High School Reading IEP goals
148 reading templates list high school (grades 9 to 12) among their grade bands, across 7 skills: vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading fluency, phonics & decoding, phonological awareness, sight word recognition, letter names & sounds. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
148 templates · 7 skills · 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Vocabulary Reading
Explain taught vocabulary words with examples
Explaining taught words
By the annual IEP review date, given 5 target words taught during the current unit, presented orally and in print, the student will explain the meaning of each word in their own words and give an example sentence or situation that fits it independently, earning a score of at least 8 out of 10 on a word-explanation rubric (5 words, each scored 0–1 for meaning and 0–1 for example), on 3 consecutive unit checks, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected at the end of each instructional unit.
Determine word meaning from context clues
Context clues
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 unfamiliar words underlined in instructional-level passages that contain definition, synonym, antonym, or example clues, the student will state or write the meaning of each underlined word and identify the clue words in the text independently with at least 80% accuracy on context-clue items, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.
Reading Comprehension Reading
Identify the main idea of informational text
Main idea and details
By the annual IEP review date, given 5 unpracticed informational paragraphs at the student's instructional level in which the main idea is not directly stated, the student will state or write the main idea of each paragraph in a sentence and name one supporting detail independently with at least 80% accuracy on main idea and supporting detail responses, on 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Make inferences supported by text evidence
Inference with text evidence
By the annual IEP review date, after reading an unpracticed instructional-level passage and given 3 inferential questions, the student will answer each question with an inference and a quoted or paraphrased piece of text evidence that supports it independently, earning a score of at least 9 out of 12 on an inference-and-evidence rubric (3 questions, each scored 0–2 for the inference and 0–2 for the evidence), on 3 of 4 consecutive scored probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Reading Fluency Reading
Read an unpracticed passage aloud (words correct per minute)
Oral reading rate
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.
Read connected text accurately
Oral reading accuracy
By the annual IEP review date, given an unpracticed passage at the student's instructional level, the student will read the passage aloud independently with at least 96% accuracy on words read in the passage, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.
Phonics & Decoding Reading
Decode multisyllabic words using syllable types
Multisyllabic word decoding
By the annual IEP review date, given 15 unfamiliar two- and three-syllable words containing closed, open, silent-e, vowel-team, and r-controlled syllables, the student will read each word aloud independently with at least 85% accuracy on multisyllabic words, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.
Apply a decoding routine to unfamiliar words
Decoding strategy use
By the annual IEP review date, when encountering an unfamiliar word during oral reading of instructional-level text, before asking for help, the student will apply the taught decoding routine (look for known patterns, say the sounds or chunks, blend, and reread the sentence) independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Phonological Awareness Reading
Change one sound at a time in a word chain
Phoneme chaining
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken starting word and a series of 10 oral directions to change, add, or remove one sound to make the next word, the student will say the new word after each change independently with at least 90% accuracy on chain steps, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Break content words into syllables and sounds
Multisyllabic segmentation for spelling
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken three- and four-syllable words from current content-area vocabulary, the student will say each syllable in order and then say each sound in one syllable named by the adult independently with at least 90% accuracy on words segmented into all syllables, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Sight Word Recognition Reading
Read functional and safety words
Functional and community words
By the annual IEP review date, given 15 functional words and phrases (for example, EXIT, STOP, RESTROOM, DANGER, OPEN, CLOSED) shown in photographs of real signs and labels, the student will read each word or phrase aloud and say or show what to do independently with at least 85% accuracy on functional sign words, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Read their own name and personal information words
Personal information words
By the annual IEP review date, given 15 printed personal information words and labels (first name, last name, address, phone, birthday, school, grade, teacher, parent, emergency contact), the student will read each word or label aloud and say what information goes with it independently with at least 90% accuracy on personal information words, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Letter Names & Sounds Reading
Locate letters on a keyboard
Keyboard letter location
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute probe of dictated letter names and a standard keyboard, the student will press the key for each dictated letter independently at a rate of at least 25 letters correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Select a named letter using eye gaze, a switch, or pointing
Adapted-response letter identification
By the annual IEP review date, given 2 letters displayed on an eye-gaze board or device screen and the spoken name of one of them, the student will select the named letter using the agreed access method independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
High school reading goals point toward life after school: independence, self-advocacy, and skills used in courses, jobs, and the community. Conditions name realistic materials and settings, and many goals are written so the student collects part of the data.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 60 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 29 goals here
- Reading fluency trackerWords attempted, errors, words correct per minute, and accuracy for each probe.Used by 8 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 26 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 8 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 2 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 13 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 2 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How do reading goals connect to transition planning in high school?
Annual goals should support the student's measurable postsecondary goals for education, employment, and independent living (34 CFR 300.320(b)). A skill goal can be written in the context of a course, a job site, or a daily living routine.
Can a high school student help write their own goals?
Yes, and the student must be invited to IEP meetings where transition is discussed. Student-chosen goals with self-monitoring tend to be measured more consistently.
How are high school goals measured when the student has many teachers?
With work samples, percent of assignments completed, rubrics, or self-monitoring checklists reviewed weekly by the case manager. The goal should say who records the data and where.
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