Attendance IEP goal examples

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An attendance IEP goal should target the skill behind the absences, such as a morning routine, getting to class on time or asking for help before skipping, not only a percent of days attended. Find the cause first. Example: using a checklist on his phone, Andre will arrive at school by 7:50 a.m. on 18 of 20 school days, up from 9 of 20.

"Will attend school 90% of the time" is one of the most common attendance goals, and one of the least useful. It names the outcome, but not what the student will learn to do. A student who misses school because of a chaotic morning, a student who skips 6th period to avoid a class, and a student with a health condition all miss days, and each needs something different.

The 12 goals below are matched to the most common causes. They are fictional illustrations for case managers, school psychologists and teachers. If the absences come from anxiety and distress about school, the school refusal goals guide covers a gradual return plan with mental health support. For the wider behavior process, start with the FBA and BIP guide.

Find the cause before writing the goal

Pull attendance by day and by period for the last 6 to 8 weeks. Look for patterns: Mondays, first period, one class, days after a change at home. Then talk with the student and family. Many states and districts flag a student as chronically absent at around 10 percent of enrolled days missed,^[4] but definitions differ, so check your state's rule.

Pattern in the data	Likely cause	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Late or absent mostly in the morning	Sleep, morning routine, transportation	Morning routine; arriving on time	Days on time out of school days
Present in the building, missing certain classes	Avoiding a class, a peer or a task	Attending each scheduled period; asking for help	Periods attended out of scheduled
Absent after hard days or conflicts	Disengagement, social problems	Problem solving; check-in with an adult	Days attended; check-in data
Distress, physical complaints, begging to stay home	Anxiety (school refusal)	Gradual return plan	See the school refusal guide
Absent with medical notes	Health condition	Make-up plan; communication	Assignments completed; contact logs

If the absences come from the school side, such as missed transportation or a schedule that does not fit, fix that first. A goal cannot teach a student to catch a bus that never comes.

Arriving on time

1. Morning routine. Using a 6-step checklist on his phone, Andre will complete his morning routine and arrive at school by 7:50 a.m. on 18 of 20 school days. Baseline: arrives by 7:50 on 9 of 20 days; average 25 minutes late.
2. Catching the bus. Using a phone alarm and a visual reminder by the door, Kiara will be at her bus stop by 7:15 a.m. on 9 of 10 school days, as reported by the bus log. Baseline: misses the bus on 4 of 10 days.
3. First period. Marco will arrive in his first-period class before the bell on 18 of 20 days. Baseline: 11 of 20; stops at the cafeteria first.

Weak: "Andre will improve his attendance." Measurable: goal 1. It names the tool, the time and a count of days.

Attending every scheduled class

4. Period attendance. Jada will attend all 6 scheduled periods on 9 of 10 school days for 4 consecutive weeks. Baseline: skips 1 or more periods on 6 of 10 days, most often 4th period.
5. Getting to class on time. During passing periods, Marco will arrive in class before the late bell in at least 5 of 6 periods per day, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: late to 3 of 6 periods per day.
6. Asking instead of skipping. When she wants to avoid a class, Jada will tell her check-in adult or counselor before the period begins and agree on a plan, in 3 of 4 occasions. Baseline: leaves campus or hides in the restroom in 4 of 4.

Weak: "Jada will stop skipping classes." Measurable: goal 4. It counts periods, not just days, which shows the real pattern. Goal 6 then teaches what to do instead.

Tracking and owning attendance

7. Self-monitoring. Andre will record his arrival time and periods attended on a weekly self-monitoring sheet and compare it with the school record, matching on 4 of 5 days, for 6 weeks. Baseline: does not know how many days he missed last month.
8. Daily check-in. Kiara will check in with an assigned adult by 8:10 a.m. on 9 of 10 school days, using a check-in, check-out card. Baseline: no check-in system.
9. Calling in. When he will be absent, Marco will call or email the attendance office and his case manager before 9:00 a.m., on 4 of 5 absences. Baseline: 0 of 5; family calls on some days.

Weak: "Kiara will take responsibility for attendance." Measurable: goal 8. It names the routine and the count. Check-in, check-out explains how to run it.

Catching up after absences

10. Getting missed work. After an absence, Jada will ask each teacher for missed work by the end of the next school day, in 4 of 5 absences. Baseline: 1 of 5.
11. Catch-up plan. With her case manager, Kiara will follow a weekly plan of no more than 3 priority assignments and complete at least 2 of 3 each week, for 6 weeks. Baseline: 11 missing assignments; 1 turned in over 3 weeks.
12. Health-related absences. On days she is absent for a health appointment, Lena will complete the assignments posted online within 2 school days of returning, in 4 of 5 absences. Baseline: 1 of 5.

Weak: "Lena will make up missed work." Measurable: goal 12. It sets a time window and a count. For students with health conditions, the health IEP goals guide has related goals.

How to measure attendance goals

Use the school's attendance system as the main record, but pull it by period, not only by day. Many systems mark a student present for the day after attending one class. Add arrival time if tardiness is the concern. For check-in goals, use the check-in, check-out card. For catch-up goals, use the gradebook's missing assignments count each Friday.

Review data every 2 weeks with the student. Graph days on time or periods attended against the goal line on a simple chart. A frequency data sheet works for daily counts of periods attended. The IEP must state how progress on each goal will be measured and reported.^[1]

Short-term objectives

With a daily reminder call or text from the school, the student arrives on time on 14 of 20 days.
With a self-set alarm and checklist, 16 of 20 days.
Independently, 18 of 20 days.
Independently, attending all scheduled periods on 9 of 10 days.

Adapting by grade

Grade band	Common cause	Example target
Elementary	Family routines, transportation, health	Arrives by bell with family support, 18 of 20 days
Middle school	Avoiding classes, peer problems	Attends all periods on 9 of 10 days
High school	Disengagement, work schedules, credit loss	Self-monitors attendance; catch-up plan 2 of 3 per week
Transition age (18 to 21)	Program fit, transportation to job sites	Arrives at the job site on time, 9 of 10 shifts

When behavior impedes learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports.^[2] Tier 2 PBIS describes targeted supports such as check-in, check-out for students who need more structure than school-wide practices give.^[3]

For full goal wording, see the school attendance goals and the behavior IEP goals. Check drafts with the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Can attendance be an IEP goal?

It can, but a percent of days attended alone does not teach a skill. Stronger goals target the reason for the absences, such as a morning routine, getting to each class or asking for help instead of skipping, and use attendance as the measure.

What is the difference between attendance goals and school refusal goals?

Attendance goals cover any pattern of missed school or class, including tardies and skipped periods. School refusal goals are for students whose absences come from distress or anxiety about school, and they follow a gradual return plan with mental health support.

How do I measure attendance by period?

Ask your attendance office for a period-by-period report rather than daily totals. Many systems count a student present for the day after one class, which hides skipped periods. Track periods attended out of periods scheduled.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Tier 2, Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Attendance Works, Attendance Works

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.