Writing Measurable Annual Goals And Benchmarks/ Short-term .

Writing Measurable AnnualGoals and Benchmarks/Short-term ObjectivesFebruary 2013Region 3 Monitors

MARSE RULE OCT. 18, 2011R340.1721e Individual Educational Program(a) A statement of measurable annual goals, includingmeasurable short-term objectives.The Office of Special Education has identified thatbenchmarks can be written in place of short-termobjectives.

“MEASURABLE”The target is written so there isevidence that the desired levelof performance has been met.

MEASURABLE GOALS . Must include concrete methods andcriteria for assessing progress andachievement of outcomes. Allow for a calculation of how muchprogress is achieved.

FOUNDATION OF THE GOAL The foundation on which the IEP is developed is the PresentLevel of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance(PLAAFP). The PLAAFP must identify the impact of the student’s disability.The PLAAFP creates an effective implementation plan toleverage improved performance in academic and functionalneeds and the attainment of post secondary goals for student’sof transition age. A well written PLAAFP will identify baseline data upon which towrite measurable goals related to the student’s needs and offera starting point upon which to build instruction.

FOUNDATION cont. The PLAAFP should identify how the student’s disability impactsprogress in the general education curriculum, nonacademicactivities, and extra curricular activities. The present level should begin by identifying the gaps betweenthe child’s performance and the expected grade levelperformance on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)orthe Common Core Essential Elements (CCEE). This gap analysiswill be the starting point for developing goals. The PLAAFP must identify progress on Early ChildhoodStandards of Quality for pre-K children.

OTHER GOAL CONSIDERATIONS Objectives/benchmarks can be written to scaffolddown to the grade level standards based on thestudent's functioning level. Remember the goal isto close the learning gap. For students with moderate to severe (sometimesmild) cognitive impairments, goals and objectivesregarding functional skill needs should beaddressed that may not be contained in theCommon Core State Standards or EssentialElements. Secondary transition considerations should beaddressed on how the disability needs effect thestudent’s post-secondary vision.

RECOGNIZING A “SMART” GOAL S Specific M Measurable A Attainable R Relevant T Time-bound

A WELL WRITTEN GOAL CONTAINS The ending date for achieving the goal. What behavior the student will demonstrate. What level, degree, or condition the student will perform. How mastery will be evaluated. The potential for being attained in one year.MDE Model:By , (the student) will dition/criteria

SKILL/BEHAVIOR Examples ClassifyConvertDefineEstimateInterpretRetellLocate and UseExplainAnalyzeIllustrateElaborateVerbally ExpressFollow DirectionsIdentifyRequest

CONDITION/CRITERIA Examples Given a request During transition periods During social conversation When provided a writing prompt During class discussion When reading text When given 10 problems, questions. When shown a variety / When given a choice When using a graph When provided a visual schedule Prompts or cues: on teacher’s oralrequest . Structure: using a graphicorganizer Location: in hallways duringpassing time Memory conditions: using anumber chart . Form of communication: using acommunication device Content specific: In math class .

CONDITION/CRITERIA cont. Trial based: on 9 out of 10 trials Production: in at least 9 sentences Percentage: with at least 75% accuracy Change from baseline: improve by at least 10% Behavior change: no more than 3 times a day Across sessions: on 9 consecutive attempts Time based: for 15 minutes at a time Grade-level: at the 4th grade level

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION Examples Teacher made tests Rubric End of unit test Education achievement tests End of chapter test Portfolios Graphing data Student’s daily work Homework assignment Rating scale In class work Standardized tests Student assignment Service provider logs Documented observation District common assessments Point sheets Teacher logs Office disciplinary referrals Checklists

REMEMBER THAT GOALS must relate directly to the needs from thePresent Level of Academic Achievement andFunctional Performance (PLAAFP). must identify a learning gain that is bothchallenging and reasonably achievable in oneyear, given the instruction and services he/shewill receive. must contain data sources that are consistentand align with those stated in the PLAAFP.

ACADEMIC EXAMPLE PLAAFP Excerpt: Markcurrently reads 40 correctwords per minute from thesecond grade level of DIBELSNext Oral Reading FluencyPassages. He needs toimprove his reading fluency. Annual Goal: In 36instructional weeks, Mark willread 90 correct words perminute, as measured by the2nd grade DIBELS Next OralReading Fluency Passagesprogress monitoring data.

PLAAFP Excerpt: When given a Annual Goal: In 36written expression probe atinstructional weeks, Mary willgrade level with one minute tocomplete a story starterplan and three minutes toscored for correct spelling,write, Mary is writing 3punctuation, andcorrect writing sequencescapitalization with 12 correctrequiring correct spelling,writing sequences, ascapitalization, andmeasured by 3 minute writingpunctuation. Mary needs tosamples collected on progressimprove her writing skills.monitoring dates.

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL EXAMPLE PLAAFP Excerpt: Based on Annual Goal: By March 2014,Office Disciplinary Referralsthe student will demonstrate(ODRs) and directskills to transition underobservational logs, thereduced supervision instudent becomes physicallymultiple school settings 80%aggressive (pushing, hitting,of the time as measured byand spitting) toward peers inobservational logs and ODR’s.settings that requiretransitions under reducedsupervision. The student iscurrently able to transitionwithout physical aggression60% of the time.

DEVELOPING OBJECTIVES/BENCHMARKSThe MDE guidance includes the following required elements:1.Performance criteria – at what level and under what conditions willobjective be achieved2.Evaluation procedure – what method used to document performance3.Evaluation schedule – the frequency of the evaluation procedureObjectives/benchmarks are intermediate steps designedto achieve the annual goal.

WRITING GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES/BENCHMARKS1.Write measurable goals with a number of separate but relevantmeasurable objectives.2.Write measurable goals with a number of time-limited benchmarksfor the goals.Objectives/benchmarks are intermediate steps designedto achieve the annual goal.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIAEVALUATION PROCEDURE Within 5 minutes At least 70% 3 out of 4 trials 7 out of 10 trial periods 4 times weekly 5 consecutive trial days For 40% of trials 5 consecutive weeks 2 times daily 8 out of 10 trial counts For 5 consecutive sessions With a rate of 80 wpm

EVALUATION SCHEDULE Daily Weekly Bi-weekly Monthly Following summative assessment Every six weeks

THE USE OF BENCHMARKS1. Benchmarks allow for the changing of interventionsused without revising the IEP.2. The focus is always on the goal.3. Benchmarks create an aim line to monitor studentgrowth.

BENCHMARKS vs. SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES BENCHMARKS One overarching target forthe year Different short-termobjectives (skills) toachieve the goal Skill based May be better for noncurricular type of goals Target tracking tosuccessful completion ofannual goalBenchmarks are thegoals, but withprogressive growth eachmarking periodConcept basedProfessional flexibilityBetter alignment tostandards

BENCHMARKSPLAAFP Excerpt: Mark currently reads 40 correct words perminute from the 2nd grade level of DIBELS Next Oral ReadingFluency Passage. Mark needs to improve his word recognitionskills.GOAL: In 36 instructional weeks, Mark will read 90 correctwords per minute, as measured by 2nd grade DIBLELS Next OralReading Fluency Passages progress monitoring data.Benchmark 1:Benchmark 2: By the end of the 1st markingperiod of 2012, Mark will read50 correct words per minutefrom a 2nd grade level of theoral reading fluency passages,as measured weekly. By the end of the 2nd markingperiod of 2012, Mark will read 65correct words per minute from asecond grade reading fluencypassage, as measured weekly.

PLAAFP Excerpt: When given a written expression district probe at gradelevel with one minute to plan and three minutes to write, Mary is writing 3correct writing sequences requiring correct spelling, capitalization, andpunctuation. Mary needs to improve her writing skills.GOAL: In 36 instructional weeks, Mary will complete a story starter scoredfor correct punctuation, spelling, and capitalization with 12 correct writingsequences, as measured by 3 minute writing samples collected on progressmonitoring dates.Benchmark 1:Benchmark 2: By the end of the 3rd markingperiod, Mary will complete thewritten expression probe scoredfor correct spelling,capitalization, and punctuationwith 5 correct writing sequencesper 3 minute sample, asmeasured weekly. By the end of the 4th markingperiod, Mary will complete thewritten expression probe scoredfor correct spelling,capitalization, and punctuationwith 8 correct writing sequencesper 3 minute sample, asmeasured weekly.

OBJECTIVESPLAAFP Excerpt: Based on Office Disciplinary Referrals (ODRs) and directobservational logs, the student becomes physically aggressive (pushing, hitting,and spitting) toward peers in settings that require transitions under reducedsupervision. The student is currently able to transition without physicalaggression 60% of the time.Annual Goal: By March 2014, the student will demonstrate skills to transitionunder reduced supervision in multiple school settings 80% of the time asmeasured monthly by observational logs and ODRs. STO 1: STO 2:The student will demonstrateskills to transition withoutphysical aggression while goingto and from the cafeteria 80% ofthe time as measured monthlyby observational logs and ODRs.The student will demonstrateskills to transition withoutphysical aggression whileexiting and entering thebuilding 80 % of the time asmeasured monthly byobservational logs and ODRs.

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT

PROGRESS REPORT Status areas should be completed at the time of the district’speriodic reports with a clear narrative description of thestudent’s progress Must include: the date of the periodic report the progress toward the annual goal as defined by the shortterm objective/benchmark Defines the reporting schedule Identifies the responsible position(s)

NATURE OF EFFECTIVE GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES/BENCHMARKS Ensure students have access to and make progress inthe general curriculum. Set a challenging, yet realistic annual goal. Implement interventions that prove successful by datacollection. Monitor as often as is needed to be well informed ofstudent’s progress.

You are now ready to construct measurable annual goalsand short-term objectives/benchmarks!Please feel free to contact your local special educationcontact or ISD monitor if you need further assistance.

One overarching target for the year Different short-term objectives (skills) to achieve the goal Skill based May be better for non-curricular type of goals BENCHMARKS Target tracking to successful completion of annual goal Benchmarks are the goals, but with progressive growth each marking period Concept based