Write a legible paragraph scored with a legibility rubric
When to use this goal
For students whose letters, size, spacing, and line placement are each partly off, so no single component goal captures the problem, and whose teachers cannot read their work. Base the choice on a rubric score on three writing samples during baseline.
- Baseline
- Score three samples with the rubric, ideally with two scorers, and compare scores; if they differ by more than one point per row, refine the row descriptors before setting a target. Note which rows score lowest, because those become objectives or component goals.
- Tips
- Score legibility separately from content; the writing teacher can score content on the same sample. Write the rubric descriptors so each level is observable (for example, level 2 means fewer than 3 illegible words). Share the rubric with the student; many can self-score after a few sessions.
- Limits
- A rubric is only as consistent as its scorers. Does not measure speed; a student can earn full points by writing very slowly. For students whose legibility does not change after direct teaching, keyboarding is the right alternative and has its own template.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID mt-hw-010.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given a writing prompt and 10 minutes to write at least five sentences, the student will write the paragraph so that it is legible to a reader unfamiliar with the student's writing independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row, on 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks from a writing sample.
Baseline: 5 out of 12 rubric points.
- 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. Rubric score fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Rubric scoring gives rubric score 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 Handwriting.
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
- Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE) - Handwriting
- Baseline
- 5 out of 12 rubric points.
- Annual goal463 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given a writing prompt and 10 minutes to write at least five sentences, the student will write the paragraph so that it is legible to a reader unfamiliar with the student's writing independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row, on 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks from a writing sample.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given a writing prompt and 10 minutes to write at least five sentences
- Behavior
- The student will write the paragraph so that it is legible to a reader unfamiliar with the student's writing independently
- Criteria
- Earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row, on 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples
- Evaluation method
- A defined scoring rubric
- Schedule
- Every two weeks from a writing sample
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Rubric tracker. Scores each rubric criterion and totals them.
Rubric tracker
Rubric score- Student label:
- Target:
- earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples
- Collection schedule:
- every two weeks from a writing sample
- Method:
- Rubric scoring
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given a writing prompt and 10 minutes to write at least five sentences, the student will write the paragraph so that it is legible to a reader unfamiliar with the student's writing independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row, on 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks from a writing sample.
| Date | Task / sample | Letter formation: letters are recognizable and formed consistently | Size: tall, small, and descending letters are sized correctly relative to the lines | Spacing: clear spaces between words and no gaps inside words | Line placement: letters sit on the baseline across the whole paragraph | Total (of 12) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score each sample with a 4-row handwriting legibility rubric scored 0 to 3 per row. Attach or reference the rubric's score descriptors.
- Use the same prompt type and conditions for each scored sample.
- If two people score, check agreement on a few samples before relying on the data.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.