Creating S.M.A.R.T.E.R. IEP Goals

Creating SMARTER IEP Goals is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides a framework for writing legally compliant therapy and IEP goals.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings give parents and professionals a chance to work together to design IEPs for children with learning disabilities and 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.

Research on the need for compliant IEP goals is presented based on the U.S. Department of Education’s findings from the Results Driven Accountability Measures. Implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to federal funding being tied to test results and progress on IEP goals. Court decisions are reviewed to emphasize the importance of developing compliant IEP goals.

Although this course highlights the importance of writing federally compliant goals for a student’s IEP, the skills taught are beneficial for all healthcare professionals who write therapy goals. The authors focus on supporting professionals to write legally compliant goals using the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Steps framework. These steps contain a variety of time-saving tips to help educators and healthcare professionals understand the legal jargon related to goal development.

Each step of the process is broken down in detail to demonstrate the strategy. In addition, the authors share information on how to use AI for creating federally compliant goals. Participants are given a bank of goals that can be used for future reference and includes examples of goals for academic achievement, executive functioning, communication skills, fine & gross motor skills, and social & emotional development. Real scenarios are problem-solved within the framework, so participants have practical advice to share with their colleagues and IEP teams.

Note: This presentation will focus exclusively on information on how to write IEP goals using the SMARTER Steps Framework and will not include information about other similar or related frameworks for writing IEP goals.

Course Outline

Background Information
Glossary
Introduction
Section 1: Goal Development History and Stressors
Section 2: Results Driven Accountability (RDA)
Section 3: Thirteen Mandates
Section 4: SMARTER IEP Goals
Section 5: Sample IEP Goals
Section 6: AI Prompt Tips for Creating SMARTER IEP Goals
Summary/Conclusion

Course #21-65 | 2025 | 61 pages | 15 posttest questions