IEP Goals: S.M.A.R.T.E.R. STEPS® Guide

IEP Goals: S.M.A.R.T.E.R. STEPS® Guide is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that provides a framework for writing legally compliant IEP goals.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings give parents and professionals a chance to work together to design an IEP for children with learning disabilities who have been determined eligible for special education. The goals for academic achievement and functional performance set for each child are the core of the IEP. Goals represent what you and the other IEP team members think the child will be able to accomplish in their area(s) of disability - academic, developmental, and functional - in a year’s time. Annual goals must be written in measurable terms.

This course will focus on teaching professionals how to write legally compliant IEP goals using the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Steps framework. These steps contain a variety of time-saving tips to help special education professionals understand the legal jargon related to IEP goal development. Examples will be provided to demonstrate the strategy so that participants can have a bank of goals for reference. Real scenarios will be problem-solved within the framework, so participants can have practical advice to share with their IEP teams.

Research on the need for compliant IEP goals will be presented based on the US Deptartment of Education's findings from the Results Driven Accountability measures. Implications of these findings will be discussed as they relate to federal funding being tied to test results and progress on IEP goals. Recent court decisions will also be reviewed to emphasize the importance of developing compliant IEP goals.

Course #21-35 | 2019 | 44 pages | 16 posttest questions