Transition IEP goals examples for high school students
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A transition IEP goal is an annual goal that moves the student toward a postsecondary goal. It names the condition, the observable skill, a criterion with a denominator and how it will be measured. Example: given a job application, the student will complete all 12 required fields accurately on 3 of 4 applications, up from 6 fields.
Transition goals are the annual goals in a transition plan. Each one should trace back to a postsecondary goal and forward to a skill you can measure this year. If a goal could sit in any IEP, unconnected to what the student wants after high school, it is not doing transition work.
The 24 examples below are grouped by sub-skill, with a baseline and a measurement method for each. Every section ends with a weak goal and its measurable rewrite. Names, baselines and criteria are illustrations, not benchmarks. For the requirements behind these goals, including when transition planning must start, see transition planning in the IEP.
How to choose the right transition goal
Start from the postsecondary goals and the transition assessment, not from a goal bank. Federal law asks for annual goals that are measurable and for postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessment.[1] The table links the two.
| Student profile from assessment | Postsecondary goal area | Sub-skill to target | Measurement method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans college but does not use accommodations on own | Education | Self-advocacy | Opportunities: requests made of chances given |
| Unsure what jobs exist; interview shows no clear interest | Employment | Career exploration | Rubric or product count |
| Wants work; needs prompts to finish job tasks | Employment | Vocational skills | Task analysis, percent of steps |
| Applying for jobs within a year | Employment | Job seeking | Accuracy on applications, rubric on mock interviews |
| Enrolled in dual credit; misses due dates | Education | Postsecondary study skills | Percent of assignments on time |
| Will live semi-independently; family handles money | Independent living | Personal finance, independent living | Accuracy per task, task analysis |
| Relies on family for every trip | Independent living | Community access | Task analysis of a route |
When the student will need both academic and daily living support, pick the goal from the area where the gap blocks the postsecondary goal most. Two well-chosen transition goals beat six thin ones.
Self-determination and self-advocacy goals
Self-advocacy goals carry over to every adult setting. Measure them in real situations, such as a new class or a job site, not only in role play. The self-determination goals page has full template wording, and the self-advocacy page has more.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1. During the first two weeks of each new course, the student will tell the teacher which accommodations they use and why, in 3 of 3 new courses. | 0 of 2 courses last year | Teacher checklist |
| 2. At the annual IEP meeting, the student will present their strengths, needs and postsecondary goals using a prepared slide or note card, covering 5 of 5 required topics. | Spoke for under 1 minute; 1 topic | Topic checklist |
| 3. When work is unclear, the student will ask a specific question within 3 minutes of starting, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities. | 1 of 5 opportunities | Opportunity data |
| 4. Given a list of 6 adult services, the student will name which agency provides each and how to contact it, with 5 of 6 correct on 2 probes. | 1 of 6 correct | Accuracy probe |
Weak: "The student will improve self-advocacy skills."
Measurable: "During the first two weeks of each new course, the student will tell the teacher which accommodations they use and why, in 3 of 3 new courses."
A student-led IEP is the natural place to measure goal 2.
Career exploration goals
Use career exploration goals for students in grades 9 and 10, or for any student whose assessment shows no clear interest yet. Measure the product: a completed profile, a comparison, a reflection. See career exploration goals.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Using an online career database, the student will complete a profile of 3 careers that includes training, typical pay and daily tasks, scoring 10 of 12 on a rubric for each. | Named 1 career; no details | Rubric |
| 6. After each of 3 job shadows, the student will write or dictate a reflection naming 2 tasks they liked and 1 they disliked, in 3 of 3 reflections. | No job shadows yet | Product count |
| 7. Given 2 careers of interest, the student will compare entry requirements in a T-chart with 4 of 4 required rows correct. | Did not know requirements | Accuracy on chart |
| 8. Each quarter, the student will update their career plan with one new interest or a change, with a teacher conference, in 4 of 4 quarters. | No written plan | Quarterly check |
Weak: "The student will explore careers."
Measurable: "Using an online career database, the student will complete a profile of 3 careers that includes training, typical pay and daily tasks, scoring 10 of 12 on a rubric for each."
Vocational and work skills goals
These goals fit students in work-based learning or a school job. A task analysis is often the most honest measure because job tasks have steps. The task analysis data sheet lets you score each step every session and graph the percent completed. See vocational skills goals and employment foundations.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 9. At the school coffee cart, the student will complete a 10-step order routine with 9 of 10 steps independent, on 4 of 5 consecutive shifts. | 5 of 10 steps independent | Task analysis |
| 10. At a work site, the student will stay on assigned tasks for 25 of 30 minutes without a redirection, across 3 consecutive observations. | 12 of 30 minutes | Interval recording |
| 11. Given a visual checklist, the student will clock in, check the task board and start work within 5 minutes of arrival on 9 of 10 work days. | 4 of 10 days | Opportunity data |
| 12. When a supervisor gives feedback, the student will respond calmly and correct the task within 2 minutes in 4 of 5 opportunities. | 2 of 5 opportunities | Opportunity data |
Weak: "The student will improve work behaviors."
Measurable: "At a work site, the student will stay on assigned tasks for 25 of 30 minutes without a redirection, across 3 consecutive observations."
The trade-off with goal 10: interval recording is quick, but it can overstate time on task if intervals are long. Use 1-minute intervals for a 30-minute shift.
Job seeking goals
Job seeking goals belong in the last two years of school, or earlier for students already applying for jobs. The product is easy to score: an application, a resume, a mock interview. See job seeking goals.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 13. Given a paper or online job application, the student will complete all 12 required fields accurately on 3 of 4 applications. | 6 of 12 fields | Accuracy per application |
| 14. In a mock interview with an unfamiliar adult, the student will answer 5 common questions with relevant answers, scoring 12 of 15 on an interview rubric across 2 interviews. | 6 of 15 | Rubric |
| 15. Using a template, the student will write a one-page resume with contact details, education, 2 experiences and 2 references, with 0 to 2 errors. | No resume | Product with error count |
| 16. Given 5 job postings, the student will identify the 3 that fit their skills and schedule and explain why, with 4 of 5 judgments matching the job coach's. | 2 of 5 match | Agreement count |
Weak: "The student will learn how to get a job."
Measurable: "Given a paper or online job application, the student will complete all 12 required fields accurately on 3 of 4 applications."
Score interview goals with a rubric so two staff members get the same number.
Postsecondary education readiness goals
For students headed to college or a training program, target the skills instructors will not teach: planning, using a syllabus, getting accommodations. See postsecondary education goals.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 17. Using a digital planner, the student will turn in 90% of assignments on or before the due date across a 9-week grading period. | 62% on time | Percent of assignments |
| 18. Given a course syllabus, the student will enter every test and due date in a planner with 100% accuracy within 1 week of the course start. | 4 of 11 dates entered | Accuracy check |
| 19. During a 20-minute lecture, the student will take notes that capture 4 of 5 main ideas, on 3 consecutive weekly checks. | 1 of 5 main ideas | Notes scored against a key |
| 20. With a checklist, the student will complete the steps to request accommodations from a college disability office, 7 of 7 steps, in a practice application. | Did not know the office existed | Task analysis |
Weak: "The student will be ready for college."
Measurable: "Using a digital planner, the student will turn in 90% of assignments on or before the due date across a 9-week grading period."
Independent living and community access goals
Write these when the team includes an independent living postsecondary goal. Daily routines and travel are best measured as steps of a task, in the real setting. See independent living, personal finance and community access.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 21. Given a weekly budget of $40, the student will plan purchases and record spending with totals within $1 of actual on 4 of 4 weeks. | Totals off by $8 to $15 | Accuracy per week |
| 22. Using a city bus, the student will travel from school to the job site with 14 of 15 route steps independent on 3 consecutive trips. | 6 of 15 steps | Task analysis |
| 23. Given a recipe with picture supports, the student will prepare a simple meal with 11 of 12 steps independent on 3 of 4 attempts. | 5 of 12 steps | Task analysis |
| 24. Using a phone calendar with alerts, the student will arrive at 4 of 4 weekly appointments on time across 6 weeks. | 1 of 4 on time | Opportunity data |
Weak: "The student will become more independent in the community."
Measurable: "Using a city bus, the student will travel from school to the job site with 14 of 15 route steps independent on 3 consecutive trips."
How to measure transition goals
Collect data in the setting where the skill will be used, as often as the goal needs. Probes every 2 weeks are enough for most academic or product goals. Work and community goals usually need data on every shift or trip, because each one is a natural trial.
| Goal type | Method | Data sheet | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-step routines (jobs, travel, cooking) | Task analysis | Task analysis sheet | Every session |
| Requests, responses to feedback | Opportunities | Opportunity data sheet | Every natural chance, summarized weekly |
| Applications, budgets, syllabus dates | Percent accuracy | Accuracy data sheet | Every 2 weeks |
| Interviews, career profiles | Rubric scoring | Rubric data sheet | Each product |
| Assignments turned in | Work completion | Gradebook export | Weekly |
When a job coach or community staff collect data, train them on the definition first and check agreement once a month. Repeated short measures, graphed over time, are what let the team decide whether the plan is working.[2]
Writing short-term objectives for transition goals
Benchmarks or short-term objectives are required for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, and many teams use them for everyone.[1] For transition goals, break the goal by independence or by setting. For goal 22:
- By the end of the first grading period, the student will complete 9 of 15 route steps independently with the job coach riding along.
- By the end of the second grading period, the student will complete 12 of 15 steps with the job coach seated apart.
- By the end of the third grading period, the student will complete 14 of 15 steps with the job coach following in a car.
See short-term objectives for the full method.
Adapting transition goals by grade and support level
The same skill changes shape across the high school years and across support levels. Keep one goal per skill and change the condition and criterion, not the whole goal.
| Grade or level | Self-advocacy | Employment | Independent living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | Names 2 accommodations and why | Completes 3 career profiles | Plans one weekly purchase with a budget |
| Grade 11 | Requests accommodations in 3 of 3 new courses | Completes job applications with 12 of 12 fields | Rides the bus to school with 14 of 15 steps |
| Age 18 to 21 program | Explains needs to a work supervisor | Works a 2-hour shift with 1 check-in | Manages a monthly budget within $5 |
| Significant support needs | Uses an AAC page to tell staff a preference in 4 of 5 chances | Completes a 6-step job task with 1 gesture prompt | Packs a bag for work using a picture list, 8 of 8 items |
For goals at the significant support level, see goals for students with severe and profound disabilities. Paste any draft into the goal checker to flag a missing condition or criterion. If the goal is aimed at a measurable outcome after school rather than this year, it belongs with the postsecondary goal examples instead.
Frequently asked questions
How many transition goals should an IEP have?
There is no set number. Each postsecondary goal should have at least one annual goal that moves the student toward it. Most plans work well with two to four transition-related annual goals, chosen from the areas where the gap most blocks the postsecondary goal.
What is the difference between a transition goal and a postsecondary goal?
A postsecondary goal is an outcome after high school, such as enrolling in a training program or working full time. A transition goal is an annual IEP goal, measured this year, that builds a skill toward that outcome.
Can transition goals be written for middle school students?
Yes. Federal law requires transition planning by the IEP in effect at 16, but the team can start earlier, and many states start at 14. Career exploration and self-advocacy goals fit middle school well.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Transition IEP goals
- IEP goals for transition age
- High school IEP goals
- Transition services in the IEP glossary
- Task analysis data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Transition planning in the IEP: what is required and when
- Measurable postsecondary goal examples
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- IEP goals for students with severe and profound disabilities
- Transition IEP goals for elementary students
- Transition goals vs postsecondary goals
- Transition plan IEP example, annotated part by part
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention
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.