Condition ("given") examples for IEP goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An IEP goal condition is the "given" phrase that fixes the task: the materials, the setting, the time allowed and the help available. For example: "given an unpracticed grade 3 passage and no adult prompts." A strong condition lets anyone repeat the probe exactly, so a change in the score means a change in the student.

The condition is the part of a goal people write last and check least. It is also the part that decides whether two probes can be compared. "Given reading material" lets the passage get easier or harder every week, and the data swings with it.

Each section below covers one type of condition, with three goals from the library and one weak and fixed pair. Every goal links to its template. The baseline numbers are sample values, not benchmarks. For the full formula the condition sits inside, see the IEP goal formula, and for the whole process see how to write IEP goals.

How to choose what the condition must fix

Ask what could change from one probe to the next and make the score move for the wrong reason. That is what the condition has to pin down.

Student profile	What could drift	The condition should name	Typical measure
Reads slowly, decodes well	Passage difficulty, practice	Unpracticed passage at a set level and length	Words correct per minute
Answers questions inconsistently	Question type, look-backs	Number and type of questions, whether text stays available	Percent accuracy
Skill appears only in some places	Setting, time of day	The exact routine or location	Opportunities
Needs adult help to start or finish	Prompt level	The support allowed, or "independently"	Latency or steps
Uses a device or tool	Tool settings	The tool and what is turned on or off	Accuracy or rate

Conditions that fix the materials

Materials are the most common source of drift in academic goals. Name the type, level and amount of material.

Goal	Baseline	What the condition fixes
Read an unpracticed passage aloud: By the annual IEP review date, given an unpracticed passage at the student's instructional level, the student will read the passage aloud for 1 minute independently at a rate of at least 72 words correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.	45 words correct per minute	New text every probe, same level
Solve one-step word problems: By the annual IEP review date, given 10 one-step addition and subtraction word problems within 100, including compare and start-unknown problems, with text read aloud on request, the student will write an equation and the answer for each problem independently with at least 80% accuracy on one-step word problems, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.	40% of problems	Problem type, number range, reading support
Answer literal questions about a passage: By the annual IEP review date, after reading an unpracticed instructional-level passage and given 10 literal questions about it, with the passage available for look-backs, the student will answer who, what, where, when, and why questions about details stated in the passage independently with at least 80% accuracy on literal comprehension questions, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly passages, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.	50% of questions	Question type and look-backs allowed

Weak: "Given grade-level reading material."

Measurable: "Given an unpracticed grade 3 passage of 200 to 250 words."

The weak version lets a familiar story count the same as a new one. The fix names novelty, level and length, so each week's passage is equally hard.

Conditions that fix the setting and time

Some skills only matter in one place or at one time: crossing a street, joining peers at recess, getting to lunch. Name that place, and the time limit if there is one.

Goal	Baseline	What the condition fixes
Initiate interactions with peers at recess: By the annual IEP review date, during a 20-minute recess period, the student will initiate an interaction with a peer (such as greeting, inviting to play, commenting, showing or offering an item) using speech, sign, AAC, or gesture independently at least 3 times per 20-minute recess period, across 3 consecutive observed recess periods, as measured by frequency recording collected twice weekly.	0 per recess	Setting and observation length
Propel a wheelchair to lunch on time: By the annual IEP review date, during the passing time before lunch, on the route from the classroom to the cafeteria, the student will propel the manual wheelchair the full route, steering around people and objects with no adult pushes or prompts within 5 minutes, on 4 of 5 timed routes, as measured by duration recording collected twice weekly.	9 minutes	Route, crowd level, time of day
Cross at a signalized crosswalk: By the annual IEP review date, at a signalized crosswalk during a community-based instruction walk, the student will cross the street following the crosswalk routine with an adult walking behind, performing all 7 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive crossings, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each community walk (at least weekly).	2 of 7 steps	Real crossing, adult position

Weak: "During unstructured times."

Measurable: "During a 20-minute recess period on the playground."

Unstructured time covers lunch, recess, hallways and the bus. Each has different peers and noise. Pick the one you will actually observe.

Conditions that fix the level of support

Support changes the skill. Starting work with an adult beside the desk is not the same as starting alone. Name the support the student may use, or write "independently" and mean it.

Goal	Baseline	What the condition fixes
Wash hands following a step sequence: By the annual IEP review date, before eating snack or lunch and after using the restroom, the student will wash hands at the sink using a picture sequence posted at the sink, performing at least 8 of 9 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at one planned handwashing time each day.	4 of 9 steps	A permanent visual support, no adult prompts
Start an open-ended task with a first-step plan: By the annual IEP review date, when assigned an open-ended writing task during independent work time, the student will start the task by completing its first step using a self-written first-step plan within 2 minutes, in 4 of 5 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by latency recording collected weekly.	7 minutes	A student-made tool replaces adult cueing
Check work with a self-check checklist: By the annual IEP review date, after finishing an independent written assignment and before turning it in, the student will mark each item on a self-check checklist and correct the errors it identifies independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.	1 of 5 times	The checklist, and when it is used

Weak: "With prompts as needed."

Measurable: "Using a picture sequence posted at the sink, with no adult prompts."

"As needed" means the support can grow all year without anyone noticing. A named support can be faded on purpose, and the data shows when.

Conditions that fix access tools

When a student writes with speech-to-text or types on a laptop, the tool settings belong in the condition. A probe with word prediction on is a different task from one with it off.

Goal	Baseline	What the condition fixes
Type a story continuation on timed probes: By the annual IEP review date, given an unpracticed story starter on a laptop with spell-check and word prediction turned off, 1 minute to think, and 3 minutes to type (total divided by 3 for the per-minute rate), the student will type a continuation of the story independently at a rate of at least 10 correct word sequences per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.	6 per minute	Device and what is switched off
Dictate sentences with speech-to-text: By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture or question prompts and speech-to-text software, the student will dictate one complete sentence per prompt and correct any misrecognized words so that each sentence reads as intended independently with at least 85% accuracy on dictated sentences, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.	30% of sentences	The tool and the number of prompts
Build a two-symbol request: By the annual IEP review date, given a sentence strip, an "I want" symbol, and pictures of 5 or more available items during snack or play, the student will combine the request symbol and the item symbol and give or show the message to the partner independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during snack or play.	1 of 10 times	Symbols available and the routine

Weak: "Using assistive technology."

Measurable: "On a laptop with spell-check and word prediction turned off."

How to measure goals with strong conditions

The IEP has to say how progress toward each goal will be measured.^[1] A fixed condition is what makes that measurement repeatable. Copy the condition onto the top of the data sheet. Whoever gives the probe then sees the passage level, the time limit or the tool settings before starting. For scored items, the accuracy data sheet has a line for the condition. For skills that depend on a situation, such as asking for help or initiating with peers, use the opportunity data sheet and record each chance as it comes up. The opportunities page explains how to count them.

Objectives built from the condition

A common way to write short-term objectives is to keep the behavior and loosen or tighten the condition. Handwashing might start with an adult pointing to each picture, then the posted sequence with one reminder, then the posted sequence alone. The page of IEP goals and objectives examples shows full sets built this way.

Adapting conditions by grade and support level

Level	Condition example	Why it fits
Preschool and K	Given 10 picture cards and a model said once by the adult	Short sets, one model, concrete materials
Grades 1 to 2	Given 3 dictated sentences with taught spelling patterns	Controls which patterns are tested
Grades 3 to 5	Given an unpracticed passage at grade level and 10 written questions	Fixed set size gives a clean denominator
Grades 6 to 8	Given a 2-page informational article and a graphic organizer	Names the scaffold so it can be faded
Grades 9 to 12	During a 50-minute class period with assignments posted online	Real setting, real demand
Significant support needs	During snack, with a 4-symbol choice board at arm's length	Routine and display size both matter

Read your draft condition aloud and ask whether a substitute could set up the same probe tomorrow. Then run the goal through the goal checker before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

What is a condition in an IEP goal?

The condition is the circumstance under which the student performs the skill: the materials, setting, time allowed and support available. It usually starts with "given," "during" or "when." It keeps each probe comparable to the last one.

Should accommodations go in the goal condition?

Only when the goal measures the skill with that support in place, such as typing with spell-check off. General accommodations, like extended time on tests, belong in the accommodations section. Putting every accommodation in the condition makes the goal hard to read and hard to probe.

Can a goal condition change during the year?

The annual goal's condition should stay the same so the baseline and the final probe match. Objectives or benchmarks can step the condition toward it, for example from a model plus one reminder to no model at all.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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.