Vocational and employment IEP goals
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A vocational IEP goal measures how well the student does real job tasks: accuracy, speed, stamina or independence from a job coach. It names the job setting, the task, a criterion tied to a real workplace standard and how it will be measured. Example: at the school mailroom, the student will sort 100 pieces of mail with 98% accuracy in 15 minutes or less on 4 of 5 shifts.
Vocational goals are the annual goals that build the student's ability to do a job. They sit under the employment postsecondary goal and should match the kind of work the student is heading toward.[1] A student aiming for a stocking job needs a stocking goal at the speed a store expects. A goal that measures sorting colored blocks in a classroom does not get them there.
The 12 goals below are grouped into four areas, each with a baseline, a criterion and a measurement method, and a weak goal next to a measurable rewrite. Students and numbers are fictional. For the wider set of high school transition goals, including job applications and interviews, see transition IEP goals examples. For pages that cover nearby skills:
- Workplace behavior such as teamwork, feedback and phone use: soft skills IEP goals.
- Knowing how jobs work, such as calling in sick and reading a schedule: keeping a job IEP goals.
- How to take rate and quality data: how to measure job skills.
How to choose the right vocational goal
| What the work data shows | Area to target | Measurement method |
|---|---|---|
| Makes errors; work fails a quality check | Task accuracy and quality | Percent accuracy of units correct |
| Accurate but slow compared with coworkers | Production rate | Rate per minute or units per time block |
| Strong for 30 minutes, then slows or stops | Work stamina | Minutes worked at standard; units per quarter of the shift |
| Works only with the job coach beside them | Independence | Prompts per shift; minutes coach is out of the area |
| Ready for a specific industry placement | Industry task | Task analysis of the task routine |
Set the target from the workplace, not from a percentage you like. Ask the supervisor what a new employee is expected to do, then set a target that closes part of the gap this year.
Task accuracy and quality goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Given a model kit and supplies, the student will assemble 20 kits with all parts present and in the right order, with 19 of 20 correct, on 4 of 5 work sessions. Template: assemble packets or kits that match a model. | 14 of 20 correct | Accuracy per batch |
| 2. Before reporting a task done, the student will check the finished work against a photo or written standard and fix errors, catching 9 of 10 seeded errors across 2 weeks. Template: check finished work against a model. | Caught 3 of 10 | Seeded error count |
| 3. At a retail placement, the student will face all products in an assigned aisle to the store standard (front, label out, gaps filled), with 95% of shelf sections passing the supervisor's check on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: face shelves in an aisle to store standard. | 70% of sections | Supervisor checklist |
Weak: "The student will improve the quality of their work."
Measurable: "Given a model kit and supplies, the student will assemble 20 kits with all parts present and in the right order, with 19 of 20 correct, on 4 of 5 work sessions."
Production rate and stamina goals
Rate goals need a workplace standard. Time a typical coworker or ask the supervisor. Then set a target the student can reach this year.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 4. At a restaurant placement, the student will roll silverware sets at 3 sets per minute with 100% of sets complete, for 3 timed 10-minute blocks per shift, on 4 of 5 shifts. Standard set by the manager: 4 per minute. Template: roll silverware at a restaurant's pace. | 1.6 sets per minute | Rate per minute |
| 5. Given a stack of 50 source records, the student will enter data into a spreadsheet at 6 records per minute with 98% of fields correct, on 3 of 4 probes. Template: enter spreadsheet data at a steady rate. | 3 records per minute; 92% correct | Rate and accuracy |
| 6. During a 3-hour shift, the student will keep their production rate in the last hour within 10% of their rate in the first hour, on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: keep pace through the end of a shift. | Last-hour rate 40% lower | Rate by hour |
Weak: "The student will work faster."
Measurable: "At a restaurant placement, the student will roll silverware sets at 3 sets per minute with 100% of sets complete, for 3 timed 10-minute blocks per shift, on 4 of 5 shifts."
Rate alone can push a student to cut corners. Pair every rate goal with an accuracy check, as goals 4 and 5 do.
Independence from the job coach
Fading support is the goal most likely to decide whether a student can keep a community job. Measure it directly.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 7. While the job coach moves out of sight for set periods, the student will keep working on the assigned task at standard accuracy for 45 minutes with 0 coach prompts, on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: keep working while the job coach steps away. | 8 minutes before stopping | Duration and prompt count |
| 8. Using a task app on a phone or tablet, the student will move through a 6-task shift without coach prompts, completing 6 of 6 tasks on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: use a task app instead of coach prompts. | 2 of 6 tasks without prompts | Task completion |
| 9. During each shift, the student will record their own output on a self-check sheet every 30 minutes, with counts within 1 unit of the coach's count on 8 of 10 checks. Template: track own output on a self-check sheet. | Did not self-record | Agreement count |
Weak: "The student will need fewer prompts at work."
Measurable: "While the job coach moves out of sight for set periods, the student will keep working on the assigned task at standard accuracy for 45 minutes with 0 coach prompts, on 4 of 5 shifts."
The glossary entries for job coach and supported employment explain these supports to families.
Industry task goals
Pick the industry from the student's postsecondary employment goal and placement. The vocational skills goal page has templates for food service, retail, custodial, office, warehouse and horticulture.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 10. At a three-compartment sink, the student will wash, rinse and sanitize a full rack of dishes following the 9-step posted routine, with 9 of 9 steps correct on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: wash dishes at a three-compartment sink. | 5 of 9 steps | Task analysis |
| 11. Given a pick list of 15 items, the student will pull each item from warehouse shelves and stage the order, with 15 of 15 correct in 20 minutes or less, on 4 of 5 orders. Template: pull items from a pick list. | 11 of 15 correct; 34 minutes | Accuracy and time |
| 12. At a hotel laundry placement, the student will fold towels to the standard at 4 per minute with 95% passing inspection, for a 30-minute block, on 4 of 5 shifts. Template: fold laundry at a hotel or laundry pace. | 2 per minute; 80% passing | Rate and accuracy |
Weak: "The student will learn food service skills."
Measurable: "At a three-compartment sink, the student will wash, rinse and sanitize a full rack of dishes following the 9-step posted routine, with 9 of 9 steps correct on 4 of 5 shifts."
How to measure progress
Record during real work, 2 or 3 times a week. Use the task analysis data sheet for routines like goal 10, with one row per step and a prompt code for each day. For rate goals, time 10-minute blocks and convert to units per minute so different shift lengths compare. The accuracy data sheet handles batch goals like goal 1. Graph weekly and look for a trend after 6 to 8 points.
VR counselors and employers understand units per minute and percent passing inspection. Report progress in those terms, and the data will serve the transition plan as well as the IEP.
Short-term objectives
Break rate goals into steps toward the workplace standard. For goal 4:
- 2 sets per minute with 100% complete sets by the end of quarter 1.
- 2.5 sets per minute by the end of quarter 2.
- 3 sets per minute by the end of quarter 3, held through quarter 4.
Adapting by setting and support level
| Setting | Typical focus | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom work tasks, age 14 to 15 | Accuracy, checking work, asking for the next task | Simulated tasks with real materials; short sessions |
| School-based jobs | Routines, rate on familiar tasks, self-checking | Real customers or staff; set shift lengths |
| Community job sites | Workplace rate, stamina, fading the coach | Measure against the employer's standard |
| 18 to 21 programs | Full shifts, industry tasks, transport to work | Data shared with VR and adult agencies |
Check any goal you adapt in the goal checker. To bring VR into the plan for these goals, see inviting vocational rehabilitation to the IEP.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a vocational goal and a transition goal?
A transition goal is any annual goal that supports the student's postsecondary goals. A vocational goal is one kind of transition goal: it targets job task performance, such as accuracy, rate, stamina or independence at work.
How do I set a production rate target for a vocational goal?
Ask the supervisor what a new employee is expected to produce, or time a typical coworker. Then set a target that closes part of the gap between the student's baseline and that standard within the year, and pair it with an accuracy check.
Can vocational goals be written for classroom tasks?
Yes, especially for younger students, but move them to real jobs as soon as possible. Skills learned on classroom tasks often do not carry over to a workplace without practice there. Measure in the setting where the student will work.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Vocational skills goals (transition)
- IEP goals for the work site
- Rate per minute measurement
- Vocational rehabilitation in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Transition planning in the IEP: what is required and when
- Inviting vocational rehabilitation to the IEP
- Keeping a job: employment foundation IEP goals
- How to measure job skills (production rate and quality)
- Pre-ETS: what pre-employment transition services offer students
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Effective Practices, NTACT:C
- A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
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.