Sentence Construction IEP goals for middle school (grades 6 to 8)
33 of the sentence construction templates in the library are written for middle school (grades 6 to 8). Each opens in the builder, where the grade band is a starting point and the baseline comes from your own assessment.
33 templates · 1 skill · 6–8 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Sentence Construction Writing
Combine short sentences into compound and complex sentences
Sentence combining
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 pairs of short related sentences, the student will combine each pair into one grammatically complete compound or complex sentence that keeps the meaning of both sentences independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentence-combining items, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Use compound and complex sentences in paragraph writing
Using compound and complex sentences in own writing
By the annual IEP review date, when writing a paragraph-length response during language arts or content-area classes, the student will include at least two correctly punctuated compound or complex sentences in the response independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of writing samples, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Edit a passage for capitalization and punctuation
Capitalization and end punctuation
By the annual IEP review date, given a short passage containing 15 errors in capitalization (sentence beginnings, proper nouns, and the pronoun I) and end punctuation, the student will edit the passage by marking and correcting each capitalization and punctuation error independently with at least 85% accuracy on embedded capitalization and punctuation errors, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Write complete sentences without run-ons or fragments in own writing
Avoiding run-ons and fragments in extended writing
By the annual IEP review date, in independent writing samples of at least eight sentences, the student will independently write complete sentences without run-ons or fragments with at least 90% accuracy on sentences written, across 3 consecutive biweekly writing samples, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.
Write a complete sentence using a given word
Writing a sentence with a target word
By the annual IEP review date, given five target words from the week's vocabulary or spelling list, the student will write a complete sentence for each word that uses the word correctly and shows its meaning independently with at least 80% accuracy on target words, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Identify the subject and the verb in sentences
Subject and verb identification
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 simple sentences at the student's independent reading level, the student will underline the subject once and the verb twice in each sentence independently with at least 90% accuracy on sentences, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Middle school sentence construction goals account for multiple teachers, changing classes, and more independent work. They often pair the skill with a strategy or tool, and the data can be collected across settings by different staff or by the student.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 27 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 5 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
How are sentence construction goals measured across several middle school classes?
By defining the task and the observation period so any teacher can use the same sheet, or by work samples collected from more than one class. Student self-monitoring with a weekly check is common.
Should middle school goals include study skills?
When assessment shows that organization, planning, or test preparation limits the student's progress, yes. Those goals are measured with task-analysis checklists and percent of assignments completed.
When does transition planning start?
The IEP in effect when the student turns 16 must include postsecondary goals and transition services, and many states start at 14. Middle school goals can build the self-advocacy and independence those plans rely on.
IEP Atlas Pro
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Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.