Independent Living IEP goals for high school (grades 9 to 12)
60 of the independent living 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.
60 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.
Independent Living Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Cook a stovetop meal from a picture recipe
Cooking from a recipe
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.
Bake a sheet-pan dinner in the oven
Cooking from a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a written recipe with photos for a sheet-pan dinner (such as chicken and vegetables) in the training apartment kitchen, the student will prepare, bake, and serve the sheet-pan dinner, performing at least 9 of 10 steps independently, on 3 consecutive cooking sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly during cooking lessons.
Make a no-cook meal from a written recipe
Cooking from a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a written recipe with photos for a cold meal (such as a turkey wrap or a pasta salad) in the school kitchen, the student will prepare the cold meal and plate it, performing at least 8 of 9 steps independently, on 3 consecutive cooking sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly during cooking class.
Answer questions about a recipe before cooking
Reading a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed recipe the student has not cooked before and a set of questions about it (servings, cook time, temperature, tools, ingredients), the student will answer questions about the recipe's ingredients, tools, time, and temperature independently with at least 85% accuracy on recipe questions, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Make a one-pot meal in a slow cooker
Cooking from a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a picture recipe for a slow-cooker meal (such as chili or soup) in the transition program kitchen, the student will set up and start the slow-cooker meal, then serve it when it is done, performing at least 8 of 9 steps independently, on 3 consecutive cooking sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly.
Scale a recipe for more or fewer servings
Adjusting a recipe
By the annual IEP review date, given a recipe and a target number of servings, with a phone calculator, the student will write the new amount for each ingredient independently with at least 85% accuracy on scaled ingredient amounts, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
High school independent living 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:
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 33 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 14 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 10 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 1 goal here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 2 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How do independent living 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.