CREATING IEPS AND DEVELOPING MEASUREABLE IEP GOALS/OBJECTIVES

CREATING IEPS AND
DEVELOPING
MEASUREABLE IEP
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
WHAT AND HOW TO
Lavana Heel lheel@vsb.bc.ca

REFERENCES
Reporting Document 2002 (draft)
Ministry of Education – Special
Education 2005 - -
www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed
Wrightslaw: : From Emotions to
Advocacy – IEPS – How to Revise IEP
Goals…
Wrightslaw
LD Online
www.nichey.org
www.calstat.org

WHAT IS AN IEP?
A concise and usable document
which summarizes and reviews
the plan for the student’s
individual education
A flexible working document built
upon your observations and
assessments
Written records of plans prepared
with input from students, parents,
guardians, school personnel and
other service providers

WHAT IS AN IEP?
A tool to help the team monitor and
document student growth over time
A flexible document meant to
indicate goals and objectives for a
student within a year
A frame to describe students’
learning strengths, styles, and needs,
and identify appropriate goals.
It is not a daily instructional plan

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
AN IEP?
Helps to determine the degree
of intervention required
Provides coherent specific plans
for student learning remediation
and service needs
A tool to review and determine
how/if the student is meeting
goals
Facilitates communication

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
AN IEP?
Provides accountability
Focuses learning activities
Helps determine criteria for
evaluation
Documents required
accommodations
Is needed when the student’s
program is either adapted or
modified

WHO NEEDS AN IEP?
A student with a ministry
designation
A non-designated student
receiving resource support for
more than 25 hours in a year

THE IEP PROCESS
GATHER INFORMATION:
Review student records, files
and previous IEPS
Consult parents, previous and
current teachers, counsellors,
counsellors
current teachers,
administration, consultants,
SLP, SEAs, SEAs,
SSWs etc.
Review student’s current work
Conduct further assessment
as necessary

THE IEP PROCESS
SET DIRECTION:
Establish the IEP Team
Determine student’s
strengths, needs and
interests
Create a baseline
Clarify priorities/focus on
what the student needs to
learn

THE IEP PROCESS
DEVELOP THE IEP
Identify goals and objectives
(based on consultation,
assessment and priorities)

IEP PROCESS
IMPLEMENT THE IEP:
Share IEP with all participants
(team)
Document evidence that
parent has seen IEP
Put IEP into practice
Adjust objectives and
strategies as required (this is
a working document)

WHAT DOES
IMPLEMENTATION LOOK
LIKE?
Modifications to the curriculum
Adaptations to instruction and/or
assessment methods
Use of adaptive/assistive
technologies
Changes to make the learning
environment more accessible
Provision of support services
Provision of specialized training
(e.g. sign language instruction)

REVIEW THE IEP
Review periodically and adjust
objectives as required (consultation
with team)
Conduct review at year end or
school transfer
Questions:
What gains did the student make?
Were the materials, methods and
procedures appropriate?
What does the student need to learn
next?

HOW DO I CHOOSE?
ADAPTED VS. MODIFIED
The student
learning outcomes
will be the same as
the provincial
curriculum with
adaptations in
teaching methods,
materials, and/or
evaluation
methods….
methods….
Implement an
Adapted Program
The student’s
learning outcomes
are substantially
different from, or in
addition to, the
provincial
curriculum…
Implement a
Modified Program

WHAT IS AN ADAPTED
PROGRAM?
Adaptations are provided - so that
the student can participate in the regular
program. This may include adapted
teaching methods, materials and/or
assessment tools:
Alternate formats (books on tape)
Instructional strategies (key visuals)
Assessment procedures (oral exams,
extra time, computer access)
Provision of technology (calculator,
word processor)

REPORTING
GUIDELINES FOR AN
ADAPTED PROGRAM
Students with an Adapted IEP will
receive letter grades and effort marks
A student’s program may include
some courses that are adapted and
some modified
Student progress reports will be
referenced to:
Prescribed learning outcomes for
the Grade level
IEP

WHAT IS A MODIFIED
PROGRAM?
Learning outcomes substantially
different from or in addition to the
prescribed provincial curriculum
Learning goals specifically
selected/designed to meet the
student special needs as stated in
the IEP
Assessment tools used will
reflect the goals of the IEP and
not those used to assess the
learning outcomes of the class

REPORTING GUIDELINES
FOR A MODIFIED
PROGRAM
Reporting lies with the classroom teacher in
collaboration with other professionals involved
with the student’s educational program
An * will be used on the report card to indicate
that the student has an IEP and the teacher
will report on the student’s ability to meet the
goals and objectives as stated in the IEP
The student will not receive letter grades in
subjects that have been modified
The evaluative statements will reflect the goals
of the IEP rather than the learning outcomes of
the grade
Students will receive individual effort and work
habit marks where appropriate

WHAT IS A GOAL?
A goal:
Addresses the gap
Is a general statement of learning
outcomes
Describes what the student can be
expected to accomplish within a
specified period (usually one year)
Positive statements about what
the student will learn
Determines the instructional plan

WHAT IS THE
LANGAUGE OF A GOAL?
By December, Joey will learn to follow
the classroom rules and expectations
The student will learn to increase his
on-task behaviour
Will develop his comprehension skills to
the fourth grade level
Will develop the ability to write
expanded sentences with linking words.

GOALS – LANGUAGE OF
Elizabeth will learn to improve her
written language skills so that she can
write a four sentence paragraph by
December.
By June Connie will have increased
her reading fluency to 110 words per
minute.
By January the student will use
phonic information and word chunks
with context while reading.

WRITING POSITIVE GOALS –
KEY WORDS
The student will learn:
To achieve
To attend
To initiate
To use
To complete
To break down
To organize

OBJECTIVES
What is a measurable objective?
What does measurable mean?
What is not the language of
measurable?

WHAT IS A MEASURABLE
OBJECTIVE?
You can specify a grade, age
level performance, standard
score or a percentile.
You can indicate a time limit
You can indicate a performance
standard.

WHAT DOES MEASURABLE
MEAN?
It means:
you can count it
you can observe it
it is specific

WHAT IS NOT THE LANGUAGE
OF MEASURABLE?
Difficulty with
Weak
Behind
Undeveloped
Uncooperative
AMBIGUOUS AND NON-
SPECIFIC

WHAT CONSTITUTES THE
LANGUAGE OF
MEASURABLE?
What do I see the student doing
that prompts me to make
judgment?
The operative words are:
see
do

MORE OPERATIVE WORDS
Create
Outline
Select
Write
Identify
Count
Use

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE
LANGUAGE OF
MEASURABLE
Indicates a rate (e.g. 80% of the time)
Provided with modified
assignments and teacher
assistance, Susan will
complete assignments and
turn them in 80% of the time

MORE EXAMPLES OF
MEASURABLE LANGUAGE
Jane will make the use of
writing frames 80% of the
time

MORE EXAMPLES OF
MEASURABLE LANGAUGE
Elizabeth will verbally respond to
what, why and how questions 90%
of the time.
Joe will respond in writing 60% of
the time to what and why questions.
Sue will be able to answer what
questions 90% of the time.

MORE EXAMPLES OF
MEASURABLE LANGUAGE
Given a graphic organizer,
outline, or brainstorming cluster
Trudy will complete a four
sentence paragraph (in
response to ______) by
December 2005.

MEASURABLE LANGUAGE
CONTINUED
Tom will learn to rote count to 10
Sue will recognize pennies, nickels,
dimes, quarters, loonies and toonies
and state values of each.
Henry will classify and identify threethreedimensional objects and two-
dimensional figures

WHAT IS A BASELINE?
It establishes where the child is
with respect to the curriculum,
performance standards, the
class criteria
What the child can do now
What skills/level the student has
Present level of educational
performance

HOW DO YOU EXTABLISH A
BASE LINE?
Begin to ask yourself questions
such as:
What can the student do presently ?
How can I assess this child? (This
can include classroom based
observations/data, performance
standards, samples, as well as
formal tests)
What does he/she succeed at?

OTHER QUESTIONS TO HELP
ESTABLISH A BASELINE
What effect does the student’s
disability have on his/her
educational performance? (e.g. Does
the child exhibit word-by-word
reading or poor phrasing indicating
perhaps visual channel deficits?)
What is the student’s present level of
educational performance? (i.e. grade
or skill)

SOME BASELINE
LANGUAGE FOR
WRITING
This student :
Recognizes some letters (name
them) and is developing sound-
letter correspondence
Can use simple sentences (be
specific)
Can copy individual letters when
named

SOME BASELINE LANGUAGE
FOR PRE-READING SKILLS
Distinguishes upper/lower case
Can locate words in a text
Beginning to sound out words
Uses illustration to tell a story
Memorizes pattern books and
familiar words

SOME BASELINE LANGUAGE
FOR DEVELOPING READING
Reads books with word patterns
Recognizes simple words
Retells main idea of text
Has a fluency rate of _____

SOME BASLINE LANGUAGE
FOR MATH
Can count to ten
Can add and subtract without
borrowing
Can problem solve using
multiplication
Is at a computational math level of
3.0

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A GOAL AND AN
OBJECTIVE?
Annual goals are set out for each child who
has an identified need and has a reasonable
chance of attaining this in a year
These goals are broken down into short-term
objectives. objectives.
Short term objectives are
measurable, intermediate steps between the
present levels of educational performance of
a child with a disability and the annual goals
that are established for the child.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A GOAL AND AN
OBJECTIVE?
The objectives are developed
based on a logical breakdown of
the major components of the
annual goals, and can serve as
milestones for measuring
progress.
Short-term objectives describe a
sub-skill of an annual goal, not
merely restate the goal.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A GOAL AND AN
OBJECTIVE?
The objectives are ideally
written in a sequential order that
reflects a progression through
the various skills needed to
meet the annual goals, and
permit monitoring of progress
throughout the year

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS
OF A PERFORMANCE GOAL AND
OBJECTIVE/BENCHMARK?
A performance goal/benchmark can
be answered through six
questions:
1. Who?
2. Does what? what - observable
Who? - relates to the student
- observable behaviour
describing what the student will do to
complete the goal or objective/benchmark
- relates to the specific point in
the time when something will have been
learned or completed
3. When? -

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS
OF A PERFORMANCE GOAL
AND OBJECTIVE/BENCHMARK?
4. Given what? (conditions)
- Describes the “givens” that will need to be
in place for the goal or objective/benchmark
to be completed
5. How much?
5.
-
- Mastery (performance accuracy)
- Criteria – How many times behaviour
observed
6. How will it be measured ?
6.
-
- describes performance data

OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOUR
(DOES WHAT?)
Recite, solve, compare, contrast,
define, write
Add, subtract, count etc.
Recognize, memorize

GIVEN WHAT?
(CONDITIONS)
Conditions state where, when,
and under what circumstances
observable behaviour will occur:
In a small group setting given a
written prompt
Given a graphic organizer, outline,
brainstorming, or cluster…

HOW MUCH?
80% accuracy
Fifty percent of the time

WHAT IS A MEASURABLE
OBJECTIVE?
An objective that is measurable and
observable:
Within one month John will complete 50%
or more of his/her assignments with a
grade of “C” or better
By February 1 st Anita will read 6 th Grade
material orally at 100 – 125 words per
minute with 0 – 2 errors and correctly
answer more than 70% of factual questions
asked about the material

BEHAVIOUR:
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Will increase his/her decision-making
skills in the classroom using a problem-
solving strategy (Goal)
Will show 50 % decrease in the
following behaviours by the end of the
first term:
Speaking negatively about self
Blaming others
Put-downs of other students

SOME KEY MEASUREABLE
LANGUAGE - BEHAVIOUR
Apply
Choose
Focus
Work
Write
Wait
Select

BEHAVIOUR OBJECTIVES
The student will independently
complete all assignments during
classroom time two times a week.
The student will focus his/her
eyes on the teachers during
teacher directions on eight
occasions over a week.

DESCRIBE, SPECIFY AND
SET
DESCRIBE
The expected
behaviour of what
the student
will know
or be able to do
WRITING GOALS
AND MEASURABLE
OBJECTIVES
SPECIFY
The condition
under which
the learning
will occur
SET
The precise
criteria (how well the
student
has to achieve
the objective)

IEPS – UNLOCKING FORMS
VSB WEBSITE - PASSWORD
GO TO IEPS
THEN FORMS – TO YOUR
CHOICE OF FORM
RIGHT HAND CLICK ON SAVE
TARGET AS – SAVE ON DISK
OR HARD DRIVE
TO VIEW – TOOLBARS –
SHADE OR UNLOCK

WHERE TO GO FROM
HERE?
STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS:
What are strategies and interventions?
Neil Sturomski from “News Digest”
says that it is important that students
learn how to learn – how to use
learning strategies to become more
purposeful, effective and
independent learners.

WHAT ARE
STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS?
Students require tools. Why? To help
them become more efficient and
effective learners.
What are effective tools?
Those that equip the student with ways
to organize themselves and new
material
Techniques to use while reading, writing
and doing math or other subjects
Systematic steps to follow through when
learning a task

WHY STRATEGIES?
All students, including learning
disabled students, require strategies
to acquire the knowledge, skills and
strategies both academic and non-
academic – i.e. knowing how to learn
For example, when encountering a
new word while reading, one may
guess the word, look at the context
or look it up in the dictionary

STRATEGIES
Students with learning disabilities
need to become strategic learners –
to move from the haphazard
techniques they have learned on
their own to become conscious of
what strategies might be useful and
how to use these strategies
effectively
Students require demonstration, time
to discuss the strategy, reflect on it
and practice it (with feedback)

WHAT ARE STRATEGIES?
Strategies can be simple,
complex, unconscious or
deliberate
An example: Re-reading, looking
at the questions before reading,
making an outline before writing
Complex strategies consist of a
set of strategies (e.g. planning,
writing and revising)

TYPES OF STRATEGIES
Cognitive Strategies:
Help a person process and
manipulate information
Tend to be task-specific
Useful when learning or
performing tasks
- Filling out a chart
- Organization of a math question

STRATEGIES
Meta-Cognitive Strategies:
Are more executive in nature
Used when planning, monitoring and
evaluating one’s learning or
performance
Is at the core of self-regulated learning
Set goals for learning

STRATEGIES
Acquisition Strategies:
Teach how to manipulate and
transform information to effectively
store in the memory
Demonstrate and express
knowledge

SOME “GOOD READER
STATEGIES” FOR EXAMPLE
Question and paraphrase as they read
Self-question
Construct meaning - think about what
they already know
Follow - up: up:
What can you do as a
teacher? (for e.g.)
Interact deeply with the text and
model question, summarize, clarify
and predict.

STRATEGIES APPROACH –
A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
Teach in small steps
Practice after each step
Guide students during initial
practice
Communicate the rules and
expectations
State instructional objectives
Promote student responses
Provide lessons for further practice

HOW DO I SELECT A
STRATEGY?
Pre-test students (i.e. help the student
see the need to learn a strategy)
Identify the strategy required to focus
on and its value (with the child)
Use of self-assessment
Dynamic assessment
Observations

INTERVENTIONS
What are interventions?
Strategies (as described)
Remedial instruction
Building blocks
Development of skills
(cognitive, academic, prepreacademic etc.)
Assistive technology