Self-Advocacy IEP goals for high school (grades 9 to 12)
37 of the self-advocacy templates in the library are written for high school (grades 9 to 12). Each opens in the builder, where the grade band is a starting point and the baseline comes from your own assessment.
37 templates · 1 skill · 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Self-Advocacy Social-Emotional & Communication
Request a listed accommodation when a task calls for it
Requesting IEP accommodations in the moment
By the annual IEP review date, when given a classroom task or assessment for which one of their IEP accommodations applies, the student will request the accommodation by naming it to the teacher (spoken, written, signed, or shown on an accommodation card) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly across at least two class periods.
Describe own learning strengths, needs, and helpful supports
Describing own strengths, needs, and supports
By the annual IEP review date, when asked by an adult to describe themselves as a learner during a scheduled self-advocacy interview, the student will describe their learning strengths, needs, and helpful supports independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row self-advocacy statement rubric scored 0–2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive monthly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected monthly.
Lead parts of their own IEP meeting
Participating in own IEP meeting
By the annual IEP review date, during a scheduled rehearsal of their IEP meeting presentation, the student will carry out their IEP meeting participation plan using a visual agenda of their participation steps, performing at least 5 of 7 steps independently, across 2 consecutive rehearsals and the IEP meeting, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected every two weeks during rehearsals.
Request a change to the environment when a barrier is present
Requesting environmental or sensory adjustments
By the annual IEP review date, when an environmental barrier is present during instruction (such as loud noise, glare, crowded seating, an obstructed view of the board), the student will request a specific environmental change (such as move seats, use noise-reducing headphones, dim a light, move closer to the board) independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly during the settings where barriers most often occur.
Explain a needed support to an unfamiliar adult
Explaining supports to an unfamiliar adult
By the annual IEP review date, when working with a substitute teacher, new staff member, or other unfamiliar adult, the student will tell the adult one support they use and how the adult can provide it (such as "I use a calculator for word problems. Could you get me one?") independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive monthly probe sets, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected monthly through planned probes plus any naturally occurring opportunities.
Report when they cannot see, hear, or reach what they need
Reporting an access problem
By the annual IEP review date, when they cannot hear the speaker, cannot see the board or materials, or their equipment is not working during instruction, the student will tell the adult what the problem is and what would fix it (such as "I can't hear you, can you turn on the mic?", "I can't see the board from here") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly through planned probes plus logged natural events.
High school self-advocacy 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:
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 19 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 10 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 8 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How do self-advocacy 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.
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.