IEP goals for high school students with dyslexia

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

IEP goals for high school students with dyslexia should keep building word reading where it is still weak, especially long words and morphology, while adding goals for independent use of technology and self-advocacy. For example: given 20 affixed words from biology text, the student will read 17 correctly on 3 consecutive biweekly probes, from a baseline of 8.

By high school, a student with dyslexia has usually had years of reading intervention. Some have closed the decoding gap and read slowly but accurately. Others still guess at long words. Either way, the content load is heavy, the texts are long, and graduation and life after school are close.

That changes the goal set. A strong high school IEP keeps one or two reading goals aimed at the remaining word-level gap, and adds goals that make the student independent: using text-to-speech and speech-to-text well, managing tests, and asking for accommodations. Below are 12 goals in five groups, each with an illustrative baseline and a measure. The numbers are examples, not targets for every student.

Choose the goal from the student's profile

Student profile	Sub-skill to target	Measurement
Reads short words well but skips or guesses at long words	Multisyllabic and affix decoding	Words correct on lists from content texts
Reads accurately but at half the rate of peers	Fluency in content text	Words correct per minute on unpracticed content passages
Decodes long words but does not know their meaning	Morphology and vocabulary	Percent correct on meaning items
Has audio and dictation tools but uses them poorly or not at all	Assistive technology use	Checklist of independent steps; rubric on output
Does not ask for accommodations; hides the disability	Self-advocacy	Opportunities where the student requests a support

High school is not too late for word-level work. For students in grades 4 to 9, decoding instruction for multisyllabic words and purposeful fluency practice are recommended practices.^[1] Pick goals from the lowest skill that is still breaking down, then add access and self-advocacy goals.

Long-word decoding goals

#	Goal	Baseline	How to measure
1	Given 20 affixed words from biology or history text, the student will remove prefixes and suffixes, read the base, and read the whole word correctly for 17 of 20 on 3 consecutive biweekly probes (template)	8 of 20	Word list, biweekly
2	Given a 1-minute list of affixed words, the student will read 32 words correctly with 2 or fewer errors, median of 3 probes (template)	15 words correct	Timed list, biweekly
3	While reading an assigned textbook section, the student will use a taught long-word strategy on unfamiliar words, applying it correctly on 8 of 10 observed words across 2 sessions (template)	2 of 10	Observation, monthly

Weak: "Student will improve decoding skills."

Measurable: goal 1. Words come from the student's own classes, so gains carry over to real reading. For more options, see the high school phonics and decoding goals.

Fluency in content text

#	Goal	Baseline	How to measure
4	Given unpracticed passages from grade 9 science and social studies texts, the student will read 120 words correct per minute with 97% accuracy, median of 3 passages (template)	84 words correct per minute; 94% accuracy	Oral reading fluency, biweekly
5	Given a grade-level article and a time limit set at 1.5 times the class time, the student will read it silently and answer 4 of 5 questions correctly on 3 of 4 monthly probes (template)	2 of 5 questions; ran out of time	Timed reading with questions, monthly

Weak: "Student will read grade-level text fluently."

Measurable: goal 4. It uses content passages, not short leveled stories, and states rate and accuracy. Use the reading fluency data sheet to record both. Goal 5 matters for older students, because most of their reading is silent.

Morphology and vocabulary

#	Goal	Baseline	How to measure
6	Given 10 unfamiliar words built from taught prefixes, suffixes and roots, the student will explain the meaning using the word parts for 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive biweekly probes (template)	3 of 10	Oral or written probe, biweekly
7	Given 15 dictated content words built from Greek and Latin roots, the student will spell 12 correctly on 3 consecutive monthly probes (template)	5 of 15	Dictation, monthly

Weak: "Student will learn content vocabulary."

Measurable: goal 6. Root and affix knowledge helps with reading, spelling and meaning at once, and it is age-respectful work for a 16-year-old. The vocabulary goals page has more templates.

Assistive technology and writing

#	Goal	Baseline	How to measure
8	While using text-to-speech for an assigned reading, the student will adjust the speed and replay sections when meaning breaks down, completing 5 of 5 checklist steps on 4 of 5 assignments (template)	2 of 5 steps	Checklist, weekly
9	Using speech-to-text, the student will complete a written assignment of at least 250 words, edited for recognition errors, on 4 of 5 assignments (template)	Finishes 1 of 5	Work samples, weekly
10	When spell-check flags a word, the student will choose the correct suggestion for 9 of 10 flagged words across 3 writing samples (template)	6 of 10	Writing samples, monthly

Weak: "Student will use assistive technology as needed."

Measurable: goal 8. "As needed" says nothing. The checklist lists what independent use looks like, so the student can learn it and the teacher can score it. The glossary covers text-to-speech and speech-to-text.

Self-advocacy and transition

#	Goal	Baseline	How to measure
11	At the start of each semester, the student will meet each new teacher and explain their accommodations in their own words, for 4 of 4 core teachers (template)	Case manager does this	Teacher checklist, each semester
12	Before graduation, the student will contact a college or training program's accessibility office, list the documents needed, and complete the request steps, meeting 5 of 5 checklist items (template)	0 of 5	Checklist, by spring of senior year

Weak: "Student will advocate for self."

Measurable: goal 11. It names who, when and what the student says. Supports after high school depend on the student asking for them, so practice now pays off later. More templates are on the self-advocacy goals page.

Goals and the transition plan

From the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16 (younger in some states), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and the transition services needed to reach them.^[2] For a student with dyslexia headed to college or training, goals 9 to 12 often support those postsecondary goals directly. Tie them together in the IEP so the reason is clear. Transition planning resources list more goals for employment, education and independent living.

How to measure progress

Use short probes on content material every 2 weeks for reading goals, and checklists or work samples for technology and self-advocacy goals. Brief, repeated measures under the same conditions show whether instruction is working within a grading period.^[3] Graph each goal, and look at the trend at every progress report.

Adapting by year in high school

Year	Typical emphasis	Example adjustment
9th grade	Close remaining decoding gaps; set up technology	Goals 1, 2, 4 and 8
10th grade	Content fluency; morphology; first self-advocacy	Goals 4, 6 and 11
11th grade	Independent technology; test planning for state and college entrance tests	Goals 9, 10 and 11
12th grade	Transition: postsecondary supports, workplace or college requests	Goals 11 and 12

Before you finalize

Trace each goal back to a number in present levels, then check the wording with the goal checker. For younger students, or for students who still need phonemic awareness or basic phonics work, see IEP goals for dyslexia. For access supports in class and on tests, see dyslexia accommodations. The cluster guide on specific learning disability IEPs covers eligibility and how the plan fits together.

Frequently asked questions

Should high school students with dyslexia still have reading goals?

If word reading is still slow or inaccurate, yes. Many older students still need work on long words and morphology. Pair those goals with access and self-advocacy goals so the student keeps learning content while the reading gap narrows.

Can an IEP goal be about using text-to-speech?

Yes, when the student needs to learn to use it well. A goal can target adjusting speed, replaying sections and completing readings independently. The accommodation gives access; the goal teaches the skill of using it.

Do accommodations from high school carry over to college?

Not automatically. IEPs end when a student graduates. Colleges provide accommodations under disability law after the student requests them and provides documentation. That is why a self-advocacy goal about contacting the accessibility office is useful.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

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.