IEP Goal Bank: How to Use It, Goals by Domain, ADHD and Middle School

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

An IEP goal bank is a collection of example IEP goals, sorted by skill area, that teachers and IEP teams use as a starting point when they write a student’s measurable annual goals. It saves drafting time and models measurable wording, but it cannot supply the student’s starting point: federal rules tie every goal to the needs that result from that student’s disability. This guide covers how to use a bank without copying from it, an index of our goal guides by domain, 32 new example goals, goals for ADHD, preschool and middle school, and how to keep track of goals.

Executive Summary

In 2024-25, 8.2 million students ages 3 to 21 were served under IDEA, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Each of their IEPs must contain measurable annual goals, and teams write them under time pressure: Learning Policy Institute data for 2024-25 show 45 states reporting special education teacher shortages.

A goal bank eases the time problem and can create a quality problem, because copied goals carry copied criteria and settings. The U.S. Department of Education’s Endrew F. guidance says that determining an appropriate and challenging level of progress is “an individualized determination that is unique to each child.” The bank can supply the wording; only the team can supply the baseline and the plan.

What Is an IEP Goal Bank?

An IEP goal bank is an organized set of model goal statements, grouped by domain, from which a team selects a model and rewrites it for one student.

Banks range from a district spreadsheet to a website or a PDF. A good one shows how a condition, an observable target and a criterion fit in one sentence, suggests sub-skills to target next and gives a campus a shared format.

The Risk: Goals Copied Instead of Written

Under 34 CFR 300.320(a), the IEP starts with the student’s present levels, and the annual goals must be designed to “meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability.” The Department’s Endrew F. Q&A adds that individualized decision-making “is particularly important when writing annual goals,” and that alignment with state standards “must guide, and not replace, the individualized decision-making required in the IEP process.” It also tells teams to consider “the child’s previous rate of academic growth,” which no bank can know.

Three signs of a copied goal: the same criterion across a caseload (such as “80% accuracy”), a setting the student is never in, or no baseline for it in the present levels. PLAAFP examples show how to state that baseline in numbers.

How to Use an IEP Goal Bank Responsibly

Open the bank at step four, not step one.

1. Read the present levels and list the needs that result from the disability.
2. Choose the needs to target, starting with those that block the most learning or participation.
3. Confirm a baseline for each one. The IRIS Center notes that baseline performance can usually be established with three to five data points.
4. Find a model and keep its structure and its observable verb.
5. Rewrite the condition for this student’s materials, supports and setting.
6. Set the criterion from the baseline, ambitious for this student rather than an imagined average one.
7. Name the measurement method and the data owner, and confirm when progress will be reported.
8. Check your state’s rules. Federally, short-term objectives or benchmarks are required only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).

Example: Adapting a Banked Goal

Model from a bank: “Given a written checklist, [Student] will complete the steps of a multi-step task in order in 4 of 5 tasks, as measured by teacher observation.”

Present levels, Marco, grade 7: “In 6 observed science labs in September, Marco completed a median of 3 of 8 lab steps without an adult prompt. He skips steps when the class moves ahead but reads the directions accurately when asked.”

Adapted goal: “By the annual review, during labs in his general education science class, given a numbered checklist at his station, Marco will complete at least 7 of 8 steps in order without an adult prompt, from a baseline median of 3, in 4 of 5 consecutive labs, as measured by a step checklist kept by the co-teacher.”

The structure and verb came from the bank. The setting, support, baseline, criterion and data owner came from Marco, and whether 7 of 8 is ambitious enough is the team’s call.

What to Look For in an IEP Goal Bank

• Four components in every model: condition, target, performance criterion and timeline, as named in the New Jersey Department of Education’s IEP toolkit on writing goals.
• Observable verbs such as reads, solves, requests or completes, never “understand” or “improve.”
• Placeholders instead of fixed numbers.
• A measurement method matched to each skill.
• Functional as well as academic goals, since the regulation calls for both where needed (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(i)).

IEP Goal Bank by Domain: Our Guides

Each guide below works as the goal bank for its domain, with the rules, original examples and measurement methods for that area. Social skills goals are in the social emotional guide; speech goals in the speech guide.

New IEP Goal Examples by Domain

The goals below are original examples written for this page; none repeats a goal from the guides above. Adapt each one: set the criterion from the student’s baseline, name the real setting and data collector, and add the timeline (“By [date of the next annual IEP review],”), left out here for readability.

Reading Goals

1. Text structure: Given a grade-level informational article read aloud, [Student] will name its structure (sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution) and complete a matching organizer for 4 of 5 articles, as measured by work samples.
2. Comparing two texts: After reading two short texts on one topic, [Student] will state one point both make and one point only one makes for 4 of 5 pairs, as measured by a teacher checklist.

Writing Goals

1. How-to writing: Given a familiar procedure, [Student] will write at least four steps in order using sequence words (first, next, last) in 4 of 5 tasks, as measured by a checklist.
2. Personal narrative: Given a prompt and a three-box planner, [Student] will write at least six sentences with a clear beginning, middle and ending, scoring 3 of 4 on the narrative rubric row in 4 of 5 samples.

Math Goals

1. Elapsed time: Given start and end times up to two hours apart, [Student] will find the elapsed time to the nearest five minutes on an open number line for 8 of 10 problems, as measured by biweekly probes.
2. Area and perimeter: Given a rectangle with labeled sides, [Student] will find its area and perimeter with correct units for 4 of 5 rectangles, as measured by work samples.

Behavior Goals

1. Responding to provocation: When a peer teases [Student], [Student] will use a taught response (move away, make a calm statement, tell an adult) instead of hitting or insulting in 4 of 5 recorded incidents, as measured by incident records.
2. Personal devices: During instruction, [Student] will keep a personal device stored as class rules require, with no more than one reminder, in 9 of 10 periods per week, as measured by teacher tally.

Social Emotional and Social Skills Goals

1. Giving encouragement: During group work or games, [Student] will give a peer a specific compliment (“Good idea”) at least once per session in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by event recording.
2. Winning and losing: At the end of a competitive game, [Student] will respond with a taught phrase or gesture, such as “good game,” and stay with the group in 4 of 5 games, as measured by observation records.

Speech and Language Goals

1. Asking for information: In a barrier game with a hidden picture, [Student] will ask at least three relevant questions to identify the picture in 4 of 5 games, as measured by speech-language pathologist (SLP) data.
2. Past tense: When telling about a past event, [Student] will use regular past tense verbs correctly in 80% of required contexts in a 50-utterance language sample, as measured by SLP analysis.

Functional and Daily Living Goals

1. Self-checkout: During community instruction, [Student] will scan items, pay and take the receipt at a self-checkout station with no more than one prompt in 3 of 4 outings, as measured by task analysis data.
2. Using an alarm: [Student] will set a phone alarm for a scheduled event, such as a bus departure, and start toward it within 2 minutes of the alarm on 4 of 5 days, as measured by latency recording.

Executive Function Goals

1. Study plan: When a test is announced, [Student] will write a plan with at least three dated study sessions and log each completed session for 3 of 4 tests, as measured by study logs.
2. Digital reminders: Within one school day of a long-term assignment, [Student] will enter its due date and a reminder two days earlier in a digital calendar in 4 of 5 weekly checks, as measured by calendar checks.

Autism Goals

1. First-then routine: Given a first-then board, [Student] will complete a 5-minute non-preferred task before moving to the chosen activity in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by teacher data sheets.
2. Joining a group call: When an adult calls a group together, [Student] will stop the current activity and join the group within 30 seconds in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by latency recording.

Transition Goals

Pair each annual goal with the postsecondary goal it supports.

1. Scheduling an appointment: [Student] will call to schedule an appointment, giving their name, the reason and two available times, in 3 of 4 role-plays and 1 real call, as measured by a call checklist.
2. Reading a pay stub: Given a sample pay stub, [Student] will identify gross pay, deductions and net pay for 4 of 5 stubs, as measured by work samples.

IEP Goal Bank for ADHD

IDEA has no ADHD category and no ADHD goal list. ADHD is named in the definition of other health impairment, which covers “limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli” due to health problems such as “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” when it adversely affects educational performance (34 CFR 300.8(c)(9)). OSEP reports that category for 15% of students served under IDEA in 2024-25. Match the barrier to the goal area first:

1. Reading directions first: Before starting an assignment or test section, [Student] will underline the key words in each direction in 4 of 5 assignments, with direction errors falling from [baseline] to [target], as measured by work samples.
2. Eliminating answer choices: On multiple-choice items, [Student] will cross out at least one wrong choice before answering on 90% of items across 3 consecutive quizzes, as measured by work samples.
3. Pacing a timed test: During timed tests, [Student] will check the clock at the halfway point, skip and return to items that take over two minutes, and attempt every item in 4 of 5 tests, as measured by teacher observation and test papers.

Preschool IEP Goals for Ages 3 to 5

Preschool IEP goals target the skills a child aged 3 to 5 needs to take part in everyday preschool activities, such as play, circle time, snack and shared reading, rather than skills from a grade-level curriculum. For preschool children, the present levels describe, as appropriate, “how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities” (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)(ii)), and the goals follow from that statement. In 2024-25, 603,652 children ages 3 through 5 not yet in kindergarten were served under IDEA Part B: 46% under developmental delay, 31% under speech or language impairment and 18% under autism, according to the OSEP 2024-25 static tables. Our guide to early childhood special education covers eligibility, the transition at age 3 and preschool settings.

A preschool IEP goal bank can be organized around the three child outcomes that states report for SPP/APR Indicator 7: (A) positive social-emotional skills, including social relationships; (B) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills, including early language/communication and early literacy; and (C) use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs. The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center describes them as functional skills used in everyday routines, across developmental domains. Reporting is covered in the SPP/APR guide.

1. A. Greeting by name: At morning arrival, [Student] will greet at least two classmates or adults by name, using speech, a sign or an AAC message, on 4 of 5 days, as measured by event recording.
2. A. Circle time: During a 10-minute circle time, [Student] will stay with the group and join at least one song or movement activity, with no more than two adult redirections, on 4 of 5 days, as measured by teacher tally.
3. B. Finding their name: At arrival, [Student] will find their printed first name among at least four classmates’ name cards and place it on the attendance chart on 9 of 10 days, as measured by an arrival checklist.
4. B. Telling about self: When an adult asks their name, their age or the name of a family member, [Student] will answer with speech, a sign or an AAC message in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher data sheets.
5. B. Pretend play: Given props such as a toy kitchen or a doll, [Student] will link at least three related pretend actions (stirring, pouring, feeding the doll) in one play episode in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by observation records.
6. C. Eating at snack: At snack, [Student] will feed themself with a spoon and drink from an open cup without adult physical help on 4 of 5 days, as measured by a snack checklist.

For preschoolers with autism, the same outcomes and present levels apply; more models are in IEP goals for autism and joint attention examples.

Good IEP Goals for Middle School

Middle school brings several teachers, longer assignments and less adult support at the student’s side. Transition planning must begin not later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or younger if the team decides (34 CFR 300.320(b)), so these years are a good time to build planning and self-advocacy.

1. Guided notes: During a 15-minute lecture segment, [Student] will complete a guided notes page with at least 80% of blanks correct, compared with the teacher key, in 4 of 5 lessons.
2. Asking about missing work: When the gradebook shows a missing assignment, [Student] will email or ask the teacher for the work and a due date within two school days in 4 of 5 instances, as measured by case manager checks.
3. Claim and counterclaim: Given an argument prompt, [Student] will write a paragraph that states a claim, gives two reasons and answers one opposing view in 3 of 4 samples, as measured by a rubric.

How to Keep Track of IEP Goals

The IEP must describe how progress will be measured and when reports will be provided, “such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards” (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)), and the team must revise the IEP, as appropriate, to address “any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals” (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)). The IRIS Center’s brief on monitoring progress toward IEP goals suggests a routine:

• Baseline: three to five data points.
• Collection: regular, for example every two weeks or monthly.
• Review: regular, for example every nine weeks.
• Decision: after at least six points, compare the four most recent with the goal line; if most fall below it, change instruction, and reconvene the team if progress stays inadequate.

A one-page goal matrix with each goal’s data type, frequency and owner keeps a caseload on schedule.

Funding and Staffing

A goal bank costs little; staff time to adapt, teach and measure each goal is the real expense. IDEA Part B funds may pay only the excess costs of special education and related services, and must supplement, not supplant, state and local funds (34 CFR 300.202). Staff are the tighter constraint: 45 states report special education teacher shortages, and the ASHA 2026 Schools Survey puts the median monthly caseload of a full-time school-based SLP at 50 students.

Common Mistakes District Leaders Make

1. Adopting a bank as a menu. A list of approved goals invites selection before assessment.
2. Copying the criterion. The same “80%” across a caseload ignores each baseline.
3. Keeping the bank’s setting. A resource-room goal does not fit a student served in general education.
4. Banking only academic goals. Self-regulation, communication and daily living need goals too.
5. Writing more goals than practice time allows. A long copied list yields long reports and little progress.
6. Never reviewing the bank. Models with trait verbs spread weak goals to every campus.

Questions District Leaders Should Ask

• How many IEPs contain a goal worded identically to another student’s goal?
• Does every goal have a numeric baseline in the present levels?
• Which goal banks do our teams use, and who reviewed them?
• Do our models cover functional areas such as self-regulation and daily living?
• What share of goals were met at the last annual review, by domain?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an IEP goal bank for ADHD?

It is a set of model goals for school needs such as starting and finishing work, organization, impulse control, following directions and checking one’s own work. IDEA has no ADHD goal list: ADHD is named under other health impairment (34 CFR 300.8(c)(9)), and each goal must come from the student’s own needs and baseline. Examples are in the ADHD section above.

What are some good IEP goals?

Good IEP goals target a need documented in the present levels, name a skill an observer can count, and state a condition, a criterion set from the baseline, a timeline and a measurement method. “Will improve reading” fails that test; “given a grade-level article, will name its text structure for 4 of 5 articles, as measured by work samples” passes it.

What are some good IEP goals for middle schoolers?

Useful middle school goals build the skills a student needs to work across several classes with less adult help: guided notes, asking teachers about missing work, planning long assignments, argument writing and self-advocacy. They must still come from the student’s present levels, and transition planning must start by the first IEP in effect at age 16, or earlier.

How to keep track of IEP goals?

Record a baseline of three to five data points, collect data on each goal on a set schedule (the IRIS Center gives every two weeks or monthly as examples), graph it against a goal line and review it regularly. Keep a goal matrix per caseload with each goal’s data type, frequency and owner, and report progress when the IEP says you will.

Is there a free IEP goal bank?

Yes. This page and the goal guides it links are free to read online, with more than 250 original example goals across twelve domains, from reading and math to autism and transition. Whatever bank you use, free or paid, copy the structure and not the student: replace the condition, criterion and setting with the student’s own data.

Can AI help build an IEP goal bank?

AI tools can help a team draft model goals with placeholders, check each model for a condition, target, criterion and timeline, or suggest observable verbs. Keep student names and records out of any tool your district has not approved, and treat the output as a draft the team reviews against each student’s data. The ChatGPT for teachers guide covers safer prompting.

Related Resources

• IEP Goals: How to Write Measurable Goals
• PLAAFP Examples
• IEP Data Collection Sheets
• Social Emotional IEP Goals
• Executive Function IEP Goals
• Speech IEP Goals
• Self Advocacy IEP Goals

Conclusion

An IEP goal bank earns its place when it does what it does well: clear structure, observable verbs and ideas for the next skill. It becomes a problem when it replaces the work only the team can do, from the baseline and criterion to the practice plan. Districts that keep models with placeholders and train teams to adapt rather than copy get the time savings without the copied goals.

Sources: 34 CFR 300.320, Definition of individualized education program; 34 CFR 300.324, Development, review, and revision of IEP; 34 CFR 300.8, Child with a disability; 34 CFR 300.202, Use of amounts; U.S. Department of Education, Part B SPP/APR Indicator 7; U.S. Department of Education, Questions and Answers on Endrew F., December 2017; New Jersey Department of Education, IEP Toolkit, Topic 3: Goals and Objectives; IRIS Center, Monitoring Student Progress Toward Meeting IEP Goals; U.S. Department of Education, OSEP, 2024-25 Static Tables (Part B Child Count & Educational Environments); Learning Policy Institute, An Overview of Teacher Shortages: 2026; ASHA, 2026 Schools Survey: SLP Caseload and Workload Characteristics Report.

Join the 2027 Special Education Pilot

A goal bank can speed up the wording, but a student reaches each goal only through many repetitions of practice between progress reports, and adult 1-on-1 time is limited on every caseload. Telo AI is being adapted for students with IEPs: patient, 1-on-1 practice aligned to each student’s IEP goals and pace, with teachers setting the goals, topics and rules. We are inviting districts to shape it with us in a 2027 pilot.

Apply to pilot Telo AI in your Special Education program