Hidden curriculum IEP goals: unwritten social rules

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Hidden curriculum IEP goals teach the unwritten rules that cause a student real trouble, such as how to talk to a principal versus a friend, or what a teacher means by "Is that where your phone belongs?" Each goal names one rule, the setting and a count. Example: when a teacher gives an indirect direction, Dev will follow it within 30 seconds in 8 of 10 opportunities.

The hidden curriculum is the set of social rules nobody writes down because most people pick them up without being taught. Don't tell a teacher their breath smells. A teacher who asks "Are you done talking?" wants you to stop. The bathroom is not a place for conversation. Students who miss these rules, often autistic students or students with social communication needs, can end up disciplined, teased or isolated for breaking rules they never knew existed.

Not every unwritten rule deserves an IEP goal. Pick rules where breaking them causes real harm: discipline, safety risks, lost friendships or lost jobs. Teach the reason behind each rule, and respect the student's choice where a rule is only a preference. The 16 goals below are fictional illustrations. For the wider area, start with the social-emotional IEP goals guide, and for thinking through social problems step by step, see social problem solving IEP goals.

How to pick which rules to teach

Keep a 2-week log of social mix-ups: what happened, where, and what it cost the student. Then rank each rule.

Question	If yes
Did breaking it lead to discipline or a safety risk?	Teach it first
Did it lead to teasing, exclusion or a lost friendship?	Teach it soon, with the student's input
Will it matter at work or in the community?	Teach before the transition years end
Is it only a preference of adults, with no real cost?	Discuss it, but don't write a goal

Write the rule in plain words with its reason: "Ask a teacher questions at the start of work time, not in the middle of their sentence, because interrupting makes it look like you weren't listening." Teach it with a short social story, role play or a video example.

Classroom unwritten rules

1. Indirect directions. When a teacher gives an indirect direction ("Is that where your phone belongs?"), Dev will follow the meant direction within 30 seconds in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 3 of 10; answers the question literally.
2. Timing questions. During whole-class instruction, Amara will hold a question until the teacher pauses or asks for questions, in 4 of 5 lessons, with no more than 1 interruption per lesson. Baseline: 5 to 8 interruptions per lesson.
3. Correcting the teacher privately. When he notices a teacher's mistake, Dev will raise his hand or tell the teacher privately after class, instead of calling it out, in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: calls it out in 5 of 5.
4. Group work talk. During group work, Amara will keep comments about a peer's work kind or neutral, with at least 1 positive comment before any criticism, in 3 of 4 sessions. Baseline: critical comments only in 4 of 4.

Weak: "Dev will understand classroom expectations." Measurable: goal 1. It names one rule and the response that shows he followed it.

Hallways, lunch and restrooms

5. Restroom rules. In the restroom, Ben will not start conversations or look into stalls, on 9 of 10 staff-checked visits. Baseline: 5 of 10.
6. Personal topics. At lunch, Lucia will keep conversation off personal body topics (weight, smells, puberty) with peers, with no more than 1 such comment per week for 4 weeks. Baseline: 4 to 6 per week.
7. Hallway greetings. When passing a peer he knows in the hallway, Ben will use a quick greeting (a nod, "hey") and keep walking, rather than stopping to talk at length, in 8 of 10 observed passings. Baseline: stops to talk for over 1 minute in 7 of 10, causing tardies.
8. Lunch seating. In the cafeteria, Lucia will ask "Can I sit here?" before sitting at a table with peers, in 4 of 5 lunches. Baseline: 1 of 5.

Weak: "Ben will behave appropriately in the restroom." Measurable: goal 5. It names what not to do and how often staff check.

Talking to adults versus peers

9. Formal language with administrators. When speaking with the principal or a substitute, Amara will use a polite greeting and avoid slang, in 4 of 5 observed interactions. Baseline: 1 of 5.
10. Teacher humor. When a teacher makes a joke or uses sarcasm in class, Dev will respond with a smile or brief laugh, or ask "Are you joking?", rather than arguing the literal meaning, in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5.
11. Asking an adult for a favor. When asking a teacher for an extension or help, Lucia will use a 3-part request (greeting, reason, polite ask) in 4 of 5 requests. Baseline: demands in 4 of 5 ("I need more time").
12. Peer teasing versus bullying. Given 10 short scenarios, Ben will sort friendly teasing from mean teasing with at least 8 of 10 correct, and will tell an adult about real mean teasing within the same day in 3 of 4 events. Baseline: 4 of 10 sorted correctly.

Weak: "Lucia will use appropriate language with adults." Measurable: goal 11. The parts of the request are named, so anyone can score it.

Online and phone rules

13. Group chat rules. In class group chats, Dev will send no more than 3 messages in a row without a reply from someone else, on 4 of 5 checked days. Baseline: sends 10 or more in a row.
14. Screenshots and sharing. Given 8 scenarios, Amara will identify which messages or photos are not okay to share without permission, with 7 of 8 correct. Baseline: 3 of 8.
15. Phone use in class. Ben will keep his phone in his bag during instruction, checking it only during passing time or approved breaks, on 9 of 10 days. Baseline: 4 of 10 days.
16. Friend requests. Given scenarios about online friend requests, Lucia will name which ones to accept, ignore or report to an adult, with 7 of 8 correct, and will report any request from an unknown adult in 100% of real cases. Baseline: 2 of 8.

Weak: "Dev will follow online etiquette." Measurable: goal 13. It turns etiquette into a countable rule.

How to measure hidden curriculum goals

Most of these goals are best measured with frequency recording: count rule-following or rule-breaking in a set time. Probe each target rule at least 2 times a week in the setting where it matters, such as one lunch period or one class. Use the frequency data sheet with one row per rule.

A filled-in sheet for Amara's goal 2 (interruptions during 20 minutes of whole-class teaching) might look like this. The numbers are illustrations.

Date	Lesson length	Interruptions	Questions held until a pause	Notes
Oct 6	20 min	7	0	Baseline
Oct 8	20 min	6	1	Taught rule with a short story
Oct 13	20 min	4	3	Question card on desk
Oct 15	20 min	2	4	Card faded to a hand signal
Oct 20	20 min	1	5	No prompts

Write down the lesson length. Seven interruptions in 20 minutes is different from seven in an hour. Scenario sorting goals (12, 14, 16) are scored as percent correct on a set of new scenarios each probe.

Short-term objectives

The student states the rule and the reason for it, in 4 of 5 checks.
The student follows the rule in role play, in 4 of 5 trials.
In the real setting, with a visual reminder, 7 of 10 opportunities.
In the real setting, without a reminder, 8 of 10 opportunities.

Adapting by grade

Grade band	Rules that cause trouble most	Example target
K to 2	Personal space, taking turns talking, honesty that hurts	Holds a comment about a peer's looks in 4 of 5 chances
Grades 3 to 5	Indirect directions, teacher humor, recess game rules	Follows indirect directions in 8 of 10
Middle school	Restrooms, group chats, teasing vs bullying	Sorts teasing scenarios 8 of 10
High school	Adults vs peers, dating, work rules, online safety	Uses a 3-part request with adults in 4 of 5

ASHA describes social communication as including the ability to adjust language to the listener and situation and to follow unspoken rules of conversation.^[1] The IRIS Center's autism module covers social communication differences and why explicit teaching helps.^[2]

For more wording, see the social emotional IEP goals, the social awareness goals and social skills IEP goal examples. Paste drafts into the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hidden curriculum?

It is the set of social rules that are rarely taught directly because most people pick them up by watching others. Examples include what a teacher means by an indirect question, how to talk to a principal compared with a friend, and what is private.

Should every unwritten rule become an IEP goal?

No. Write goals for rules whose breaking causes real harm, such as discipline, safety risks, lost friendships or job problems. Rules that are only an adult preference can be discussed, but the student can reasonably choose not to follow them.

How do I teach a hidden curriculum rule?

State the rule in plain words with its reason, show an example and a non-example, practice in role play, then use a quiet reminder in the real setting and fade it. Short social stories and video examples work well for many students.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Social Communication Disorder, ASHA
Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University

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.