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Criterion

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The criterion in an IEP goal is the level of performance that counts as success, such as 80% accuracy, 60 words per minute, or 4 of 5 opportunities.

Topic: The IEP document

In plain terms

The criterion is the "how well" part of a goal. It should use a unit that fits the skill: percent accuracy for answers that are right or wrong, a rate for fluency, a duration for how long a behavior lasts, a count of opportunities for social or communication skills, or a rubric score for writing.

How it shows up in an IEP

A common mistake is using 80% for everything. Eighty percent might be too low for crossing the street safely and unrealistic for a skill just introduced.

Example

For a safety goal, a team sets the criterion at 100% of street crossings over 10 consecutive community outings, because one missed crossing is a serious risk.

Not the same as Mastery criteria

The criterion is the performance level in the goal. Mastery criteria add how many times, or over how long, that level must be shown. Read the definition of Mastery criteria.

Related terms

  • Mastery criteriaMastery criteria state how consistently a student must reach a goal's criterion, such as on three consecutive probes, before the goal counts as met.
  • Condition (in a goal)The condition in an IEP goal describes the circumstances under which the student will perform the skill, such as materials, setting or level of support.
  • Measurable annual goalA measurable annual goal is an IEP goal written so that two different people could observe the student and agree on whether it was met.
  • Percent accuracyPercent accuracy is the number of correct responses divided by the total number of responses or items, multiplied by 100.
  • BaselineA baseline is a student's measured performance on a skill before instruction toward a new goal begins, used as the goal's starting point.

On IEP Atlas

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