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Write sentences with subject-verb agreement

3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracyTemplateReview and individualize before use. How templates are made
When to use this goal

For students whose writing shows agreement errors (he go, they was) that may or may not appear in their speech. Present levels in oral language matter: if the errors also occur in speech, coordinate with the SLP so the written goal matches the language goal.

Baseline
Give two probes of 10 sentences with a balance of singular and plural subjects, including a few with phrases between subject and verb. Record errors by subject type; errors with compound subjects and with there is or there are are common and may need separate items. Also check three writing samples for the same errors.
Tips
For students whose home dialect or first language uses different agreement patterns, teach the school-writing form as a code to use in writing without treating speech as wrong. Reading sentences aloud helps many students hear the mismatch. Use own writing as the transfer condition.
Limits
Fill-in items with two choices allow 50% by chance; use enough items and look at error patterns. Agreement in own writing is hard to count when sentences are fragments. Dialect differences can make scoring contentious; agree on the standard being taught.

Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID wr-mec-009.

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Student

How the goal refers to the student

Skill

What the student will do

Something an adult can see, count or time.

Condition

When or under what conditions

Support

Support allowed

Criterion

Percent of attempted items answered correctly.

Sample numbers. Replace them with the student's data.

Criterion wording

Data collection

Scoring completed student work (permanent products) against a defined answer key or checklist.

How often data are collected
Mastery rule

How many measurements must meet the criterion.

Timeframe

Timeframe

Goal

By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with the verb missing and two verb forms to choose from, the student will write the verb form that agrees with the subject in each sentence independently with at least 90% accuracy on subject-verb pairs, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.

Baseline: 50% accuracy.

  • Condition
  • Observable behavior
  • Criterion
  • Measurement method

ObjectivesCopy by fieldData sheet

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 Capitalization, Punctuation & Grammar.

  • 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.

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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
Writing - Capitalization, Punctuation & Grammar
Baseline
50% accuracy.
Annual goal344 characters
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with the verb missing and two verb forms to choose from, the student will write the verb form that agrees with the subject in each sentence independently with at least 90% accuracy on subject-verb pairs, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Timeframe
By the annual IEP review date
Condition
Given 10 sentences with the verb missing and two verb forms to choose from
Behavior
The student will write the verb form that agrees with the subject in each sentence independently
Criteria
With at least 90% accuracy on subject-verb pairs, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes
Evaluation method
Work-sample analysis
Schedule
Weekly

Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.

Matching data sheet

Accuracy tracker. Records number correct and number attempted.

The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.