IEP goals for health education topics
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Health IEP goals help a student learn and use the topics taught in health education: body parts and systems, puberty and hygiene, refusing tobacco, vaping and alcohol, sleep and exercise habits, when to see a nurse and simple first aid. A strong goal names the topic, the support and a criterion, such as ordering first aid steps for a scrape with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes.
Health education is part of the general curriculum in most states, and students with IEPs take it like everyone else. Some need goals to access it: a student who cannot yet name body parts will not follow a unit on body systems, and a student who agrees with whatever a peer says needs refusal skills practiced, not just discussed. Health goals give those students a measured path through the topics their health class covers.
This page gives 12 goals in four groups, drawn from the new health education goals skill in the library. Baselines are illustrations. Food and nutrition goals have their own page, nutrition IEP goals, and medical routines such as medication or glucose checks are covered on the condition pages. The life skills IEP goals pillar maps the health domain as a whole.
How to choose a health goal
Start from the health course the student is in. Ask the health teacher which units come up this year and where the student will need support. Then match the goal to the student's need.
| Student profile | Topic | Measure | Data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannot name body parts or tell where pain is | Body parts and systems | Correct answers out of items | Accuracy data sheet |
| Entering puberty, confused by changes | Puberty and hygiene knowledge | Correct answers out of questions | Accuracy data sheet |
| Goes along with peers' risky ideas | Refusal skills | Refusals out of role-plays | Opportunity data sheet |
| Tired in class, little activity | Sleep and exercise habits | Plan quality on a rubric | Rubric scoring data sheet |
| Tells no one when sick or tells about everything | When to see a nurse, first aid | Correct sorts out of scenarios | Accuracy data sheet |
Many health goals can be supported with accommodations alone, such as read-aloud tests or picture vocabulary. Write a goal only when the student needs instruction to learn the skill. See IEP accommodations for the accommodation side.
Body parts and systems goals
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Given a body diagram, the student will label 12 major body parts with 12 of 12 correct on 3 probes. | 6 of 12 | Accuracy | Template |
| 2. Given picture cards for 6 body systems (heart and blood, lungs, digestion, bones, muscles, brain and nerves), the student will match each to its job with 6 of 6 correct on 3 probes. | 2 of 6 | Accuracy | Template |
| 3. After a health lesson, the student will explain how 2 body systems work together (for example, lungs and heart during exercise), scored on a 3-point rubric, averaging 2.5 or higher on 3 probes. | Average 1.0 | Rubric | Template |
Body part vocabulary also supports reporting pain goals, since a student who can name "ear" can say where it hurts.
Weak: "The student will learn about the human body."
Measurable: "Given a body diagram, the student will label 12 major body parts with 12 of 12 correct on 3 probes, measured by accuracy."
Puberty and hygiene knowledge goals
Puberty lessons follow the district's adopted health curriculum and its family notification rules. Use the curriculum's terms and stay at the same level as the student's health class.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. Given 8 puberty changes on picture cards, the student will match each change to the hygiene product or routine that helps (deodorant, daily shower, face wash) with 8 of 8 correct on 3 probes. | 3 of 8 | Accuracy | Template |
| 5. After a puberty lesson, the student will answer 5 questions about body changes from the lesson with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes. | 2 of 5 | Accuracy | Template |
The hygiene routines themselves are on the high school hygiene goals page.
Weak: "The student will understand puberty."
Measurable: "Given 8 puberty changes on picture cards, the student will match each change to the hygiene product or routine that helps with 8 of 8 correct on 3 probes, measured by accuracy."
Refusal skills goals
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. Given 10 statements, the student will identify health risks of smoking and vaping with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 5 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 7. In role-play, when a peer offers a vape, cigarette or alcohol, the student will say a clear refusal statement and walk away on 5 of 5 trials. | Hesitates or agrees on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
| 8. Given a party scenario, the student will write or tell a plan to refuse and leave (what to say, who to call, how to get home), scored on a 3-point rubric, averaging 2.5 on 3 probes. | Average 1.0 | Rubric | Template |
Refusal skills overlap with peer pressure and safety. See the stranger safety goals page for refusing unsafe requests from adults.
Weak: "The student will make healthy choices about drugs."
Measurable: "In role-play, when a peer offers a vape, cigarette or alcohol, the student will say a clear refusal statement and walk away on 5 of 5 trials, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
Sleep, exercise, nurse visits and first aid goals
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. Using their own sleep and activity log, the student will write a weekly plan with a bedtime, wake time and 3 activity sessions, scored on a 3-point rubric, averaging 2.5 or higher on 3 weeks. | Average 0.8 | Rubric | Template |
| 10. Given 12 symptom cards, the student will sort them into "fix it myself," "tell the teacher" and "see the nurse" with 11 of 12 correct on 3 probes. | 6 of 12 | Accuracy | Template |
| 11. Given picture cards for a scraped knee, the student will put 5 first aid steps in order (tell an adult, wash hands, rinse the scrape, cover it, throw away trash) with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes. | 2 of 5 | Accuracy | Template |
| 12. In a practice scenario, the student will walk through first aid for a minor injury, scored on a 4-point rubric, averaging 3 or higher on 3 scenarios. | Average 1.5 | Rubric | Template |
First aid goals teach minor self-care and getting help. Anything more than a small scrape goes to the school nurse, as the student learns in goal 10.
Weak: "The student will know first aid."
Measurable: "Given picture cards for a scraped knee, the student will put 5 first aid steps in order with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes, measured by accuracy."
How to measure health goals
Use percent accuracy for knowledge goals: labeling, matching, sorting and ordering. Change the items on each probe so the student cannot memorize the set. Use rubric scoring for explanations and plans, with the rubric shared with the student. Use the opportunities method for role-plays.
Probe weekly during the matching health unit, then monthly as a maintenance check. Coordinate with the health teacher so probes use the unit's vocabulary.
Adapting by grade and support level
| Student | Focus | Criterion example |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Body parts, telling an adult, simple first aid | 12 of 12 body parts |
| Middle school | Body systems, puberty knowledge, refusal role-plays | 5 of 5 refusals |
| High school | Party plans, sleep and activity plans, nurse vs doctor | Rubric average 2.5 on 3 weeks |
| Transition | Health self-advocacy, appointments | See health self management goals |
More templates are on the health education goals, health self management goals and school nurse role pages. Related guides: nutrition goals, diabetes goals and food allergy goals. Check each draft in the goal checker.
The IEP describes how the student will be involved and make progress in the general education curriculum, which includes health in most schools.[1]
Frequently asked questions
Do students with IEPs take health education?
Yes, in most schools health is part of the general curriculum. Students take it with accommodations as needed. Health goals are added when a student needs instruction to learn a skill the class covers, such as refusal skills.
Who teaches health IEP goals?
Often the special education teacher, in coordination with the health teacher. The school nurse may help with nurse-visit and first aid goals, and the school psychologist or counselor with refusal skills.
How are puberty topics handled for students with IEPs?
They follow the district's adopted health curriculum and its family notification rules, adapted with pictures and simpler language. Goals use the curriculum's terms and match what the student's health class covers.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Health education goals
- Health self management goals (functional skills)
- Goals for the School nurse role
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- IEP goals for nutrition and healthy eating
- IEP goals for diabetes self-management
- IEP goals for students with food allergies
Sources
- 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.