Use a target grammatical morpheme in obligatory contexts
Live goal preview
By the annual IEP review date, during a structured picture-description task that creates at least 10 obligatory contexts for the target morpheme, the student will produce the target grammatical morpheme (e.g., plural -s, regular past tense -ed, or third-person singular -s) in each obligatory context independently with at least 80% accuracy on obligatory contexts, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Baseline: 30% accuracy.
- 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. Percent accuracy 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. Opportunity (trial) recording can produce percent accuracy 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 Expressive Language.
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 whose language sample shows a specific grammatical marker is often left out (e.g., plural -s, regular past tense -ed, third-person singular -s, or subject pronouns). Present levels, a language sample, and the SLP's assessment, not grade, decide fit and which morpheme to target. Consider dialect: forms that follow the student's home dialect are not errors.
- Baseline considerations
- Collect a language sample plus a structured probe with at least 10 obligatory contexts for each candidate morpheme. Calculate the percent of contexts in which the morpheme is used. Gather dialect information from the family before deciding a form is a target.
- Usage notes
- An obligatory context is any place where standard grammar requires the morpheme (e.g., "two dog__" requires plural -s). Score each context correct when the student includes the morpheme, and use the number of contexts as the denominator. Overgeneralizations ("goed") are recorded as attempts at the rule, not as missing the morpheme; decide with the SLP how to score them. Individualize to one morpheme at a time.
- Known limitations
- Structured tasks overestimate use in spontaneous speech; check with a language sample periodically. Dialect differences are not disorders and must not be targeted as errors. This goal does not measure sentence complexity or vocabulary.
- Source
- Original IEP Atlas draft (AI-assisted) based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. Template ID
sl-exp-001.
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
Accuracy tracker. Your goal is scored as percent correct, so the sheet records number correct and number attempted.
Accuracy tracker
Percent accuracy- Student label:
- Target:
- with at least 80% accuracy on obligatory contexts
- Mastery rule:
- across 3 consecutive therapy sessions
- Collection schedule:
- during each therapy session
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during a structured picture-description task that creates at least 10 obligatory contexts for the target morpheme, the student will produce the target grammatical morpheme (e.g., plural -s, regular past tense -ed, or third-person singular -s) in each obligatory context independently with at least 80% accuracy on obligatory contexts, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
| 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 for the calculated columns. Sheets are blank: IEP Atlas doesn't store student data.