Transition & Postsecondary Skills IEP goals
Self-determination, career exploration, employment, postsecondary education, independent living, and community access for students 14 to 21. Choose a skill to see sample goals, customize one in the builder, and download a matching data sheet.
Transition-Related Skills
45 templatesTransition-related skills prepare students for life after school: knowing their interests, explaining what helps them, completing forms, and showing reliable work behaviors. Under federal rules, the IEP in effect when a student turns 16 must include measurable postsecondary goals and transition services (34 CFR §300.320(b)), and many states start earlier, often at 14. Middle school goals can build the foundation for that planning.
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.
Vocational & Work Readiness
70 templatesVocational skills are the behaviors a student needs at a school-based job or community work site: reporting on schedule, doing the task to the standard, keeping working, asking for the next task, taking feedback, and following safety rules. Good goals are written for a real job the student has, with the supervisor collecting the data. Measure job routines with task analysis, repeated workplace events with opportunities, persistence with duration, and work output with accuracy or rate.
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.
Self-Determination
50 templatesSelf-determination is a student's skill in steering their own life: naming strengths and interests, setting a personal goal and plan, tracking progress, weighing options to make a decision, and stating what they want for adult life. Good goals name the decision or plan the student makes and the tool used, such as a goal sheet or a choice board, and they fit every support level, including students who make choices with pictures or a device. Measure goal plans and self-evaluations with a rubric, choices and decisions with opportunities, and multi-step routines like a problem solving framework with a task analysis.
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.
Career Exploration
30 templatesCareer exploration goals help students learn about jobs that fit their interests and strengths: explaining interest inventory results, researching job requirements, matching interests to career clusters, asking questions at a job shadow, and comparing training paths. Good goals name the research task and the product the student makes, such as a career profile or a visit report. Measure reports and profiles with a rubric, research and interview routines with a task analysis, and questions about job requirements with accuracy.
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.
Job Seeking & Applications
30 templatesJob seeking goals teach the steps of getting a job: finding postings, filling out online applications, writing a resume and cover email, answering interview questions, following up, and deciding whether and how to disclose a disability and ask for accommodations. Good goals name the step, the tool (a job site, a template, a practice interview), and the standard the product must meet. Measure resumes and interview answers with a rubric, applications with a task analysis, and follow-up or posting searches with opportunities.
By the annual IEP review date, given a job search website on a classroom device and own job search criteria (job type, hours, travel distance), the student will search for jobs that meet own criteria and save the matching postings, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, on 3 consecutive search sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly during the job search unit.
Postsecondary Education Readiness
30 templatesPostsecondary education goals prepare students for college, trade school, or other training: researching programs, registering with a disability services office, completing applications and financial aid steps, reading a syllabus, planning college-style work, emailing an instructor, and knowing their own summary of performance. Good goals name the task and the real or practice materials used. Measure applications and registration with a task analysis, research comparisons and emails with a rubric, and real use of skills like emailing an instructor with opportunities.
By the annual IEP review date, given two or three colleges or training programs the student is considering and a program comparison checklist, the student will complete the comparison checklist for each program and state which one fits own plans and why independently, earning a score of at least 10 out of 12 on a 6-row program comparison rubric (0 to 2 per row), on 2 consecutive comparisons, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected monthly.
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.
Independent Living
60 templatesIndependent living goals teach the skills of running a home as an adult: planning meals, cooking from a recipe, doing laundry, cleaning a living space, running home safety checks, making appointments, using appliances, reporting a repair, and shopping with a list and budget. Good goals name the routine, the tools (a picture recipe, a schedule app), and the setting, ideally a real kitchen, laundry room, or store. Measure routines with a task analysis, real-life moments like reporting a repair with opportunities, and planning tasks like a meal plan or shopping total with accuracy.
By the annual IEP review date, given a picture recipe for a one-pan meal the student chose (such as scrambled eggs and toast, or pasta with sauce) in the school or training apartment kitchen, the student will cook the meal from start to finish, performing at least 10 of 11 steps independently, on 3 consecutive cooking sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly during cooking lessons.
Personal Finance & Money Management
40 templatesPersonal finance goals teach the money skills of adult life: making a budget from income, using a debit card and keeping a PIN safe, bank account basics, reading a pay stub, paying bills, comparison shopping, saving toward a goal, spotting scams, and using banking apps. Good goals name the task, the real or practice materials, and any tool like a calculator or budget template. Measure budgets, pay stub questions, and comparisons with accuracy, card and app routines with a task analysis, and spotting scams with opportunities.
By the annual IEP review date, given a monthly take-home pay amount, a list of fixed and flexible expenses, a budget template, and a phone calculator, the student will fill in the budget so planned spending and saving equal the take-home pay independently with at least 90% accuracy on budget lines and totals, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.
Community Access & Travel
45 templatesCommunity access goals teach students to use places and services in their town: riding a bus route with a travel plan, booking paratransit or a ride, using the library, post office, and pharmacy, ordering at a restaurant, finding items with store signs, and volunteering. Good goals name the place, the route or task, and the tools the student uses, such as a phone app or a travel card, and they are practiced in the real community. Measure trips and errands with a task analysis and real moments like asking for help or paying with opportunities.
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.
Postsecondary goals and transition IEP goals
Beginning with the first IEP in effect when a student turns 16, or younger if the team decides, the IEP includes measurable postsecondary goals in education or training, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living (34 CFR 300.320(b)). Many states start earlier. A postsecondary goal says what the student will do after high school, such as enroll in a certificate program or work part time at a grocery store.
The IEP also lists the transition services, including courses of study, that will help the student reach those goals. Services can include instruction, community experiences, related services, and work-based learning.
The annual transition goals on this site are the skills a student works on this year to move toward a postsecondary goal: completing a job application, riding a bus route, budgeting a paycheck, or registering with a college disability services office.
Postsecondary goals are based on age-appropriate transition assessments, such as interest inventories, interviews with the student and family, and observations at work or in the community. Update them each year as the student's plans change.