Self-Concept & Positive Self-Talk IEP goals for high school (grades 9 to 12)
8 of the self-concept & positive self-talk 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.
8 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-Concept & Positive Self-Talk Social-Emotional & Communication
Write a strengths statement backed by evidence
Naming own strengths
By the annual IEP review date, when writing a strengths statement for a job, club, or program application, the student will write a short strengths statement that names three personal strengths and supports each with a specific example from school, work, or home independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 12-point strengths statement rubric, on 2 of 3 consecutive statements, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected once per grading period.
Fewer self-put-downs during independent work
Positive self-talk after a mistake
By the annual IEP review date, during independent work periods in core classes, the student will reduce saying or write a global put-down about themselves (such as "I'm stupid" or "I'm useless") to no more than 1 time per 40-minute independent work period, on 4 of 5 observed periods, as measured by frequency recording collected three times weekly.
Accept a compliment on their work
Accepting compliments
By the annual IEP review date, when a teacher or peer compliments their work during class or a critique, the student will independently acknowledge the compliment with a short response (such as "thanks" or a comment about how they did it) without contradicting it in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly observations, as measured by direct observation collected weekly, across class and counseling.
Name a classmate's strength in peer feedback
Giving compliments
By the annual IEP review date, during a peer review of a classmate's draft or project, the student will name one specific strength in a classmate's work and point to where it shows before giving a suggestion independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 3 consecutive peer review cycles, as measured by direct observation collected at each scheduled peer review or critique.
Answer tell me about yourself with interests
Describing own interests
By the annual IEP review date, when meeting a new teacher, coach, or club sponsor who asks about them, the student will describe two of their interests and one strength in a short answer of two to four sentences independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive months, as measured by direct observation collected monthly, across 4 planned or natural asks.
Write a growth reflection for their portfolio
Recognizing personal progress
By the annual IEP review date, at the end of a unit or grading period, given their portfolio and their own progress graph, the student will write a reflection that names a skill they grew in, points to evidence from their work or graph, and names a next step independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 9 on a 9-point growth reflection rubric, on 2 of 3 consecutive reflections, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected at the end of each unit or grading period.
High school self-concept & positive self-talk 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:
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 3 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 1 goal here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 4 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How do self-concept & positive self-talk 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 postsecondary goals and transition services are discussed (34 CFR 300.321(b)(1)). Helping write goals builds the self-determination skills transition planning relies on.
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.