Write a compare-and-contrast paragraph
When to use this goal
For students who write organized paragraphs on a single topic but, when asked to compare two things, describe one and forget the other or mix likenesses and differences without structure. Present levels should show a basic paragraph.
- Baseline
- Score two or three paragraphs written under the goal's conditions, each row 0 to 3. Check whether the student can fill a Venn diagram orally first; if the comparison is there but the paragraph is not, planning-to-writing is the gap.
- Tips
- Choose pairs the student knows well (two sports, two animals, two characters from a read-aloud). Teach one structure (all similarities, then all differences) before introducing point-by-point. Content-area comparisons let the paragraph count for class credit.
- Limits
- Scores reflect knowledge of the two subjects as well as organization; unfamiliar subjects lower scores. The rubric does not score sentence quality or conventions. Prompt difficulty varies with how obvious the similarities and differences are.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID wr-par-011.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given two familiar things to compare and a 25-minute writing period, the student will write a paragraph that names both subjects, gives at least two ways they are alike and two ways they differ, and ends with a concluding sentence independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric, on 3 of 4 consecutive scored paragraphs, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Baseline: 4 out of 12 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 Paragraph Organization.
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
- Writing - Paragraph Organization
- Baseline
- 4 out of 12 rubric points.
- Annual goal478 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given two familiar things to compare and a 25-minute writing period, the student will write a paragraph that names both subjects, gives at least two ways they are alike and two ways they differ, and ends with a concluding sentence independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric, on 3 of 4 consecutive scored paragraphs, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given two familiar things to compare and a 25-minute writing period
- Behavior
- The student will write a paragraph that names both subjects, gives at least two ways they are alike and two ways they differ, and ends with a concluding sentence independently
- Criteria
- Earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric, on 3 of 4 consecutive scored paragraphs
- 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 10 out of 12 on a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 of 4 consecutive scored paragraphs
- Collection schedule:
- every two weeks
- Method:
- Rubric scoring
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given two familiar things to compare and a 25-minute writing period, the student will write a paragraph that names both subjects, gives at least two ways they are alike and two ways they differ, and ends with a concluding sentence independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric, on 3 of 4 consecutive scored paragraphs, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
| Date | Task / sample | Topic sentence names both subjects and the purpose of comparing them | Gives at least two accurate similarities | Gives at least two accurate differences | Uses signal words and ends with a concluding sentence | Total (of 12) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score each sample with a 12-point compare-and-contrast paragraph rubric. 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.