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High School Speech & Language IEP goals

222 speech & language templates list high school (grades 9 to 12) among their grade bands, across 11 skills: speech fluency (stuttering), voice, pragmatic language, expressive language, articulation, receptive language, AAC & augmentative communication, listening comprehension & auditory processing, vocabulary & semantics, narrative language & retelling, grammar, syntax & morphology. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.

222 templates · 11 skills · 9–12 · How we write and review goals

Top skills

The 8 most relevant skills, with sample goals. Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.

Speech Fluency (Stuttering) Speech & Language

26 goals
  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Use a chosen fluency-shaping strategy in structured speaking tasks

    Fluency-shaping strategies in structured tasks

    By the annual IEP review date, during 10 structured speaking turns with the SLP (such as saying sentences, answering questions, or reading aloud), the student will use To choose for the student: their chosen fluency-shaping strategy (such as easy onset or light articulatory contact) at the start of the speaking turn independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Use a stuttering-modification strategy during a moment of stuttering

    Stuttering-modification strategies

    By the annual IEP review date, when a moment of stuttering occurs during a structured conversation with the SLP, the student will use a pullout (easing out of the stuttered word) or a cancellation (pausing, then saying the word again with an easier form) during the moment of stuttering independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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See all 35 speech fluency (stuttering) goals

Voice Speech & Language

16 goals
  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Use the target vocal behavior in structured speaking tasks

    Target vocal behavior in structured tasks

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 structured phrases or sentences during a therapy session, the student will produce each phrase or sentence using To choose for the student: the target vocal behavior (such as easy onset or a relaxed voice at the agreed loudness) independently with at least 80% accuracy on phrases and sentences produced with the target vocal behavior, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Use the target voice during classroom speaking

    Target vocal behavior in class

    By the annual IEP review date, during class speaking turns (such as answering a question, reading aloud, or partner talk), the student will use To choose for the student: the target voice (such as easy onset and agreed loudness) during the speaking turn independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive observations, as measured by direct observation collected every two weeks.

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See all 25 voice goals

Pragmatic Language Speech & Language

35 goals
  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Ask for clarification when a message is unclear

    Requesting clarification as a listener

    By the annual IEP review date, when a direction or message is unclear, incomplete, or too fast during a structured barrier activity, the student will ask for clarification by naming what was unclear (such as "Which one?", "Can you say that slower?", "What does ___ mean?") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session and monthly in class.

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  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Frequency

    Build on a peer's comment during group discussion

    Contingent contributions in group discussion

    By the annual IEP review date, during a 15-minute small-group discussion about a classroom text or topic, the student will make a contribution that builds on a peer's comment (such as agreeing and adding a reason, asking a follow-up question, or offering a different idea about the same point) independently at least 3 times per 15-minute small-group discussion, across 3 consecutive observed discussions, as measured by frequency recording collected weekly.

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See all 60 pragmatic language goals

Expressive Language Speech & Language

24 goals
  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Formulate complete sentences with a given word or conjunction

    Formulating complete sentences

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture or topic prompts, each paired with a target word or conjunction (such as because, but, so, when), the student will formulate a complete, grammatical spoken sentence that uses the target word or conjunction to relate two ideas independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentence formulation prompts, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Use a word-finding strategy when a word is hard to retrieve

    Word-finding strategies

    By the annual IEP review date, when unable to retrieve a known word during a structured naming or describing task, the student will use To choose for the student: the taught word-finding strategy (such as describing the word's category, function, or first sound, or using a synonym) to get the message across independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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See all 60 expressive language goals

Articulation Speech & Language

22 goals
  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Produce the target sound correctly in phrases and sentences

    Target sound in phrases and sentences

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 target words containing To choose for the student: the target sound (such as /r/), each used in a phrase or a student-generated sentence, the student will produce the target sound correctly in phrases and sentences independently with at least 80% accuracy on target-sound occurrences, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Produce the target sound correctly while reading aloud or retelling

    Target sound in structured reading and retell

    By the annual IEP review date, while reading aloud a short passage at their independent reading level that contains at least 20 occurrences of To choose for the student: the target sound (such as /r/), the student will produce the target sound correctly while reading aloud or retelling independently with at least 85% accuracy on target-sound occurrences, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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See all 75 articulation goals

Receptive Language Speech & Language

11 goals
  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Identify and define taught curriculum vocabulary

    Curriculum vocabulary

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 taught vocabulary words from the current science or social studies unit, the student will define each taught vocabulary word by stating its category and at least one defining feature independently with at least 80% accuracy on taught curriculum vocabulary words, on 3 of 4 consecutive unit probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected every two weeks.

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  • 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Explain the meaning of figurative language in context

    Figurative language

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 figurative expressions (idioms, similes, and metaphors) presented in a short spoken or written context, the student will explain the intended meaning of each figurative expression using clues from the context independently with at least 80% accuracy on figurative expressions presented in context, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.

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See all 55 receptive language goals

AAC & Augmentative Communication Speech & Language

34 goals
  • PK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Answer yes and no with a symbol, sign, or gesture

    Yes and no

    By the annual IEP review date, given 20 yes/no questions about preferences with the item shown (such as "Do you want the ball?" while holding the ball), the student will answer yes or no using their established response (symbol, sign, head movement, or eye gaze) so that the answer matches what they then accept or reject independently with at least 85% accuracy on yes/no responses matching the student's choice, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Frequency

    Comment on an activity or book using the device

    Commenting

    By the annual IEP review date, during a shared book or video with the device open to a page containing comment words (such as like, don't like, funny, wow, look), the student will independently produce a comment (an observation, feeling, or opinion) on the device without being asked a question at least 5 times per 20-minute activity, across 3 consecutive weekly observations, as measured by frequency recording collected weekly.

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See all 70 AAC & augmentative communication goals

  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Paraphrase what a speaker said in their own words

    Paraphrasing a speaker

    By the annual IEP review date, after listening to a 2- to 4-sentence spoken explanation or message, the student will paraphrase the speaker's main point in their own words, keeping the meaning independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

    Ask for a repeat or clarification when a direction was not heard or understood

    Asking for repetition or clarification

    By the annual IEP review date, when a direction is given that the student did not hear or understand, during classroom activities (at least 5 set up by the teacher with partial information or background noise), the student will ask for the direction to be repeated or clarified (such as "Can you say that again?" or "Which page?") before starting independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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See all 40 listening comprehension & auditory processing goals

All 11 skills

Every skill with goals for this group, by area. The number is how many of its goals are tagged here.

High school speech & language 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:

Frequently asked questions

How do speech & language 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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