Transition goals vs postsecondary goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A postsecondary goal is the outcome the student will reach after leaving high school, such as a job, a training program or a living arrangement. A transition goal is an annual IEP goal the student works on this year that moves them toward that outcome. Ask one question: will this happen after exit? If yes, it is a postsecondary goal.

The two terms get mixed up because many IEP forms use "transition goals" loosely. Some forms put that label on the postsecondary goals page. Others use it for every annual goal written during the transition years. The federal rule keeps them apart: one set of goals describes life after school, and the other describes what the student will learn by the next annual review.^[1]

The transition planning pillar covers the full plan. This page is the narrow version: how to tell the two kinds of goals apart, and how to fix a goal that sits in the wrong box.

The deciding question

Read the goal and ask: "Will this happen after the student leaves high school?"

If yes, it is a measurable postsecondary goal. It is not graded during the IEP year. It either happens after exit or it does not.
If no, and it is a skill the student will practice and you will chart this year, it is an annual goal. When it supports the postsecondary goal, people call it a transition goal.

A second test helps with tricky wording. Ask, "Could I take data on this next Tuesday?" You can probe a student's job application skills next Tuesday. You cannot probe "will work full time at a grocery store" until after graduation.

Side-by-side table

Feature	Postsecondary goal	Transition goal (annual goal)
What it describes	Where the student will be after high school	A skill the student will build this year
Areas	Education or training, employment, and independent living where appropriate	Any area of need that supports the postsecondary goals
Basis in law	34 CFR 300.320(b)(1)	34 CFR 300.320(a)(2), linked to the plan by 300.320(b)
Who decides	The IEP team, built on the student's own preferences and transition assessment results	The IEP team, from present levels and baseline data
When it starts	The first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or younger if the team or state sets it	Same plan; every annual goal in it counts
How it is measured	Did the outcome happen after exit?	Probes and data sheets, reported on the progress schedule
How often it changes	Updated each year as interests and assessments shift	Rewritten each year when met or when data says to
Example	"After graduation, Leah will enroll in a certified nursing assistant program at the county career center."	"Given a 10-item medical vocabulary list, Leah will define 9 of 10 terms on 3 consecutive weekly probes."
Where it is documented	The postsecondary goals section of the transition plan	The annual goals section, with a progress reporting method
What a reviewer checks	Is it measurable, is it after exit, does it rest on assessment?	Does at least one annual goal support each postsecondary goal?

The last row is what state Indicator 13 reviews look for. A plan can have strong postsecondary goals and still fail if no annual goal connects to them.

How the two connect

Each postsecondary goal should have at least one annual goal under it. Think of the postsecondary goal as the destination and the annual goals as this year's part of the route. Transition services fill in the rest: the courses, activities and agency links that carry the student between the two.^[2]

Here is one chain, written for a fictional 16-year-old named Omar.

Layer	Omar's plan
Postsecondary goal (employment)	After high school, Omar will work at least 20 hours a week in a warehouse or stocking job.
Transition assessment behind it	Interest inventory ranked "working with my hands" first; 3 job site visits rated stocking highest
Annual goal	During a 30-minute stocking task at the school store, Omar will shelve items in the correct location with 95% accuracy (out of items shelved) on 4 of 5 weekly probes. Baseline: 72%.
Second annual goal	Given a schedule app, Omar will arrive at his work-based learning site on time for 9 of 10 shifts. Baseline: 6 of 10.
Transition service	Work-based learning at a grocery store, 2 mornings a week, starting in January

Omar's annual goals can be measured this year. His postsecondary goal cannot, and it should not be. For more worded examples of each layer, see measurable postsecondary goal examples and transition IEP goal examples.

Three scenarios

Scenario 1. A draft postsecondary goal reads: "Kayla will improve her self-advocacy skills."

Answer: This is not a postsecondary goal. Self-advocacy is a skill Kayla builds now, so it belongs in an annual goal. Rewrite the outcome: "After graduation, Kayla will attend a 2-year college and use her approved accommodations." Then write the skill: "When she needs an accommodation in class, Kayla will request it in writing or in person in 4 of 5 opportunities, as recorded by her case manager." The self-advocacy goal examples have more wording.

Scenario 2. A plan lists "Marcus will complete 3 job applications by May" under postsecondary goals.

Answer: May is before exit, and you can chart applications this year. This is an annual goal or a transition activity. It may support a postsecondary employment goal, but it is not one. Move it, and write the employment outcome as the postsecondary goal.

Scenario 3. A student with significant support needs has the postsecondary goal "After high school, Ana will live at home with her family and take part in community activities with support."

Answer: This is a real postsecondary goal for independent living. It names a setting after exit. Living at home is a valid outcome, and it does not need a percentage. Her annual goals might cover making choices with a picture menu or riding the bus with a staff member. The transition planning for students with significant disabilities page covers this profile.

Weak and fixed wording

Weak postsecondary goal: "Jordan wants to go to college." Fixed: "After high school, Jordan will enroll in an associate degree program in graphic design." Hopes go in the interview notes; the goal states the outcome with "will."
Weak postsecondary goal: "Will work with 80% accuracy." Fixed: "After graduation, Sofia will work part time in food service." Percentages belong in annual goals.
Weak transition goal: "Will explore careers." Fixed: "After 3 job shadows, Eli will rate each job on a 5-item checklist and name 2 he would try, by March." This gives a product you can check.
Weak transition goal: "Will be ready for employment." Fixed: "During work-based learning, Rosa will start her assigned task within 2 minutes of arrival on 8 of 10 shifts."

Paste annual goals into the goal checker to catch a missing condition or criterion before the meeting.

When the IEP form uses different labels

Follow your state form, but keep the logic. If your form labels the postsecondary goals page "Transition goals," fill it with after-exit outcomes. Then make sure the annual goals page has measurable goals tied to each one. When you train new staff, say both names out loud: "the after-school outcomes" and "this year's goals." Rules on when planning starts and what the form must show vary by state, so check your state guidance.^[3]

The transition goals library groups annual goal templates by area, and the IEP goals for transition age page pulls the ones most used from 14 to 21.

Frequently asked questions

Is a postsecondary goal the same as a transition goal?

No. A postsecondary goal is the outcome after high school, such as a job or training program. A transition goal is a measurable annual IEP goal the student works on this year that supports that outcome. Some IEP forms use the labels loosely, but the two do different jobs.

Do postsecondary goals need a percentage or baseline?

No. A postsecondary goal is measurable because it either happens after exit or it does not. Percentages, baselines and probes belong in the annual goals that support it.

How many annual goals should support each postsecondary goal?

At least one per postsecondary goal. One annual goal can support more than one postsecondary goal, such as a time management goal that helps with both college and work. Reviewers check that each postsecondary goal has a link.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative, NTACT:C

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.