Request help promptly after getting stuck
Live goal preview
By the annual IEP review date, during independent work, after they stop making progress on an item, the student will initiate a help request using their help signal or a spoken, signed, or typed request independently within 90 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities, as measured by latency recording collected twice weekly during independent work.
Baseline: 300 seconds.
- Condition
- Observable behavior
- Criterion
- Measurement method
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 Requesting Help.
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
- For students who eventually ask for help but spend long periods stuck first, losing work time. Present levels and timed observation, not grade, decide fit. If the student never asks, start with se-rh-001.
- Baseline considerations
- Time 5 or more stuck episodes from the moment progress stops (the agreed starting cue) to the student's first help request. Record episodes in which no request occurs, with the time at which the work period ended; these show the size of the need.
- Usage notes
- Latency starts when the observer sees the defined starting cue (no writing or work on the same item for 30 seconds, counted from the last observable work) and stops when the student initiates a request or a listed self-help strategy. Agree on how to score episodes without a request (for example, record the remaining time in the work period). The second behavior option fits students who should try one strategy before asking.
- Known limitations
- Silent thinking can look like being stuck; check with the student afterward and refine the cue if needed. Latency shows speed, not request quality. A very short target is not the aim for every student, since some productive struggle is useful.
- Source
- Original IEP Atlas draft (AI-assisted) based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. Template ID
se-rh-003.
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.
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 90 seconds
- Mastery rule:
- on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities
- Collection schedule:
- twice weekly during independent work
- Method:
- Latency recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during independent work, after they stop making progress on an item, the student will initiate a help request using their help signal or a spoken, signed, or typed request independently within 90 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities, as measured by latency recording collected twice weekly during independent work.
| Date | Instruction / cue | Cue given (time) | Response began (time) | Latency (seconds) | Support levele.g., independent, 1 verbal prompt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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.