials. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL.By the end f the year he will submit assigned hmewrk n time 95% f the time. He will bring ntes and necessary materials t class 95% f the time Utah Parent Center Page 3 f 5

4 Examples f Measurable Annual Gals with Shrt Term Objectives The fllwing are examples f measurable annual gals with shrt term bjectives beginning with the Present Levels f Academic Achievement and Functinal Perfrmance (PLAAFP) fllwed by the Measurable Annual Gal. Including dates in the bjectives serves as a mnitring device fr the schl and the parents. Shrt term bjectives r benchmarks are required fr students wh take alternate assessments. Example #1 PLAAFP.Tyler engages in turn taking activities using gestures and facial expressins fr tw minutes with 5-6 prmpts. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL.Tyler will independently engage in turn taking activities with a cnversatin partner using gestures, facial expressins, picture cmmunicatin symbls, vcalizatin, & AAC devices fr 5 minutes with fewer than 5 prmpts. STO # 1. Upn receiving a full physical prmpt he will engage in turn taking fr 5 minutes with fewer than 5 prmpts by 10/30 STO # 2..With partial physical assistance, he will engage in turn taking fr 5 minutes with fewer than 5 prmpts by 12/20 STO # 3.With a verbal cue he will engage in turn taking fr 5 minutes with fewer than 5 prmpts by 2/31 STO # 4..With a nn-verbal cue he will engage in turn taking fr 5 minutes with fewer than 5 prmpts by 3/31 Example #2 PLAAFP.. Shelby recgnizes 5 cmmunity signs with 90% Accuracy STO #1.. Given 2 chices, she will pint t the crrect cmmunity sign with 90% accuracy 3 ut f 4 times by 11/1/08 STO # 2.. When given the name with a picture f the sign, she will crrectly repeat the name with 90% accuracy 3 ut f 4 times by 2/1/08 STO #3.. When 20 flash card f cmmunity signs are randmly shwn, she will crrectly name the sign with 90% accuracy 3 ut f 4 times by 4/1/08 MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL... When 40 flash cards f cmmunity signs are randmly shwn, she will crrectly name the sign with 90% accuracy 3 ut f 4 times by 6/1/08 Cmmunity Signs example develped by Randy Shelble, Directr f Special Educatin, Salt Lake Schl District, used with permissin Hw Many Gals Shuld My Child Have? If an IEP has t many gals, it can be cnfusing r frustrating fr everyne. It is imprtant t have realistic expectatins abut hw many things the student can wrk n. Try t keep the number f gals manageable. Often it is enugh t set ne gal fr each majr area f cncern. Fr example, yu culd have a gal fr math calculatin, reading cmprehensin, basic reading skills, behavir, and adaptive PE. The schl is required t use assessments that measure prgress in the cre curriculum, r the curriculum that is required by the state fr all students. IDEA als emphasizes that children with disabilities shuld have access t the general curriculum. Often, it is pssible t chse gals in the areas f the cre curriculum (general curriculum) that yur child will be studying. Even if yur child will nt be able t wrk at the level f typical students, yu as a parent may still wish t encurage aligning yur child s gals with the cre curriculum. This will help yur child t have access t the cre curriculum, and ver time t make prgress in it. Hwever, the pririty shuld always be n the things yur child needs mst. Accmmdatins and Mdificatins Regular Educatin Prgram and the IEP The need fr accmmdatins and mdificatins in the regular educatin prgram shuld be addressed in the educatinal gal setting prcess and they may be included in the IEP. Accmmdatins and mdificatins pertain t instructin in the general curriculum as well as t state and district assessments. In rder fr a student t be able t use accmmdatins in state and district assessments, the accmmdatins must be written in the IEP and used in the classrm n a regular basis Utah Parent Center Page 4 f 5

5 Accmmdatins are the changes in the hw the way things are usually dne in schl/class/assessment, in rder t prvide the student an equal pprtunity t participate. The changes d nt fundamentally r substantially alter r lwer the schl, district r state standards. The student is learning the same material (general curriculum) as ther students. Examples f Accmmdatins Break assignments int segments f shrter tasks. Give frequent reminders. Increase amunt f time t cmplete assignments. Give tests rally. Increase time fr test cmpletin. Give the student a cpy f the class ntes. Use graphic rganizers fr nte taking. Seat the student in an area free frm distractins. Use mics and speakers in the class. Prvided texts in an alternate frmat such as Braille r audi. Mdificatins Mre infrmatin n accmmdatins in state and district assessments can be fund in the Utah Perfrmance Assessment System fr Students Assessment Participatin and Accmmdatins Plicy. This infrmatin is available frm the Utah State Office f Educatin and n their website, Mdificatins fundamentally r substantially alter r lwer the standards r requirements. They change what the child is learning. Mdificatins culd include adapted prgramming, cntent r instructin. Examples f Mdificatins Reduce and simplify materials, assignments, hmewrk, schl prjects, r tests. Grade n Pass/Fail ptin if grade falls belw a C grade. Grade n crrected wrk. N hmewrk r reduced hmewrk requirement fr a subject. Change the class behavir expectatins fr the student (based n the disability and Behaviral Interventin Plan.) Parents shuld carefully examine schl plicies t determine whether mdificatins need t be made t accmmdate the unique needs f their child. Mre examples f accmmdatins and mdificatins are available frm the Utah State Office f Educatin website, r by cntacting the Utah Parent Center at r This cntent is taken frm the Utah Parent Center handbk: Parents as Partners in the IEP Prcess Parent Handbk 2010 Utah Parent Center Page 5 f 5