Writing "S.M.A.R.T." Goals

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Revised November 20, 2018

Individualized Education Program (IEP) formats and the criteria vary greatly between states and sometimes within states and even counties! One thing in common is that all goals should be "S.M.A.R.T.". "S.M.A.R.T." goals should meet the student's needs that result from the student's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum, and meet each of the student's other educational needs that result from the student's disability. Goals are goals that are:

Specific
A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:

Who: Who is it written for? Be specific to the student and use the student’s name.
What: What exactly is the student going to accomplish?
Where: Where will it happen? During 1:1 or across settings?
When: Establish a time frame.
Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
How: How is the student going to do it?

Blooms Taxonomy of cognitive objectives can be helpful when determining the "action" word to describe what the student must do to meet the goal.

Measurable
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal. What tangible evidence that the student has accomplished the goal or objective. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, and reach your target dates. To determine if the goal is measurable, ask questions such as:

How much?
How many?
How will I know when it is accomplished?

Achievable/Attainable
Set a plan and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Stretch the student so they are challenged, but defined well enough that they can be achieved.

What is the student’s current functioning?
Does previous data support this goal?
How quickly has the student achieved goals in the past?
Will changes in the amount of service delivery impact the rate of progress and achievability?
What is the student’s motivation and work habits?

Realistic & Relevant
To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic. Be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Additionally, it should be relevant to your role on the team and within the ECC.

Timely
A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it, there's no sense of urgency.

Ex. When asked to complete a written assignment, (name), will independently load the paper in the braille writer with 90% accuracy on 4 of 5 opportunities by the end of the IEP duration.

The 3 C's

Short-term objectives (or benchmarks) must also be SMART and contain the 3 C's: condition; clearly defined behavior; performance criteria. Objectives describe the small steps needed to achieve the goal.

SMARTER Goal Handout

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