Graphic organizers for writing goals: when they are a support and when they are the goal
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A graphic organizer for writing is a support when the teacher provides it so the student can show what they know. It becomes the goal when the student is learning to plan on their own, such as creating their own organizer without a template. Write it into the IEP in one place or the other, and plan how to fade it.
Graphic organizers show up in almost every writing IEP. The trouble is that they show up in three different places, and teams do not always say which one they mean. A graphic organizer can be an accommodation, a teaching tool within specially designed instruction, or the skill the goal measures. Each choice changes what the data means.
This page follows one student through a school year to show the difference. For the full set of writing goals, see the pillar on IEP goals for writing.
Three roles for a graphic organizer
| Role | Who provides it | What it means for data | Where it goes in the IEP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Teacher gives a completed or partly filled organizer | Scores show writing with support; they do not show independent planning | Accommodations section |
| Teaching tool | Teacher models it, student practices with it, support fades | Data tracks how much support is still needed | SDI description and short-term objectives |
| Goal | Student creates and uses their own plan | Data measures planning itself | Annual goal |
The guide on goal vs accommodation explains the general rule. Here is how it plays out in writing.
One student, one school year
This example is fictional.
September 10. Jayden, grade 5, writes 3 unrelated sentences when asked to write an opinion paragraph. On 3 writing probes, his median is 22 total words written in 10 minutes. He includes a topic sentence in 0 of 3 samples and 1 reason in 1 of 3. With a completed organizer from the teacher, he writes a topic sentence and 2 reasons.
That last fact matters. Jayden can write the parts when someone else plans them. What he cannot do yet is plan.
The team's choice. The team writes a goal for planning and a separate goal for paragraph writing. A teacher-made organizer stays as an accommodation for content-area writing in science and social studies, where planning is not what is being graded.
Annual goal 1 (planning). Given an opinion prompt and a blank page, Jayden will create a written plan with a topic, 2 reasons and 1 example per reason, without a template, in 4 of 5 probes by June.
Annual goal 2 (writing). Given an opinion prompt and his own plan, Jayden will write a paragraph with a topic sentence, 2 reasons with examples and a conclusion, scoring 8 of 10 on the class paragraph rubric, in 3 of 4 probes by June.
SDI. Strategy instruction in planning, using the teacher's think-aloud modeling, 30 minutes, 3 days a week. The organizer is used as a teaching tool and faded on a set schedule. See SRSD writing for one method.
Fading plan:
| Dates | Support | Planning probe score (plan parts out of 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 15 to Oct 31 | Full organizer with boxes and sentence starters | 5 of 5 with organizer |
| Nov 1 to Dec 20 | Organizer with box labels only, no starters | 4 of 5 |
| Jan 6 to Feb 28 | Student draws own 4-box plan from memory | 3 of 5 |
| Mar 1 to Apr 30 | Student writes a quick list plan, no boxes | 4 of 5 |
| May | Blank page probe | 5 of 5 in 4 of 5 probes |
The 5 plan parts are the topic, 2 reasons and 1 example for each reason, matching the goal. Scores dip when support is pulled back, then rise. That dip is normal, and it is why the goal line should be read across several weeks, not one probe.
June. Jayden's planning goal is met. His paragraph rubric score is 7 of 10 in 3 of 4 probes, so goal 2 continues into grade 6 with a new target. The accommodation for content-area writing stays, because science and social studies assignments are longer.
How to tell which role you need
Ask one question: Is planning the skill this student needs to learn, or a step that gets in the way of showing something else?
- If the student writes well once a plan exists but cannot make one, planning is the goal. Teach it and fade the organizer.
- If the student plans fine but the organizer saves time on a long science essay, it is an accommodation.
- If the student is still learning paragraph structure, the organizer is a teaching tool that fades as structure becomes automatic.
Rules and options, and where states differ
| Question | General answer | Where it varies |
|---|---|---|
| Is a graphic organizer allowed on state writing tests? | Depends on the state's accommodations manual | States differ. Some allow a blank organizer, some allow none, some treat a filled one as changing what is measured |
| Can a goal be met with an organizer? | Only if the goal says so in its condition | Local practice; the IEP wording decides |
| Does an accommodation need data? | Not a goal measure, but teams track use | District accommodation tracking rules differ |
| Should the organizer appear in the IEP twice? | Yes, if it is both an accommodation in one setting and faded in instruction | Write the setting for each |
| Who decides? | The IEP team, based on present levels | Same everywhere |
The IEP must list the supplementary aids, services and supports the student needs, and the accommodations for state and district tests.[1] For testing, always check your state's current manual. The IRIS Center explains the difference between instructional and testing accommodations.[2]
Why teaching planning is worth the time
The What Works Clearinghouse guide on elementary writing recommends teaching students to use the writing process, including strategies for planning, with teacher modeling.[3] The secondary guide makes a similar recommendation for older students.[4] An organizer the teacher always fills in skips that teaching.
Writing the goal and the data
When planning is the goal, measure it directly. Count plan parts on a simple checklist, or use a rubric. The rubric scoring page and the rubric scoring data sheet both work. Keep the prompt type the same across probes.
For goal wording, the written expression goal page and paragraph organization goals have templates. Related guides: paragraph writing IEP goals, paragraph writing strategies and opinion writing IEP goals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a graphic organizer an accommodation or a modification?
Usually an accommodation, because it changes how the student plans, not what they are expected to learn. If the organizer supplies the content the student is supposed to generate, it can change what is measured.
Can an IEP goal include a graphic organizer?
Yes, as a condition, such as given a 4-box organizer. Then the goal measures writing with that support. If you want the student to plan independently, write a separate planning goal without the organizer.
How do you fade a graphic organizer?
Remove one layer of support at a time on a set schedule, for example sentence starters, then box labels, then the printed boxes, until the student writes a quick plan on a blank page.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Written expression goals (writing)
- Paragraph organization goals
- Graphic organizer in the IEP glossary
- Written expression in the IEP glossary
- Goal line in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- IEP goals for writing: written expression, spelling and mechanics
- Paragraph writing IEP goals: 20 examples by sub-skill
- Teaching paragraph writing with color coding
- Self-regulated strategy development for writing
- IEP goals for opinion and argument writing: 12 examples
- IEP goals for narrative writing: 20 examples from labels to dialogue
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University
- Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
- Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
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.