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Measurement, Time & Money IEP goals

Measurement, time and money goals cover the math students use every day: reading a clock, finding how long until the bus, counting out money for a purchase, and measuring with a ruler or a measuring cup. Good goals name the tool, the precision (to the half hour, to the quarter inch, less than $5.00) and whether the task happens on paper or with real objects. Most of these skills are scored per item or per opportunity, and many are best measured in the real setting rather than on a worksheet.

75 templates · How we write and review goals

Sample measurement, time & money goals

Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline (how templates are made).

  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Tell time to the hour and half hour on an analog clock

    Telling time to the hour and half hour

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 analog clock faces showing times to the hour and half hour, the student will say or write the time shown on each clock independently with at least 90% accuracy on clock readings, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

    Tell time to the nearest five minutes and minute

    Telling time to five minutes and one minute

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 analog clock faces showing times to the nearest five minutes, the student will write the time shown on each clock in digital form independently with at least 90% accuracy on clock readings, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.

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

    Read a digital clock and match it to an analog clock

    Digital clocks and matching times

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 digital times shown on a clock or a phone screen, the student will read each digital time aloud as hours and minutes independently with at least 95% accuracy on digital times, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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  • 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Find elapsed time and end times

    Elapsed time

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 elapsed-time problems with start and end times on the same clock side of noon, in whole hours and half hours, the student will write the elapsed time or the end time for each problem independently with at least 80% accuracy on elapsed-time problems, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.

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  • PK, K-2Opportunities

    Name the day, month and date during the calendar routine

    Calendar: days, months and today

    By the annual IEP review date, during the daily calendar routine, when asked what day it is, what day was yesterday, and what day tomorrow will be, the student will say or select the day of the week, yesterday and tomorrow independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during the calendar routine.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

    Find dates and count days on a calendar

    Reading a calendar

    By the annual IEP review date, given a monthly calendar and 10 questions such as "what day of the week is the 14th?" or "how many days until the field trip?", the student will answer each question by locating the date on the calendar independently with at least 90% accuracy on calendar questions, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

    Compare and convert units of time

    Units of time and durations

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 pairs of time periods such as a minute and an hour, or a week and a month, and the question "which is longer?", the student will state which time period is longer independently with at least 90% accuracy on time unit items, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.

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  • 6-8, 9-12Percent accuracy

    Use a schedule to find start times and time remaining

    Using a schedule

    By the annual IEP review date, given a printed or on-screen schedule (class, bus, work or program listing) and 10 questions about when events start, end and how long they last, the student will locate the event on the schedule and state its start time, end time or length independently with at least 90% accuracy on schedule questions, on 3 of 4 consecutive probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.

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  • 6-8, 9-12Task-analysis steps

    Set a timer or microwave for a stated time

    Setting timers and clocks

    By the annual IEP review date, given a kitchen timer, microwave or phone timer and a stated time such as 3 minutes 30 seconds, the student will enter the stated time on the device and start it, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Name coins and bills and state their values

    Identifying coins and bills

    By the annual IEP review date, given a mixed set of real pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters presented one at a time, the student will name each coin and state its value in cents independently with at least 95% accuracy on coins and bills, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Count a set of like coins

    Counting like coins

    By the annual IEP review date, given sets of up to 10 of one coin type (pennies, nickels, dimes or quarters), the student will count the coins by the correct value and state the total in cents independently with at least 90% accuracy on coin sets, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

    Count mixed coins and bills to find the total

    Counting mixed coins and bills

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 mixed sets of coins totaling less than $1.00, the student will sort the coins from greatest to least value, count on through the set, and state the total independently with at least 85% accuracy on mixed money sets, across 3 consecutive data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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63 more measurement, time & money templates

Each opens in the builder with its sample goal, notes, objectives, and data sheet.

What measurement, time & money involves

  • Telling time on analog and digital clocks and finding elapsed time
  • Using calendars and schedules to find dates, days and time remaining
  • Identifying, counting, comparing and writing money amounts
  • Paying for purchases with exact amounts or the next-dollar strategy, and making change
  • Comparing and measuring length, weight, capacity and temperature with the right tool
  • Converting units of time and measurement within a system

Baseline and measurement considerations

  • Use real coins, bills, clocks and rulers for baseline; pictures remove size and handling cues and overstate or understate the skill.
  • Two-choice items (which is more, which is longer) have a 50% chance level, so use enough items and look at the error pattern, not just the percent.
  • Routines such as setting a timer or measuring a recipe fit a task-analysis checklist; counting coins and telling time fit percent accuracy on a fixed item set.
  • Decide the precision and tolerance (nearest five minutes, nearest quarter inch) before baseline and keep it fixed all year.
  • Check generalization in the setting where the skill matters: the school store, the cafeteria line, the kitchen, the bus stop.

Progress-monitoring methods used in these templates

  • Work-sample analysis: Scoring completed student work (permanent products) against a defined answer key or checklist.
  • Opportunity (trial) recording: Each planned or naturally occurring opportunity is recorded as correct/independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.
  • Task-analysis checklist: A routine is broken into ordered steps; each step is recorded as independent, supported, or not completed.
  • Direct observation: An adult observes and records the defined behavior during a specified activity.

How each measure works

Matching data sheets

Each template links to a blank sheet built for its measure. You can also download these sheets on their own:

  • Accuracy tracker: Number correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.
  • Opportunity tracker: Records each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.
  • Task-analysis checklist: Marks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.

Common mistakes when writing measurement, time & money goals

  • Writing "will tell time" without saying to what precision or on which kind of clock.
  • Teaching analog clock reading to a student whose daily life uses only digital displays, when a schedule-reading goal would serve better.
  • Mixing counting money, comparing money and making change in one goal, so the data cannot show which part changed.
  • Measuring with plastic coins or worksheet pictures only, then finding the skill does not transfer to a real register.
  • Leaving the counting convention unstated for elapsed time and calendar questions, so different adults score the same answer differently.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write an IEP goal for telling time?

Name the clock type (analog or digital), the precision (hour, half hour, five minutes, minute) and the item set (10 clock faces, or real transition times). Score percent accuracy on the item set and keep the precision fixed; move to the next precision in a new objective rather than changing the goal mid-year.

What is a good money goal for a student who cannot count change?

The next-dollar strategy (hand over one dollar more than the whole-dollar price) lets a student shop independently without computing change. Write it as opportunities (for example, 8 of 10 purchases) and practice at a real register. Pair it with a goal for waiting for and keeping the change.

Should money and time goals be in math or in functional skills?

The math of money, time and measurement (counting, comparing, converting, computing) belongs here. Using those skills in the community, such as completing a purchase or arriving at work on time, belongs in functional skills. Many students have one of each, and the two should reference each other.

How often should I collect data on measurement goals?

Weekly or twice-weekly short probes work for clock reading and coin counting because each probe takes a few minutes. Task-analysis routines such as measuring a recipe are scored each time the activity happens, often weekly in a cooking block. Elapsed time and conversions are usually probed every two weeks with a 10-item set.

My student reads a ruler on worksheets but not in shop class. What should the goal say?

Put the real tool and setting in the condition ("given a tape measure and a board in the shop") and collect data there. Worksheet rulers are a reasonable first objective, but the annual goal should name the setting where the skill is needed.

References

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