Annual Goals

Annual goals are the heart of the IEP: the specific things your child is expected to achieve over the next year. Each goal should grow directly from the present levels, targeting an area of need the evaluation identified. A well-written goal names the skill, the conditions, how well the child must perform, and how it will be measured — so anyone reading it knows exactly what success looks like.

The test of a strong goal is whether a stranger could measure it. "Will improve reading" is a wish. "Will read a second-grade passage aloud at eighty words per minute with no more than five errors, in four of five weekly trials" is a real goal you can check. Numbers, conditions, and a clear standard are what separate a promise the school can be held to from a vague hope.

As a parent, read each goal and ask two questions: is it measurable, and is it ambitious enough to matter for your child? Goals that are too easy waste a year; goals that are impossibly high set everyone up to fail. You are part of the team that sets them, so it is fair to push for goals that are both reachable and worth reaching, and to expect regular reports on whether your child is on track.