Set a personal goal and report progress at check-ins
When to use this goal
For students building self-determination who can describe what they want but do not yet turn it into steps or track it. Base the choice on transition planning information. Goals can be academic, social, or personal, chosen by the student.
- Baseline
- Ask the student to choose something they want to accomplish this quarter and describe how they will get there. Score the first two check-ins without the tracking sheet to see what the student does on their own. Note whether the barrier is choosing a goal, breaking it into steps, or remembering what was done.
- Tips
- The student chooses the goal; adults help make it checkable. Score each row 0, 1, or 2 based on specificity. A goal that changes mid-quarter is fine as long as the student can say why. This template measures the self-advocacy process; the personal goal's own outcome is tracked by the student, not by the IEP.
- Limits
- Rubric scores depend on how well the check-in questions are asked; use the same three questions every time. Not a replacement for planning or organization goals when the barrier is executive function rather than self-direction. Avoid turning the student's personal goal into a compliance measure.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID se-sa-013.
Sign in to add this goal to a student.
Goal
By the annual IEP review date, during a weekly check-in with their case manager or counselor, the student will state their personal goal, the steps they have taken, and the next step independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly check-ins, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected weekly.
Baseline: 2 out of 8 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 Self-Advocacy.
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
- Social-Emotional & Communication - Self-Advocacy
- Baseline
- 2 out of 8 rubric points.
- Annual goal387 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, during a weekly check-in with their case manager or counselor, the student will state their personal goal, the steps they have taken, and the next step independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly check-ins, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected weekly.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- During a weekly check-in with their case manager or counselor
- Behavior
- The student will state their personal goal, the steps they have taken, and the next step independently
- Criteria
- Earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly check-ins
- Evaluation method
- A defined scoring rubric
- Schedule
- Weekly
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 6 out of 8 on a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 per row
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly check-ins
- Collection schedule:
- weekly
- Method:
- Rubric scoring
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during a weekly check-in with their case manager or counselor, the student will state their personal goal, the steps they have taken, and the next step independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly check-ins, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected weekly.
| Date | Task / sample | States a goal that is specific enough to check (what, by when) | Reports at least one step taken since the last check-in | States a next step that is within their control | Identifies one support or person who can help with the next step | Total (of 8) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score each sample with a 4-row goal update rubric scored 0 to 2 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.