How to Write SMART IEP Goals: A Teacher's Guide (+ Free Generator)

What Makes an IEP Goal "SMART"?

IEP goals must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This isn't just best practice — it's a legal requirement under IDEA. Poorly written goals can lead to compliance issues and, more importantly, inadequate support for students.

Breaking Down SMART:

• Specific — Clearly states what the student will do
• Measurable — Includes criteria for measuring progress (percentage, frequency, etc.)
• Attainable — Challenging but achievable given the student's current level
• Relevant — Connected to the student's identified needs
• Time-bound — Specifies when the goal should be met (typically one year)

IEP Goal Examples by Category

Reading

"By [date], [student] will read grade-level passages and answer comprehension questions with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive data points, as measured by teacher-created assessments."

Math

"By [date], [student] will solve two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 1,000 with 75% accuracy on 4 out of 5 trials, as measured by curriculum-based assessments."

Written Expression

"By [date], [student] will independently write a 5-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence, 3 supporting details, and a concluding sentence, with no more than 3 grammatical errors, on 3 out of 4 writing samples."

Speech/Language

"By [date], [student] will produce the /r/ sound in all positions of words with 90% accuracy during structured speech therapy activities, as measured by SLP data collection."

Behavior / Social-Emotional

"By [date], [student] will use a self-regulation strategy (deep breathing, break card, or counting to 10) when frustrated, reducing instances of disruptive behavior from 5 per day to 1 or fewer, as measured by daily behavior tracking logs."

Common IEP Goal Writing Mistakes

Too vague — "Student will improve reading" (improve how? by how much?)

Not measurable — "Student will understand fractions" (how do you measure understanding?)

Unrealistic — Jumping from 1st grade reading level to grade level in one year

Missing baseline — No reference to where the student is starting from

Generate IEP Goals with AI

Writing IEP goals is one of the most time-consuming parts of special education paperwork. LessonDraft's IEP goal generator creates SMART, compliant goals based on:

• Disability category
• Present level of performance
• Target skill area
• Grade level

Each goal includes benchmarks and progress monitoring suggestions.

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