Special educator Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy IEP goals
110 science, social studies & digital literacy templates tagged for the special education teacher, across 3 skills: science skills, social studies skills, digital literacy & online safety. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
110 templates · 3 skills · Pre-K, K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Science Skills Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy
Tell one observation about a natural object
Recording observations
By the annual IEP review date, during a science table or discovery center activity with a natural object such as a leaf, shell or rock, the student will tell or show one color, size, shape or texture they notice on the object independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Guess sink or float, then test it
Making a prediction
By the annual IEP review date, during a sink-or-float activity at the water table with a tray of everyday objects, the student will choose sink or float for an object before dropping it in, then place it in the matching result bin independently in at least 4 of 6 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Social Studies Skills Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy
Sort pictures into needs and wants
Needs and wants
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photo cards of everyday items (such as food, a coat, a game, a bed) and a two-column needs and wants mat, the student will sort each card into needs or wants independently with at least 90% accuracy on needs and wants cards, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Match community helpers to their jobs
Community roles
By the annual IEP review date, given 8 photos of community workers (such as a firefighter, mail carrier, nurse, bus driver) and 8 photos of the work they do, the student will match each worker to the photo of the work they do independently with at least 88% accuracy on community worker matches, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Digital Literacy & Online Safety Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy
Log out and put the device away
Device routines
By the annual IEP review date, at the end of a tablet or laptop work session when the adult gives the clean-up signal, the student will finish the end-of-session device routine before leaving the station, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, across 5 consecutive device sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily, summarized weekly.
Tell an adult about a strange pop-up
Online safety: telling an adult
By the annual IEP review date, during a planned practice on a school device when a staged pop-up, chat request or scary image appears, the student will stop, take hands off the device or turn it face down, and tell or signal an adult about what appeared independently in 5 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Access to science and social studies content, lab and map skills, and safe, effective use of digital tools. The case manager writes most of the goals in an IEP and keeps the data for all of them. The goals below span academics, executive function, behavior, and functional skills, each tied to a data sheet that fits a teaching schedule.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 16 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 53 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 22 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 19 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How many goals should a special education teacher write per student?
IDEA does not set a number. Each area of need identified in the present levels gets a goal; most IEPs have between two and six. More goals mean more data to collect and report, so quality matters more than count.
How do I keep progress monitoring realistic across a caseload?
Choose one measure per goal, keep sheets where instruction happens, and set a schedule in the mastery rule (weekly, biweekly). IEP Atlas Pro tracks sessions and plots each goal against its target.
Can I reuse a goal template for several students?
A template is a starting point. Each student's goal needs its own baseline, criterion, and supports from that student's present levels. The wording can be similar; the numbers and conditions should not be copied.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn these goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.