Follow a set of written directions step by step
When to use this goal
For students who can read the words in directions but do not carry them out in order, skip steps, or ask an adult to tell them what to do. Base the choice on observation of independent work and functional tasks; the step count comes from present levels.
- Baseline
- Score each step as done correctly, done incorrectly, or skipped, and keep the product. Make sure the student can decode the directions; if not, this is a decoding goal. Note whether errors come from reading too fast (misreading a word like under as over) or from doing the task without reading at all.
- Tips
- Fits young students learning to work from worksheet directions and transition-age students following recipes and job task cards. Use real tasks whenever possible. The read-aloud-first support is a strategy worth keeping as an accommodation.
- Limits
- Directions with unfamiliar vocabulary measure vocabulary; keep words known. Task difficulty (fine motor, materials) can interfere; choose tasks the student can physically do. Does not measure comprehension of narrative or informational text.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID rd-comp-021.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given a written set of 5 one-sentence directions at the student's instructional level and the materials needed (for example, a drawing task or a simple craft), the student will read each direction and carry it out in order independently with at least 90% accuracy on directions carried out as written, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by work-sample analysis collected twice weekly.
Baseline: 40% accuracy.
- 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. Percent accuracy fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Work-sample analysis gives percent accuracy 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 Reading Comprehension.
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
- Reading - Reading Comprehension
- Baseline
- 40% accuracy.
- Annual goal435 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given a written set of 5 one-sentence directions at the student's instructional level and the materials needed (for example, a drawing task or a simple craft), the student will read each direction and carry it out in order independently with at least 90% accuracy on directions carried out as written, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by work-sample analysis collected twice weekly.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given a written set of 5 one-sentence directions at the student's instructional level and the materials needed (for example, a drawing task or a simple craft)
- Behavior
- The student will read each direction and carry it out in order independently
- Criteria
- With at least 90% accuracy on directions carried out as written, across 3 consecutive data collection days
- Evaluation method
- Work-sample analysis
- Schedule
- Twice weekly
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Accuracy tracker. Records number correct and number attempted.
Accuracy tracker
Percent accuracy- Student label:
- Target:
- with at least 90% accuracy on directions carried out as written
- Mastery rule:
- across 3 consecutive data collection days
- Collection schedule:
- twice weekly
- Method:
- Work-sample analysis
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given a written set of 5 one-sentence directions at the student's instructional level and the materials needed (for example, a drawing task or a simple craft), the student will read each direction and carry it out in order independently with at least 90% accuracy on directions carried out as written, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by work-sample analysis collected twice weekly.
| Date | Task / materials | # correct | # attempted | % accuracycorrect ÷ attempted × 100 | Support levele.g., independent, 1 verbal prompt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score only items the student attempted unless the goal defines a fixed set of items. Use the same denominator every session.
- Percent = numerator ÷ denominator × 100. Round to one decimal place.
- Record the support actually provided, even if the goal is independent performance.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.