IEP goals for self-esteem and self-concept

Self-esteem is how a student feels about themselves. Self-concept is what they believe about themselves: "I am bad at math", "I am a good friend", "I can't write". Neither can be measured directly, and a goal like "will improve self-esteem" gives the team nothing to count. What can be measured are the behaviors that go with a healthier self-view: naming real strengths, talking to yourself helpfully after a mistake, accepting a compliment, trying again, and noticing your own progress.

The 24 goals below are grouped into six sub-skills. Each has a fictional baseline and links to its template. The numbers are illustrations. For the wider area, see the social-emotional IEP goals pillar.

Write the goal around behavior, not feelings

Every measurable annual goal needs an action someone can see or hear. Here is how feeling-based wording becomes measurable:

A few cautions. Do not write goals that ask a student to look happy, smile more or hide disability. A student who says "I have ADHD and it makes reading tests hard, so I use extra time" has a healthy, accurate self-concept. Self-knowledge, including knowledge of one's disability, supports self-determination. The self-advocacy goal examples build on the same foundation.

Low self-esteem that comes with low mood, withdrawal or talk of hopelessness needs more than an IEP goal. Bring in the school psychologist or counselor, and follow your school's procedures if the student talks about self-harm.

How to choose a self-esteem goal

Goals for naming own strengths

Start with strengths the student can prove. "I'm good at Minecraft builds, here is one" is stronger than a generic "I'm nice".

1. When asked during a counseling session, Zoe will name one thing she is good at and one example of it on 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: says "nothing" on 4 of 5. Template.
2. With the counselor, Ben will make a strengths page listing 4 strengths, each with a real example from school or home, scoring 4 of 4 on the checklist. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
3. Before his IEP meeting, Ben will write a strengths statement backed by 2 pieces of evidence, such as a grade or a teacher comment, scoring 3 of 4 on a rubric. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
4. At a monthly check-in, Ava will name one learning strength and one tool that helps her, such as a graphic organizer, on 3 of 3 check-ins. Baseline: 0 of 3. Template.

Weak: "Zoe will identify her strengths." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It sets the occasion, the number and what counts.

The student strengths examples page shows how to write strengths into present levels, which pairs well with these goals.

Goals for helpful self-talk

What a student says after a mistake is the clearest window into self-concept. These goals swap put-downs for helpful statements. They do not ask the student to pretend a mistake did not happen.

1. After a mistake, Zoe will use a fix-it phrase, such as "Oops, I can fix that," and correct the error in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. After a mistake on classwork, Marco will turn a put-down into a helpful self-statement, such as "This part is hard, I'll check the example," at least 3 times per week. Baseline: 0 per week. Template.
3. During 30-minute independent work periods, Marco will make no more than 2 self-put-downs per period on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 9 per period. Template.
4. With the counselor, Ava will write 5 coping statements in her own words for hard moments, scoring 5 of 5 on the statement checklist. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Marco will stop saying negative things about himself." Measurable: Goal 3 above. A per-period count makes the drop visible, and goal 2 adds the replacement.

Goals for accepting compliments

Students with a low self-view often argue with praise ("No it's not, it's ugly"). A simple, taught reply lets the compliment land.

1. When given a compliment, Ben will respond with "Thanks" or a nod, without arguing, in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. When a teacher or peer compliments her work, Zoe will accept it and add one thing she liked about her work in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
3. During partner work, Ben will give a peer one effort-focused compliment, such as "You kept going on that hard one," on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. During peer feedback, Ava will name one specific strength in a classmate's work on 4 of 5 feedback rounds. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ben will learn to accept praise." Measurable: Goal 1 above. The reply is short, taught and easy to hear.

Giving compliments is included on purpose. Noticing effort in others often makes it easier to notice in yourself.

Goals for describing own interests

A student who can talk about what they enjoy has a story about themselves beyond school struggles. Special interests count fully here.

1. At morning meeting, Marco will share a favorite activity in 2 or more sentences on 3 of 5 days. Baseline: passes on 5 of 5. Template.
2. Ava will present an interest profile to a small group, covering what she likes, why and one thing she has made or done, scoring 3 of 4 on a rubric. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
3. When asked "Tell me about yourself," Ben will answer with at least 2 interests and one detail each in 4 of 5 practice or real opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. With a partner, Zoe will share a favorite interest and invite at least one question about it in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Marco will talk about himself more." Measurable: Goal 3 above, applied to Marco. It names the prompt, the content and the count.

Goals for trying again

Persistence shows a student believes effort can work. These goals count second tries.

1. After a wrong answer on a hard task, Marco will make a second attempt within 1 minute in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. When learning a new skill, such as a PE drill or a typing lesson, Ben will keep practicing for 5 minutes after a miss on 4 of 5 practice sessions. Baseline: 1 minute. Template.
3. When a setback happens, such as a low quiz score, Ava will name it and one next step, such as "I'll redo the practice set," on 4 of 5 setbacks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. Each grading period, Zoe will set a personal goal with the counselor and report progress toward it at 3 of 3 check-ins. Baseline: no personal goals. Template.

Weak: "Ben will have a growth mindset." Measurable: Goal 1 above, applied to Ben. Second attempts are easy to count.

Goals for recognizing progress and handling setbacks

Students with low self-esteem tend to remember failures and forget growth. These goals put evidence in front of the student.

1. Given an old and a new work sample, Marco will name 2 specific ways his work has improved in 4 of 5 comparisons. Baseline: "It's the same" on 4 of 5. Template.
2. At the end of each unit, Ava will write a 4-sentence growth reflection for her portfolio, scoring 3 of 4 on the reflection rubric. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
3. Using his own reading log, Ben will name a personal best, such as most pages in a week, on 3 of 4 weekly reviews. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
4. After a low score, Zoe will name one thing to practice and one thing she did well on 4 of 5 returned tests. Baseline: crumples the test on 3 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ava will recognize her progress." Measurable: Goal 2 above. The rubric defines what a good reflection includes.

A related option is having the student graph their own IEP data. The self-advocacy goal examples include that goal.

How to measure self-esteem goals

Self-talk is the hardest to record because it is often muttered. Agree with the student on what counts and whether quiet comments count. Record at a fixed time, such as one independent work period a day, so the counts can be compared. The IEP must describe how progress on each goal will be measured,^[1] and a set observation time makes that description honest.

A rating scale or survey can add the student's own view. Use it next to these behavior counts, not instead of them. CASEL treats an accurate sense of one's strengths and limits as part of self-awareness,^[2] which is a better target than a high score on a feelings survey.

Short-term objectives

For Marco's self-talk goal, reduce prompts first, then raise independence:

1. Replaces a put-down with a helpful statement after an adult models one, 3 times per week.
2. Replaces it after an adult points to his statement card, 3 times per week.
3. Replaces it with no prompt, 3 times per week, while put-downs fall to 4 or fewer per period.

Adapting by grade

The self-concept goals page has all of these templates, with grade-band versions. The social emotional goal area lists every related skill. For coping after mistakes, see teaching coping strategies by age. For students with long-term emotional needs, IEP goals for emotional disturbance has goals for low mood. Check any draft with the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Self-concept and positive self-talk goals
• Social emotional IEP goals
• Measurable annual goal in the IEP glossary
• Annual goal in the IEP glossary
• Frequency data sheet
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• Social-emotional IEP goals: examples you can actually measure
• Self-advocacy IEP goal examples
• Emotional regulation and self-regulation IEP goals
• Teaching self-advocacy skills by age
• Writing student strengths as observable performance

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. CASEL: Social and emotional learning, CASEL

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.