Answer a tell-me-about-a-time interview question
When to use this goal
For high school and transition-age students who answer behavioral interview questions ("Tell me about a time you solved a problem") with one sentence or an unordered story. The structure is a short narrative: situation, task, action, and result. Base the choice on mock interview recordings.
- Baseline
- Ask two or three tell-me-about-a-time questions in a mock interview and record the answers. Score each part and note whether the student had an example ready. Help the student list real experiences from school, home, sports, clubs, faith or community groups, or jobs.
- Tips
- Build a bank of the student's own stories first; the goal measures telling them clearly, not inventing them on the spot. Examples from family responsibilities and community life count as much as jobs. Accept the student's dialect; interview coaching never requires changing how the student speaks.
- Limits
- Rehearsed stories are easier than new questions; add unfamiliar questions before ending the goal. The rubric does not score greetings, answers to other question types, or nonverbal style.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID sl-nar-024.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, during a recorded mock interview with one tell-me-about-a-time question from a list of common job or program questions, the student will tell a short experience story that describes the situation, their task, the actions they took, and the result independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 8 on a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly mock interviews, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Baseline: 3 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 Narrative Language & Retelling.
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
- Speech & Language - Narrative Language & Retelling
- Baseline
- 3 out of 8 rubric points.
- Annual goal505 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, during a recorded mock interview with one tell-me-about-a-time question from a list of common job or program questions, the student will tell a short experience story that describes the situation, their task, the actions they took, and the result independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 8 on a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly mock interviews, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- During a recorded mock interview with one tell-me-about-a-time question from a list of common job or program questions
- Behavior
- The student will tell a short experience story that describes the situation, their task, the actions they took, and the result independently
- Criteria
- Earning a score of at least 7 out of 8 on a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly mock interviews
- Evaluation method
- A defined scoring rubric
- Schedule
- Every two weeks
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 7 out of 8 on a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly mock interviews
- Collection schedule:
- every two weeks
- Method:
- Rubric scoring
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during a recorded mock interview with one tell-me-about-a-time question from a list of common job or program questions, the student will tell a short experience story that describes the situation, their task, the actions they took, and the result independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 8 on a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly mock interviews, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
| Date | Task / sample | Situation: where and when, enough for a stranger to follow | Task: what the student needed to do or solve | Action: the steps the student took, in order | Result: what happened and what they learned | Total (of 8) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score each sample with a 4-part interview story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part. 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.