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Behavior IEP goals are measurable annual goals that name what a student will do in place of a behavior that gets in the way of learning: raise a hand instead of calling out, ask for help instead of pushing the worksheet away. This guide covers how goals differ from a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and a behavioral intervention plan (BIP), when federal rules require both, how to write goals around replacement behaviors, 25 examples, and how to measure progress.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
In 2023-24, students served under IDEA were 15% of K-12 enrollment but accounted for 27% of students who received out-of-school suspensions, according to the Office for Civil Rights’ 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) warns that frequent short-term or informal removals may indicate that the IEP does not adequately address behavioral needs.
Weak behavior goals describe what the student should stop doing. The National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) recommends targeting the replacement behavior, which meets the same need in a more acceptable way and can be taught like any skill.
Key Takeaways
- Behavior goals are functional goals, required for any need that results from the disability (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
- When behavior impedes learning, the team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports (34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(i)).
- An FBA explains why, a BIP says what adults will do, and the goal says what the student will learn to do.
- An FBA and a BIP are required when conduct leading to a change of placement is a manifestation of the disability (34 CFR 300.530(f)).
- Write the replacement behavior, stated positively, and set the criterion from at least five baseline data points.
What Are Behavior IEP Goals?
A behavior IEP goal is a measurable annual goal that targets an observable behavior a student will learn to use in place of a behavior that impedes their learning or that of others.
Under 34 CFR 300.320, every IEP contains “measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals,” meeting “each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability.” Behavior goals are functional IEP goals (see the complete guide to IEP goals).
When behavior impedes learning, the team must “consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies” (34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(i)). OSEP’s 2022 Q&A adds that the team “may elect to address the behavior through annual goals.” Goals for emotional regulation, such as requesting a break or returning to calm, are in social emotional IEP goals and are not repeated here.
Behavior IEP Goals vs a BIP vs an FBA
| Item | Question it answers | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| FBA | Why does the behavior happen? | Observation data, often ABC records, and a hypothesized function |
| BIP | What will adults do? | Target behavior, FBA summary, function, replacement behavior, interventions, progress monitoring plan |
| Behavior IEP goal | What will the student learn to do? | Condition, replacement behavior, criterion, measurement |
The IRIS Center describes a BIP as a “formal written plan” “designed to address the function of a student’s interfering behavior,” typically used for chronic, intensive behaviors at Tier 3 (IRIS Center).
The Four Functions of Behavior
The IRIS Center lists four functions; the replacements are our examples.
| Function | The student seeks | Example replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | Interaction, recognition or assistance | Raise a hand or use a desk card |
| Items or activities | Access to an item or activity | Ask for a turn, wait with a timer |
| Escape | To stop or take a break from something difficult | Ask for help with the hard part |
| Automatic | Internal sensations, such as sensory input | Use an approved sensory item |
A replacement only works if it gets the same result faster than the behavior of concern.
When IDEA Requires an FBA and a BIP
The discipline provisions at 34 CFR 300.530 set the points where an FBA and a BIP stop being optional.
| Situation | What the rule requires |
|---|---|
| Removals of up to 10 consecutive school days (b) | Allowed as for other students; after 10 school days of removal in a year, services must be provided |
| Manifestation determination (e) | Within 10 school days of a decision to change placement, the LEA, parent and relevant team members decide whether the conduct was caused by, or directly and substantially related to, the disability, or resulted from not implementing the IEP |
| Conduct is a manifestation (f) | Conduct an FBA, unless one was already done, and implement a BIP, or review and modify the existing BIP |
| Not a manifestation, or special circumstances (d) | Services continue, with “as appropriate, a functional behavioral assessment, and behavioral intervention services and modifications” |
| Weapons, drugs, serious bodily injury (g) | Interim alternative setting for up to 45 school days, manifestation or not |
Do not wait for a manifestation determination. OSEP’s July 2022 Q&A on discipline says short-term removals can be a reason to reconvene the team, and a 2016 Dear Colleague letter said such removals “may indicate a need to review and revise the child’s IEP.” The IEP meeting guide covers reconvening.
How to Write Behavior IEP Goals
NCII’s guide Strategies for Setting Data-Driven Behavioral IEP Goals lists six components: time frame, assessment condition, target behavior, supports needed, level of proficiency and measurement. It describes the target as an “observable, functionally relevant replacement behavior”: “IEP goals should focus on the replacement behaviors,” and “on student behavior, not educator behavior.”
Weak goal: “Jordan will stop calling out.” Measurable goal: “By the annual review, during whole-class instruction and with a reminder card on the desk, Jordan will raise a hand and wait to be called on in at least 80% of opportunities across 5 consecutive observations, as measured by twice-weekly event recording.”
Six Steps From Behavior to Goal
- Define the behavior with examples and nonexamples. NCII: “Aggression is hitting. Aggression is not patting peer on back/high five.”
- Check the classroom first: if several students show the behavior, fix the class system.
- Prioritize the most intense, frequent or dangerous behavior, and any self-injury.
- Find the function through an FBA, then choose a replacement that serves it.
- Collect at least five baseline data points, as NCII advises, and record them in the PLAAFP.
- Set the criterion near typical peers: NCII cites 80% to 90% for increases and 10% to 20% for decreases, and allows starting lower, such as 60%.
Behavior IEP Goals Bank: 25 Examples
These are original examples. Adapt each criterion from the student’s own baseline, name the real setting, and add the timeline at the start (“By [date of the next annual IEP review],”).
Staying on Task and Work Completion IEP Goals
- Engagement: During 20-minute independent work, [Student] will be engaged with the task in at least 80% of 1-minute intervals in 4 of 5 observations, as measured by momentary time sampling.
- Work completion: [Student] will complete and turn in at least 80% of independent assignments in core classes each week for 6 consecutive weeks, as measured by work logs.
- Help instead of refusal: When a task is too hard, [Student] will ask for help with a phrase or help card, instead of refusing, in 4 of 5 instances, as measured by event recording.
- Returning to work: After one redirection, [Student] will return to the task within 30 seconds in 4 of 5 redirections, as measured by latency recording.
Focus and Attention IEP Goals
Focus and attention IEP goals target how long a student keeps attention on instruction or a task and how quickly they bring it back after a distraction, written as something an observer can count, such as working on the assigned task or answering a check question. Define on-task with examples and nonexamples, as for any target behavior. The IRIS Center describes self-monitoring of attention as suited to students who “might be easily distracted, get up from their seats, bother other students, or fiddle with objects”: a cue such as a tone marks each interval, and the student records whether they were paying attention. IRIS cites studies of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms that found gains in “on-task behavior, less disruptive behavior, and listening skills for grades 7 through 9.” Goals for students who seek adult or peer attention are a different target, covered under attention-seeking goals below.
- Self-monitoring of attention: During 20-minute independent work, each time a vibrating timer signals (every 3 minutes), [Student] will mark whether they were working on the task and agree with the teacher’s record in at least 80% of intervals in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by paired self-monitoring forms.
- Following along during instruction: During teacher-led lessons, [Student] will respond correctly to quick checks (pointing to the current step, showing an answer on a whiteboard, stating the next step) in at least 4 of 5 checks per lesson across 4 consecutive lessons, as measured by teacher tally.
- Refocusing after a distraction: When a noise or a peer’s conversation interrupts independent work, [Student] will return to the task within 15 seconds without an adult prompt in 4 of 5 observed instances, as measured by latency recording.
Following Directions and Routines IEP Goals
- First-time directions: Given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin within 10 seconds without a repeated prompt for 8 of 10 directions across 3 observations, as measured by event recording.
- Two-step directions: Given a two-step direction during a routine, [Student] will complete both steps without an extra prompt in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher data sheets.
- Staying in the work area: During independent work, [Student] will remain in the assigned area for the full period, leaving only with permission, in 4 of 5 periods, as measured by duration recording.
- Hallway transitions: When the class changes rooms, [Student] will walk with the group, keeping a space from the student ahead, in 4 of 5 transitions, as measured by event recording.
Safe Body: Replacement Behaviors for Aggression
- Hands and feet to self: During circle time and lining up, [Student] will keep hands and feet to self in at least 90% of 1-minute intervals in 4 of 5 observations, as measured by whole-interval recording.
- Asking for space: When a peer comes too close, [Student] will say “I need space” or move away and tell an adult in 4 of 5 instances, as measured by event records.
- Asking for a turn: When a peer has a wanted item, [Student] will ask for a turn and wait with a visual timer instead of grabbing in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by event recording.
- Sensory replacement: When seeking sensory input during seated work, [Student] will use an approved item instead of hitting surfaces in 4 of 5 instances, as measured by event recording.
Appropriate Attention-Seeking IEP Goals
- Raising a hand: During whole-class instruction, [Student] will raise a hand and wait to be called on in at least 80% of opportunities across 5 observations, as measured by event recording.
- Signaling for help: During independent work, [Student] will use a desk card and wait up to 2 minutes for an adult instead of calling out in 4 of 5 instances, as measured by event recording.
- On-topic comments: During class discussions, [Student] will make comments related to the topic in 4 of 5 contributions across 4 discussions, as measured by teacher tally.
- Check-in, check-out: [Student] will attend daily check-in and check-out with an assigned adult and earn at least 80% of point-card points on 4 of 5 days, as measured by point cards.
Peer Interaction in Class IEP Goals
- Respectful language: During group work, [Student] will speak to peers in classroom-appropriate language with no more than one reminder in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by event recording.
- Working voice: During small-group work, [Student] will use the posted voice level in at least 80% of 1-minute intervals in 4 of 5 observations, as measured by partial-interval recording.
- Group role: During cooperative tasks, [Student] will stay with the group and carry out an assigned role for the full activity in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by teacher observation.
Adaptive Behavior IEP Goals
These target practical school-day skills; self-care and community goals are in functional IEP goals.
- Restroom requests: [Student] will ask to use the restroom with words, a sign or a pass instead of leaving without permission in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by event recording.
- Dismissal routine: At dismissal, [Student] will pack the items on a visual checklist and be ready with the class on 4 of 5 days, as measured by checklist records.
- Cafeteria line: [Student] will wait in line, choose a meal and carry the tray to the table with no more than one prompt on 4 of 5 days, as measured by event recording.
Behavior Goals by Grade Level
In preschool and kindergarten, goals often replace grabbing with asking for a turn; in elementary school, calling out and task refusal. In middle and high school, they target returning to work and arriving on time, and connect to transition IEP goals. When the barrier is planning or starting work, use executive function IEP goals.
How to Measure Behavior IEP Goals
| Method | What it records | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Event (frequency) | How many times it happens in a period | Hand-raising, help requests |
| Duration | How long a behavior lasts | Staying in the work area |
| Latency | Time from an instruction to the start of a behavior | Following directions |
| Interval | Whether a behavior occurs in set periods (whole, partial, momentary) | High-rate behaviors with no clear start or end |
| ABC data | Notes on what happens before, during and after | The FBA, not progress monitoring |
| Direct Behavior Rating | A rating after an observation period | Quick, frequent checks |
Sources: IRIS Center (event, duration, latency, ABC); TEA (interval); NCII, which calls Direct Behavior Rating “an evidence-based and feasible method.”
- Use “an objective, valid, and reliable measure” (NCII) and track the replacement behavior first.
- Set the tool, frequency and decision rules in advance. Formats are in IEP data collection sheets.
- Act on stalled data. The team must revise the IEP to address any lack of expected progress (34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Funding and Staffing
| Source | What it can support |
|---|---|
| IDEA Part B | Services and supplementary aids in the IEP, such as a behavioral coach or social skills instruction (2016 letter) |
| IDEA CEIS (up to 15% of Part B) | Behavioral evaluations, services and supports for K-12 students not identified, emphasis K-3 (TEA) |
| Title IV-A (ESSA) | “Implementation of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports” (section 4108) |
| Local funds | Behavior specialists and tools; cooperatives such as TIPS simplify purchasing |
Staffing is the harder constraint: the 2016 letter notes that “school personnel may need training, coaching, and tools” to meet behavioral needs.
Common Mistakes District Leaders Make
- Accepting “stop” goals. “Will not hit” names no skill to teach.
- Skipping the function. A replacement that meets a different need replaces nothing.
- Writing goals about adults. “Staff will provide a token board” is a support, not a goal.
- Waiting for a manifestation determination to run the first FBA.
- Ignoring informal removals, such as administratively shortened days, which the 2022 Q&A addresses.
- Setting a criterion without a baseline.
- Counting only incidents instead of the replacement behavior.
Recommended Actions
- Audit the IEPs of students with two or more removals this year for a behavior goal, an FBA and a BIP.
- Track every removal, including informal ones, and set a trigger for reconvening the team.
- Standardize one definition per target behavior and one data method per goal type.
- Train staff to identify the function and pick a matching replacement.
- Schedule rehearsal, not only measurement.
- Fund schoolwide PBIS through CEIS and Title IV-A.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- How many students with IEPs had a removal this year, and how many IEPs were reviewed afterward?
- What share of behavior goals name a replacement behavior?
- Does every BIP state a function, and does the goal match it?
- Who rehearses the replacement behavior with the student, and how often?
- What share of behavior goals were met at the last annual review?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of a behavioral goal?
“By the annual review, during whole-class instruction, the student will raise a hand and wait to be called on in at least 80% of opportunities across 5 consecutive observations, as measured by twice-weekly event recording.” It names a condition, a positive replacement behavior, a criterion, a timeline and a measurement method.
What are some behavioral goals for students?
Staying engaged during independent work, completing assignments, asking for help instead of refusing, following first-time directions, walking with the group in the hallway, keeping hands and feet to self, asking for a turn instead of grabbing, raising a hand, and using respectful language with peers. Set each criterion from the student’s baseline.
Can an IEP only have behavior goals?
Yes, if the evaluation shows the student’s disability-related needs are behavioral. IDEA ties goals to needs: the IEP must meet “each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability,” and OSEP says the team may address behavior through annual goals. If academic needs exist too, they need goals as well.
Is there an IEP for behavior?
There is no separate behavior IEP, and behavior is not an IDEA disability category. A student eligible under a category, such as emotional disturbance or autism, has one IEP. When behavior impedes learning, the team must consider positive behavioral supports and include them in that IEP when needed; they can include behavior goals, services and a BIP.
Can AI tools help draft behavior IEP goals?
They can turn a description of the behavior, its function and the baseline into measurable wording. Remove names and identifying details first, follow district policy, and keep decisions with the IEP team, which holds the FBA data. The ChatGPT guide for teachers covers safe prompting.
Related Resources
- IEP Goals: How to Write Measurable Goals
- Social Emotional IEP Goals
- IEP Data Collection Sheets
- Functional IEP Goals
- PLAAFP Examples
- IEP Meeting Guide
Conclusion
A strong behavior IEP goal starts from the function of the behavior, names a replacement in positive terms, and sets its criterion from real baseline data. The outcome depends on how often the student practices the new behavior, and on whether the team reads the data, and every removal, early enough to change course.
Sources: 34 CFR 300.320, Definition of individualized education program; 34 CFR 300.324, Development, review, and revision of IEP; 34 CFR 300.530, Authority of school personnel; OSEP, Questions and Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s Discipline Provisions, July 2022; OSEP, Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of IDEA Discipline Provisions, July 2022; OSERS, Dear Colleague Letter on behavioral supports in IEPs, August 1, 2016; NCII, Strategies for Setting Data-Driven Behavioral IEP Goals; IRIS Center, Behavioral Intervention Plans; IRIS Center, Functional Behavioral Assessment: Descriptive Assessments; TEA, Data Collection: Interval Recording; IRIS Center, Addressing the Function of a Behavior; TEA, Requirements of Coordinated Early Intervening Services; ESEA section 4108, Activities to support safe and healthy students (20 U.S.C. 7118, govinfo); U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look, September 2026.
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