Reduce adult prompts needed to begin work across the day
When to use this goal
For students whose present levels show many individual prompts to start work each day, and whose team wants one daily number rather than per-task latency. Fits settings where one adult can tally all day. Present levels decide the target.
- Baseline
- Tally every individual prompt to begin (verbal, gestural, or proximity) for at least five days, with adults agreeing on a wait time before prompting (for example, 1 minute). Also count the number of work periods so the ratio is comparable.
- Tips
- Define a prompt as any adult action directed at this student about starting. Whole-class directions are not prompts. Keep the number of work periods roughly stable; if a day has far more or fewer, report prompts per work period instead.
- Limits
- Counts reflect adult patience as much as student behavior; the wait-time rule must be followed. A low count can also mean adults stopped prompting and the student never started, so pair with completion data.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID ef-ti-018.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, across a full school day with at least four independent work periods, the student will reduce individual adult prompts needed to begin assigned tasks to no more than 3 times per school day, while using a self-start checklist on the desk, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by frequency recording collected daily.
Baseline: 9 times per school day.
- Condition
- Observable behavior
- Criterion
- Measurement method
Measurability check11 of 11 met
Met: Observable behavior. Stated as an action.
Met: Condition. Stated.
Met: Unit fits the behavior. Frequency fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Frequency (event) recording gives frequency data.
Met: Review timeframe. Stated.
Met: Baseline and target compatible. Same unit, change in the right direction.
Met: Aligned with area of need. Still about Task Initiation.
Met: Level of support. Defined.
Met: Blanks filled in. Nothing left to fill in.
Checks structure and wording only. Whether the goal fits the student is the team's call.
Short-term objectives (optional)
When are objectives required?Required for students on alternate assessments (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)); some states require them for everyone.
Paste into your IEP system
Most district systems have a separate box for each part of a goal. Copy them one at a time, or all at once as labeled text.
- Area of need
- Executive Function - Task Initiation
- Baseline
- 9 times per school day.
- Annual goal355 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, across a full school day with at least four independent work periods, the student will reduce individual adult prompts needed to begin assigned tasks to no more than 3 times per school day, while using a self-start checklist on the desk, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by frequency recording collected daily.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Across a full school day with at least four independent work periods
- Behavior
- The student will reduce individual adult prompts needed to begin assigned tasks, while using a self-start checklist on the desk
- Criteria
- No more than 3 times per school day, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days
- Evaluation method
- Frequency recording
- Schedule
- Daily
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Frequency & rate tracker. Records the count and the observation length.
Frequency & rate tracker
Frequency- Student label:
- Target:
- no more than 3 times per school day
- Mastery rule:
- on 4 of 5 consecutive school days
- Collection schedule:
- daily
- Method:
- Frequency (event) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, across a full school day with at least four independent work periods, the student will reduce individual adult prompts needed to begin assigned tasks to no more than 3 times per school day, while using a self-start checklist on the desk, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by frequency recording collected daily.
| Date | Observation period (start–end) | Minutes observed | Activity / context | Count (tally) | Rate per minutecount ÷ minutes (only if periods vary) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Count each occurrence of the defined behavior per school day.
- Keep the observation length the same each session. If it varies, compare rate per minute, not raw counts.
- Write the behavior definition at the top of the sheet so all data collectors count the same thing.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.