5 IEP Goal Writing Red Flags

IEP goals are one of the most important parts of a student’s IEP. They are the tools used to measure the effectiveness of the IEP. They prioritize specific skills that kids need in order to access the general education curriculum. And they are the framework that supports a child’s placement and services, which means they should be appropriately challenging and aligned with a student’s strengths, needs, and interests.

Unfortunately, in thousands of conversations with parents over the years, we have heard about many red flags related to IEP meetings and what people may say in those meetings. Below we focus on 5 red flags to watch out for when it comes to the important work of writing IEP goals for your child.

1. The goals are too specific

While measurable details and parameters are important in IEP goals, watch out for instances where proposed goals feel so specific or narrow that they unnecessarily position a child to struggle or fail. Dr. Caitlin Solone, education advocate, teacher-educator, and faculty at UCLA, recommends reviewing IEP goals and asking, “Is the goal too specific?” She notes fraction goals as an example: “Fractions only take place for maybe 6 weeks depending on grade level. That would make it really difficult to work on in general education because it’s too specific.”

2. The goals are hard to measure

IEP goals are usually written by teachers and service providers, but parents need to be prepared to request edits or even throw out bad goals. Check out this article on rewriting IEP goals, which includes sample rewrites, but in a nutshell, an IEP goal contains six parts, with components—time frame, condition, skill, supports, accuracy, evaluation—that make it possible to collect and evaluate data to determine whether or not the goal was met.

Related to hard-to-measure goals, in the face of vague IEP statements, Undivided Non-Attorney Education Advocate Lisa Carey recommends asking for specific details that can be tracked and measured. For example, if a team member makes statements indicating that your child “loves to help,” ask what that means. Who are they helping—the teachers, the other students? How are they stepping in to help?

3. The goals come out of nowhere

The present levels of performance describe a child’s current abilities, strengths, and needs or challenges, and are an important component of an IEP. Every goal in your child’s IEP should be based on data in the present levels, so it is a red flag if an IEP includes goals that seem to come out of nowhere or are ill-fitting. Ask your IEP team to provide baseline data for proposed goals.

4. The goals are too easy

IEP goals should be realistic but also ambitious enough for your child to make progress. In this parent guide to IEP goals, we provide guidance on how to write appropriately challenging IEP goals, including a goal-planning template and covering topics such as the importance of creating vision statements and taking a strength-based approach, Common Core State Standards, and how to work with your child’s teacher on IEP goals.

5. The goals are only about functional life skills

Another common IEP goal writing red flag is if the IEP team wants to focus on “functional” goals such as daily living skills to the exclusion of academics. For the majority of students, school involves a focus on academics, and skills such as laundry, cooking, and money can be worked on at home. Skill-building and academics need not be either/or for students with disabilities.

A final note on collaboration

A general willingness to collaborate and compromise can help you handle most issues with your IEP team. Carey notes, “At the end of the day, most of the people who are in your child’s IEP meeting are there for the right reasons. They want to help kids learn and grow. They’re there to help. So we do want to start from a place of compromise and collaboration. Always start there.”

Carey also shares that while it’s important to communicate what is important to you and your child, it’s key to be willing to hear—and truly listen to—what the IEP team has to say. “They may know something that you don’t know about how your child learns,” notes Carey.

For more on IEPs, see some of our popular resources below and download our free IEP prep packet. And if you need further support from Undivided—for example, help applying for public benefits or preparing for an IEP meeting and access to members-only office hours with specialists in insurance, public benefits, and special education—sign up for a free Undivided trial membership.