Tuesday's Tip: Smarter Goals Attainable
Define attainable advancement that is time bound. So many times goals are about balance in addition to all of the other issues that need to be considered. The goal needs to be attainable within the year, yet there needs to be enough challenge to it that progress toward greater functionality is accomplished.
Show progress commensurate with the child's potential6 (circumstances) to prevent underestimation and to be challenging.
The educational benefit is the improved, maintained or increased access to typical education experiences for the child’s age. There should be evidence of adequate and consistent progress toward attainment of the goals that increase participation in regular curriculum and participation and evidence of improvement in district-wide testing programs.
An IEP [individualized education program] must be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.
“Every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives.”
A legally sufficient IEP is no longer defined by the Supreme Court of the United States as a program designed to provide a “basic floor of opportunity” and one “designed to provide more than de minimus benefits” (more than nothing).
Define what resources, authority, and supports are needed to accomplish the objective.
Specific skills to be acquired to do the skill
Training available
Human resources (instructional aide or PCA, co-teaching, related services)
Material resources
Time-bound requires a start and an end to accomplish a goal.
What are the steps and critical milestones to accomplish it? - objectives
What intermediate outcomes are expected and by when?