Standards-based IEP goals: pros, cons and examples
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A standards-based IEP goal targets a skill the student needs to make progress on the grade-level standard, starting from the student's present level. The goal names the standard it supports but measures a specific, reachable skill. It is not the standard copied into the IEP. Students on alternate achievement standards use goals tied to those extended standards instead.
Standards-based IEP goals start from the student's grade-level content standard and ask what skill stands between the student and that standard. The goal then measures that skill. Done well, it keeps the student connected to what classmates are learning. Done badly, it pastes a standard the student cannot reach into the goal box and calls it a goal.
This page follows one fictional student through the process and gives examples in reading, writing and math. For the general method, start with the pillar guide on how to write IEP goals.
Where the idea comes from
Federal law asks two things that point toward standards. Present levels must describe how the disability affects the student's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. Annual goals must be designed to help the student be involved in and make progress in that curriculum.[1]
In 2015 the Office of Special Education Programs wrote that IEP goals should be aligned with the state's academic content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled.[2] The same letter says this does not mean the student must perform at grade level now. The goal can start from where the student is, as long as it is aimed at access to the grade-level content. For a small group of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, goals align with alternate academic achievement standards.[2]
The term standards-based IEP describes this whole approach: present levels, goals and services all linked to the grade-level standards.
Rules and options at a glance
| Question | What federal guidance says | Where states differ |
|---|---|---|
| Must goals align with standards? | Goals should be aligned with grade-level content standards[2] | Some state IEP forms have a required field for the standard; others do not |
| Must the student perform at grade level? | No; the goal starts from present levels[2] | No state requires grade-level performance as the goal |
| What about functional goals? | Goals cover academic and functional needs[1] | Functional goals usually have no standard field, or cite a state's social-emotional or employability standards |
| Students on alternate assessments? | Goals align with alternate achievement standards and need objectives or benchmarks[1] | States publish their own extended or essential standards |
| How ambitious? | Appropriately ambitious in light of the student's circumstances[3] | Applied through state guidance and case law |
Harper's goals, start to finish
Harper is a fictional seventh grader with a specific learning disability in reading. All numbers are illustrations.
The standard
The grade 7 reading standard her English class is working on asks students to cite several pieces of text evidence to support an analysis of what a text says and what it implies.
Present levels (September 2026)
On three probes with grade 7 informational passages read aloud to her, Harper answered inference questions with a cited sentence on 2, 3 and 2 of 8 questions. When she read grade 7 text on her own, she read a median of 94 words correct per minute with 89% accuracy, and she could not answer most questions because she lost track of the content. On grade 5 text read on her own, she cited evidence for 4 of 8 questions.
The trap: the copied standard
The first draft read: "Harper will cite several pieces of text evidence to support her analysis of the text and the inferences she draws from it." That is the standard, not a goal. It has no condition, no baseline and no criterion. It also describes the end of grade 7 for a student who is not there yet. The goal checker flags it right away: no numeric criterion, no measurement method, no timeframe.
The rewrite
The team split the gap into two parts. Harper can make inferences when she hears the text, so the first goal targets citing evidence with access in place. Her decoding of grade 7 text is the second barrier, so a separate reading goal targets that.
- Goal 1 (standards-based, access in place): "By September 2027, given a grade 7 informational passage read aloud or with text-to-speech, Harper will answer inference questions and cite a supporting sentence for 6 of 8 questions on 3 of 4 biweekly probes, as measured by a scored question set." Template: make inferences supported by text evidence.
- Goal 2 (skill that opens access): "By September 2027, given unpracticed grade 7 passages, Harper will read 125 words correct per minute with 96% accuracy on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes." Template: read connected text accurately.
Goal 1 keeps her inside the grade 7 standard now. Goal 2 builds the decoding that will let her do it without the read-aloud later. The read-aloud and text-to-speech go on the accommodations page.
January check
By January 15, Harper's median on goal 1 was 4 of 8, on pace for the target. Her fluency median was 104 words correct per minute. The team kept both goals and added one more weekly session of decoding instruction.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Keeps goals linked to the class content the student is in | Teams copy the standard into the goal box with no baseline |
| Gives general education teachers a clear connection to their lessons | One standard can bundle several skills, and the goal tries to cover all of them |
| Makes it harder to set a goal far below what the student could reach | Students far below grade level can end up with goals they cannot meet in a year |
| Helps track progress toward the grade-level test the student will take | Functional and behavior needs get squeezed out when every goal needs a standard |
| Fits state forms that require a standard field | The standard changes every year, so goals get rewritten even when the skill is still the need |
The fix for most cons is the same: name the standard, then measure one skill with a baseline and a criterion.
More standards-based goal examples
The numbers are illustrations.
| Grade-level standard (summarized) | Present level | Standards-based goal | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4: determine the main idea and explain how details support it | 2 of 6 rubric points on grade 4 text | Given a grade 4 informational passage, state the main idea and two supporting details, scoring 5 of 6 rubric points on 4 of 5 probes | Main idea |
| Grade 5: write opinion pieces with reasons supported by facts | 5 of 16 rubric points | Given a prompt and a planning sheet, write an opinion piece with 3 reasons and a conclusion, scoring 12 of 16 rubric points on 3 of 4 samples | Opinion writing |
| Grade 6: solve one-variable equations | 3 of 10 one-step equations correct | Given 10 one-step equations with whole numbers and decimals, solve 8 of 10 correctly on 3 consecutive weekly probes | One-step equations |
| Grade 4: compare fractions with different denominators | 9 of 20 correct | Given 20 fraction pairs, compare with <, > or = with 18 of 20 correct on 3 of 4 probes | Compare fractions |
| Grade 8: write arguments with claims and evidence | Writes a claim with no evidence | Given a source text, write a constructed response that states a claim, cites 2 pieces of evidence and explains one, on 4 of 5 responses | Constructed response |
For more goal wording by area, browse the goal library or the SMART goal examples.
When not to use a standard
Some needs have no grade-level academic standard: starting work, asking for help, regulating emotions, dressing or using transportation. These are functional goals. They are just as required when the student needs them, because the IEP covers academic and functional needs.[1] Do not force a standard onto them. A functional goal measured well is better than a forced link to a reading standard.
For students who take alternate assessments, use the state's alternate achievement standards. Each state publishes its own version, often called extended or essential standards.
Frequently asked questions
Does a standards-based IEP goal have to be at grade level?
No. Federal guidance says goals should be aligned with grade-level standards, but the goal starts from the student's present level. It can target a skill the student needs to make progress toward the standard, not mastery of the standard itself.
Can I just copy the standard into the goal?
That is the most common mistake. A standard has no condition, baseline or criterion, and it often bundles several skills. Name the standard, then write a goal that measures one skill with a number.
Do behavior goals need a standard?
Usually not. Behavior, executive function and daily living goals are functional goals. Some states have social-emotional or employability standards you can cite, but a well-measured functional goal does not need one.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Standards-based IEP in the IEP glossary
- Annual goal in the IEP glossary
- Measurable annual goal in the IEP glossary
- Alternate achievement standards in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- How to write IEP goals: a step-by-step method with examples
- SMART IEP goals examples (and when SMART is not enough)
- "Appropriately ambitious" IEP goals: what Endrew F. requires
- Present levels (PLAAFP) examples that lead to measurable goals
- IEP goal examples: measurable goals for every area
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- OSEP Dear Colleague Letter on Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) (November 16, 2015), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
- Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1, 580 U.S. 386 (2017), Supreme Court of the United States
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.