Middle School Transition & Postsecondary Skills IEP goals
121 transition & postsecondary skills templates list middle school (grades 6 to 8) among their grade bands, across 7 skills: self-determination, career exploration, community access & travel, independent living, transition-related skills, vocational & work readiness, personal finance & money management. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
121 templates · 7 skills · 6–8 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Self-Determination Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Set a personal goal with an action plan
Setting a personal goal and action plan
By the annual IEP review date, during a goal-planning conference with the case manager, using a blank goal plan sheet, the student will write a personal goal with an action plan that lists steps, dates and a way to check progress independently, earning a score of at least 8 out of 10 on a 5-row goal plan rubric (0 to 2 per row), on 3 consecutive goal plans, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected monthly, at each new goal plan.
Graph own progress data each week
Tracking progress on own goal
By the annual IEP review date, during a weekly data check-in, given own goal graph and the week's score or count, the student will record the week's score on own goal graph and say what the trend shows, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, across 3 consecutive weekly check-ins, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly.
Career Exploration Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Explain own interest inventory results
Interest inventory results explained
By the annual IEP review date, after completing a career interest inventory, given the results page and a results summary sheet, the student will complete the results summary with own top interest areas, a job from each and whether the results fit independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 8 on a 4-row interest results rubric (0 to 2 per row), on 2 consecutive inventories or summaries, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected after each inventory, about each semester.
Sort jobs into career clusters
Career clusters
By the annual IEP review date, given job cards with a photo and a short description, and a sorting mat with six career clusters, the student will sort each job card into its career cluster independently with at least 85% accuracy on job cards sorted, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Community Access & Travel Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Check out books at the public library
Public library
By the annual IEP review date, during a class or family visit to the public library, with the student's library card and 1 to 3 chosen items, the student will check out the chosen items and put the receipt with them, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, on 3 consecutive library visits, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each library visit.
Board a city bus and find a seat
Riding a bus route with a travel plan
By the annual IEP review date, when the bus arrives at the stop on a class trip or family ride, with an adult beside the student holding the fare, the student will board the bus, pay or show the fare, and sit or hold a pole before it moves, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, on 3 consecutive bus rides, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each bus ride.
Independent Living Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Make a no-cook meal from a written recipe
Cooking from a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a written recipe with photos for a cold meal (such as a turkey wrap or a pasta salad) in the school kitchen, the student will prepare the cold meal and plate it, performing at least 8 of 9 steps independently, on 3 consecutive cooking sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly during cooking class.
Answer questions about a recipe before cooking
Reading a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed recipe the student has not cooked before and a set of questions about it (servings, cook time, temperature, tools, ingredients), the student will answer questions about the recipe's ingredients, tools, time, and temperature independently with at least 85% accuracy on recipe questions, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Transition-Related Skills Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Complete a job-match reflection after an interest inventory
Connecting interests to jobs
By the annual IEP review date, after completing a career interest inventory and exploring a matched job profile, the student will complete a job-match reflection sheet independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row job-match reflection rubric (0–2 per row), on 3 consecutive job-match reflections, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Name accommodations for a job or training setting
Connecting own accommodations to future settings
By the annual IEP review date, during a transition planning activity that describes a job, training, or volunteer setting, the student will name one current accommodation and explain how it could help with a specific task in that setting independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice monthly during planned practice opportunities.
Vocational & Work Readiness Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Check the schedule and report to the station
Following a work schedule
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of a work period, with a posted weekly schedule listing each student's station, the student will check the schedule and report to the assigned station by the start time independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, for 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected daily at each work period, summarized weekly.
Clock in and out for each shift
Clocking in and out
By the annual IEP review date, at the start and end of each shift, using a paper time sheet and the wall clock, the student will complete the clock-in and clock-out routine for the shift, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive shifts, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each shift.
Personal Finance & Money Management Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Sort expenses into needs and wants
Budgeting from income
By the annual IEP review date, given 12 to 15 expense cards with prices (rent, groceries, phone bill, concert tickets, new shoes) and a needs and wants sorting mat, the student will sort each expense as a need or a want and give a reason for the hard ones independently with at least 85% accuracy on expenses sorted as needs or wants, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Shield the PIN at a card reader
Debit card and PIN safety
By the annual IEP review date, at each card purchase on community trips, at a store card reader or ATM, the student will cover the keypad with the other hand while entering the PIN and keep the card in their own hands independently in 6 of 6 opportunities, across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected at each observed card purchase.
Middle school transition & postsecondary skills goals account for multiple teachers, changing classes, and more independent work. They often pair the skill with a strategy or tool, and the data can be collected across settings by different staff or by the student.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 20 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 39 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 24 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 33 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 2 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 2 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
How are transition & postsecondary skills goals measured across several middle school classes?
By defining the task and the observation period so any teacher can use the same sheet, or by work samples collected from more than one class. Student self-monitoring with a weekly check is common.
Should middle school goals include study skills?
When assessment shows that organization, planning, or test preparation limits the student's progress, yes. Those goals are measured with task-analysis checklists and percent of assignments completed.
When does transition planning start?
The IEP in effect when the student turns 16 must include postsecondary goals and transition services, and many states start at 14. Middle school goals can build the self-advocacy and independence those plans rely on.
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