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Executive Function · Task Initiation

Begin independent work within a set time after the direction

Unreviewed draftK-2, 3-5, 6-8Latency
Student reference

Use a generic label rather than a student's name. Review goals within your school's approved IEP system.

Current baseline

Sample numbers are illustrative. Set the baseline and target from the student's own assessment data and team judgment.

Condition

Setting, materials, or situation, such as a passage level or a work period.

Observable behavior

Something an adult can see, count, or time. Avoid “understand,” “improve,” or “know.”

Level of support

Say exactly what support counts, such as “with one verbal prompt.” Leave “independently” if none.

Criterion

Time from a cue (such as a direction) to the start of the response.

Measurement method

The time between a cue (such as a direction) and the start of the response is timed.

Mastery rule
Timeframe and monitoring

You can type a date, such as “By May 15, 2027”.

Match the schedule to the skill. Fluency often uses weekly probes. Writing rubrics may be scored every few weeks.

Live goal preview

By the annual IEP review date, after the teacher gives the direction to begin an independent written task, the student will begin the assigned task by writing or marking a first response independently within 60 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed work periods, as measured by latency recording collected two to three times per week.

Baseline: 210 seconds.

  • Condition
  • Observable behavior
  • Criterion
  • Measurement method
Add objectivesMatching data sheet

Measurability check10 of 10 met

All structural checks are met.

  • Met: Observable behavior. The behavior is stated as an action.

  • Met: Condition. The goal states when or under what conditions the behavior occurs.

  • Met: Unit fits the behavior. Latency is a reasonable way to quantify this behavior.

  • Met: Explicit criterion. The success criterion is stated with a number and unit.

  • Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Mastery rule and collection schedule are stated.

  • Met: Method produces the metric. Latency recording can produce latency data.

  • Met: Review timeframe. The goal includes a timeframe.

  • Met: Baseline and target compatible. Baseline and target use the same unit and show change in the intended direction.

  • Met: Aligned with area of need. The wording still relates to Task Initiation.

  • Met: Level of support. The level of support is defined.

What this checks: the goal's structure and wording, using fixed rules: observable behavior, condition, criterion, method, mastery rule, timeframe, baseline/target consistency, and support. It can't judge whether the goal is appropriate, ambitious enough, or legally sufficient for a particular student. That requires assessment data and the IEP team.

About this template
Level guidance
Fits any grade when present levels show the student can do the work but routinely delays starting it. Choose tasks at the student's independent or instructional level; if the student cannot do the task, a slow start reflects a skill gap, not an initiation problem.
Baseline considerations
Time latency across at least five work periods in more than one subject. Start the clock when the direction ends and stop it at the first mark, keystroke, or written response. Note what the student does during the delay (searching for materials, talking, watching peers, sitting still) and use the median, not the average, because a single very long delay skews the mean.
Usage notes
Use when the student has the skills for the task but does not start. Define the start for observers: pencil on paper producing a mark related to the task, a first keystroke in the correct document, or a first manipulative placed. Opening a folder or sharpening a pencil does not count. Pair with a work-completion or duration goal if the student starts but stops quickly.
Known limitations
Measures only how quickly work starts, not how long it continues or whether it is correct. Latency can look better simply because tasks got easier, so keep task difficulty comparable across probes. Not suited to tasks where a thoughtful pause before responding is expected.
Source
Original IEP Atlas draft (AI-assisted) based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. Template ID ef-ti-001.

Short-term objectives (optional)

When are objectives required?

Federal IDEA regulations require benchmarks or short-term objectives only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)). Your state or district may require them more broadly.

Build objectives by

Matching data sheet

Latency tracker. Your goal measures how quickly a response starts, so the sheet records the cue time and the response time.

Latency tracker

Latency
Student label:
 
Target:
within 60 seconds
Mastery rule:
on 4 of 5 consecutive observed work periods
Collection schedule:
two to three times per week
Method:
Latency recording
Data collector:
 

Goal: By the annual IEP review date, after the teacher gives the direction to begin an independent written task, the student will begin the assigned task by writing or marking a first response independently within 60 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed work periods, as measured by latency recording collected two to three times per week.

Latency tracker
DateInstruction / cueCue given (time)Response began (time)Latency (seconds)Support levele.g., independent, 1 verbal promptNotes

Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.

  • Start timing when the cue ends (for example, the end of the direction). Stop when the defined response begins.
  • Record latency in seconds. Shorter latency means faster starts.
  • Use a stopwatch or a timer app. Avoid estimating from the clock when measuring seconds.

The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets with formulas for the calculated columns. Sheets are blank: IEP Atlas doesn't store student data.

Preview
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