Community services IEP goals: library, post office and bank

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Community services IEP goals teach a student to use public services on their own: getting a library card and borrowing items, mailing letters and packages, and using a bank teller or ATM. A strong goal names the service, the support and a criterion, such as addressing and mailing a letter at the post office, 9 of 10 steps, on 3 consecutive trips.

Libraries, post offices and banks are services every adult uses, and each has its own routine: a counter, a line, a form, a staff member asking questions. Students who learn these routines in school can run errands alone later, and the routines carry over to clinics, government offices and service desks.

This page has 12 goals, three per service plus a group on asking staff for help, along with task analyses and a filled-in data sheet. Baselines are illustrations. The goals draw on the new community services goals skill in the library. The life skills IEP goals pillar places these routines among the other community skills.

Choosing a community services goal

Student profile	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Enjoys books or media, has no card	Library card and borrowing	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Will send mail for a job or family	Mailing a letter or package	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Has or will open a bank account	Bank teller and ATM	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Waits silently or leaves when stuck	Asking staff for help	Requests made out of opportunities	Opportunity data sheet

Debit cards, bank accounts and banking apps are covered on the teaching banking skills page. This page covers the visit to the bank itself.

Library goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. At the public library, with a state ID or school ID and a proof of address, the student will apply for a library card, completing 8 of 8 steps on 1 visit after 2 classroom practices.	Has no card; 0 of 8 steps	Task analysis	Template
2. Using the library catalog on a computer or app, the student will find the call number and locate the book on the shelf for 3 of 3 titles on 2 visits.	0 of 3	Task analysis	Template
3. Using a library app, the student will renew items before the due date on 4 of 4 due dates.	Returns items late, fines on account	Opportunities	Template

Libraries are a low-cost CBI site and a free source of leisure. The leisure skills goals page covers using the library for fun.

Weak: "The student will use the library."

Measurable: "Using the library catalog, the student will find the call number and locate the book on the shelf for 3 of 3 titles on 2 visits, measured by task analysis."

Post office goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
4. Given an envelope and an address card, the student will write the return address and the recipient address in the correct places with 0 errors on 4 of 5 envelopes.	1 of 5	Task analysis	Template
5. At the post office, the student will buy a stamp, attach it and mail a letter, completing 9 of 10 steps on 3 consecutive trips.	3 of 10	Task analysis	Template
6. With a held-package notice slip and ID, the student will wait in line, hand the slip to the clerk and collect the package on 2 of 2 trips.	Has not done this	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will mail a letter."

Measurable: "At the post office, the student will buy a stamp, attach it and mail a letter, completing 9 of 10 steps on 3 consecutive trips, measured by task analysis."

Bank goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
7. At the bank, with a deposit slip filled in at school, the student will make a deposit at the teller window, 8 of 9 steps, on 3 consecutive trips.	2 of 9	Task analysis	Template
8. At a bank teller window, the student will cash a paycheck by signing it, showing ID and counting the cash before leaving the window on 3 of 3 trips.	Signs in the wrong place, does not count	Task analysis	Template
9. At an ATM, the student will check the account balance, shielding the PIN and taking the card and receipt, 7 of 7 steps, on 3 consecutive trials.	2 of 7	Task analysis	Template

Use a real account where the family agrees, or a bank's practice program. Never ask the student to tell a PIN to staff. Teach PIN privacy as one of the steps.

Weak: "The student will learn banking."

Measurable: "At an ATM, the student will check the account balance, shielding the PIN and taking the card and receipt, 7 of 7 steps, on 3 consecutive trials, measured by task analysis."

Asking staff for help

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
10. At a library, post office or bank, the student will wait in line and step up when called or when the sign says "next," on 4 of 5 visits.	Steps up early or misses the call on 4 of 5	Opportunities	Template
11. When an item or service cannot be found, the student will go to the service desk and ask a clear question using a script card if needed on 3 of 4 opportunities.	Leaves without asking	Opportunities	Template
12. When a library item is not on the shelf, the student will ask library staff and follow the answer (hold, other branch, another title) on 3 of 3 occasions.	Gives up	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will ask for help in the community."

Measurable: "When an item or service cannot be found, the student will go to the service desk and ask a clear question, using a script card if needed, on 3 of 4 opportunities, measured on an opportunity data sheet."

How to measure community services goals

Write a task analysis for each service. Here is the 10-step post office routine for goal 5:

Bring the addressed letter and money or card.
Enter and join the line.
Wait until called.
Step up and greet the clerk.
Ask for one stamp.
Pay and take any change.
Peel and place the stamp in the top right corner.
Check both addresses are on the envelope.
Put the letter in the outgoing mail slot.
Leave the counter area.

Probe frequency: these services are visited less often than a store, so plan one scored visit per student every 2 to 3 weeks. Practice the steps at school between visits with a mock counter, and graph those probes as a separate line. A school office or library can stand in for a counter.

Here is a filled-in task analysis data sheet for a fictional student working on goal 5. Codes: I independent, V verbal, G gesture, M model, P physical.

Step	Visit 1	Visit 2	Visit 3	Visit 4	Visit 5
1. Bring letter and money	V	I	I	I	I
2. Join the line	I	I	I	I	I
3. Wait until called	G	G	I	I	I
4. Step up and greet	M	G	G	I	I
5. Ask for a stamp	M	M	G	I	I
6. Pay and take change	P	M	G	G	I
7. Place stamp	G	I	I	I	I
8. Check addresses	V	V	V	I	I
9. Mail slot	G	I	I	I	I
10. Leave counter	I	I	I	I	I
Steps independent	2 of 10	5 of 10	6 of 10	9 of 10	10 of 10

Visits 4 and 5 are at or above criterion. One more visit at 9 or 10 meets the goal. The codes also show which steps moved last, speaking to the clerk and paying, so the team knows where to focus with the next service.

Adapting by support level

Support level	Focus	Criterion example
Extensive	One service, picture steps, adult close	6 of 10 post office steps on 3 visits
Limited	Two services, script cards, adult nearby	9 of 10 steps on 3 visits
Intermittent	All three services, problems, new branches	Asks staff and follows the answer on 3 of 3

More templates are on the community services goals, community access goals and functional skills hub. The task analysis measurement guide explains scoring. Related guides: community-based instruction planning and community-based instruction data. Check each draft in the goal checker.

Transition services can include community experiences and the development of adult living objectives.^[1] Library, post office and bank routines are among the most practical of those objectives.

Frequently asked questions

What are community services in an IEP?

Public services an adult uses on their own, such as a library, post office or bank. Goals teach the routine at each: waiting in line, talking to a clerk, filling forms and using machines like ATMs.

How often should community services goals be probed?

One scored visit every 2 to 3 weeks is realistic, since these trips are less frequent than store trips. Practice the steps at school between visits and graph school and community probes separately.

Can a student practice banking without a real account?

Parts of it, using practice deposit slips and mock ATMs at school. Real teller and ATM visits need an account, usually with family agreement. Some banks offer accounts or tours for students in transition programs.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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.