Alberta IPP Goal Bank: Writing Measurable Goals for Your Child's Program Plan
The goals section of an Individual Program Plan (IPP) is where the document either works or fails your child. Vague goals — "student will improve reading skills" or "student will behave appropriately in class" — are essentially worthless. They give the school no accountability, provide no way to measure progress, and make it impossible to tell at year-end whether the IPP actually helped.
Alberta Education's Standards for Special Education require IPP goals to be measurable — not just aspirational. This page explains what that means in practice and provides example goals across the skill areas most commonly addressed in Alberta IPPs.
What Makes an Alberta IPP Goal Measurable?
A measurable goal answers four questions:
- Who is the goal for? (The student, identified by name)
- What will the student do? (A specific, observable behaviour or skill)
- How well — under what conditions and to what level of accuracy or consistency?
- By when — over what time period will progress be evaluated?
A strong goal follows this structure: "[Student] will [specific action] [to a specific criterion] as measured by [how you'll know], by [date]."
Weak: "Student will improve reading comprehension." Strong: "By June 2026, [Student] will answer inferential comprehension questions about grade-level texts with 75% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher-administered running records."
The difference is that the strong version is observable, measurable, and falsifiable — you can look at the data at the end of the year and know definitively whether it was met.
Reading and Literacy Goals
Decoding / Phonics
- By [date], [Student] will correctly decode CVC and CCVC words in isolation with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by weekly word lists.
- By [date], [Student] will apply knowledge of common vowel teams (ai, ea, oa) when reading decodable texts at a Grade 2 level, with 85% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
Reading Fluency
- By [date], [Student] will read a Grade 3 leveled passage at a rate of at least 60 words per minute with 95% accuracy, as measured by monthly oral reading fluency probes.
Comprehension
- By [date], [Student] will identify the main idea and two supporting details from a non-fiction Grade 3 text in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher observation checklists.
Writing
- By [date], [Student] will independently produce a 5-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence and at least 3 supporting details, with no more than 3 mechanical errors, in 3 out of 4 writing samples.
Mathematics Goals
Number Sense / Computation
- By [date], [Student] will solve single-digit addition and subtraction facts within 20 with 90% accuracy in 3 consecutive timed assessments of 20 questions.
- By [date], [Student] will use a calculator or number line to solve two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction, with 75% accuracy across 10 problems.
Problem Solving
- By [date], [Student] will independently read, identify the operation needed, and solve Grade 3 word problems in 4 of 5 attempts, as measured by bi-weekly problem sets.
Money / Practical Math
- By [date], [Student] will count a combination of Canadian coins and bills to a specified amount up to $20 with 90% accuracy across 4 of 5 trials.
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Social and Emotional Learning Goals
Self-Regulation
- By [date], [Student] will independently use a calm-down strategy (deep breathing, fidget tool, or movement break) when displaying signs of dysregulation in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by teacher tracking log.
- By [date], [Student] will request a break using an agreed-upon signal or phrase rather than leaving the classroom without permission, in 4 of 5 opportunities across 4 consecutive weeks.
Social Communication
- By [date], [Student] will initiate an appropriate greeting with a peer during unstructured times (recess, lunch) in 3 of 5 observed opportunities per week, as measured by weekly observation data.
- By [date], [Student] will take 3 conversational turns on a topic chosen by a peer in 4 of 5 structured interactions.
Communication Goals (Speech/Language)
Expressive Language
- By [date], [Student] will use complete sentences of 4+ words to answer "wh" questions (who, what, where, when) in 80% of conversational opportunities during structured activities.
- By [date], [Student] will describe objects using at least 3 attributes (colour, size, function) in 4 of 5 structured tasks.
Articulation
- By [date], [Student] will produce the /r/ sound correctly in all word positions in structured speech tasks with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions.
Organizational and Study Skills Goals
Task Completion
- By [date], [Student] will complete classroom tasks within the allotted time with a maximum of 2 teacher prompts per task, across 4 of 5 school days per week.
- By [date], [Student] will independently use a visual task checklist to complete morning routine in 4 of 5 days per week.
Organization
- By [date], [Student] will independently record homework assignments in a planner with teacher prompting fading to no more than 1 prompt per day, in 4 of 5 school days.
Transition Planning Goals (Secondary)
- By [date], [Student] will identify 3 post-secondary options (employment, apprenticeship, college program) that align with their stated interests and complete a brief research summary on each.
- By [date], [Student] will independently complete a sample job application form with appropriate personal information in 4 of 5 trials.
- By [date], [Student] will demonstrate understanding of Knowledge and Employability course pathways and their distinction from diploma requirements, as evidenced by discussion with the transition planning team.
A Note on Alberta's K&E Pathway
For students in senior high whose IPPs involve Knowledge and Employability (K&E) courses, this is worth understanding clearly. K&E courses (denoted with a "-4" suffix: English 10-4, Math 20-4) lead to a Certificate of High School Achievement, not an Alberta High School Diploma. This matters enormously for post-secondary options.
A Certificate requires 80 credits; a Diploma requires 100 credits and standard academic coursework. Entry into traditional university programs requires a Diploma. If a student is placed in K&E courses and parents haven't fully understood the long-term implications, they should ask directly about how this affects post-secondary access.
For students under 16, placement in K&E courses requires explicit, informed, annual written consent from parents. If your child is being recommended for K&E, ensure you understand exactly what you are consenting to before signing.
The Alberta IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes additional guidance on reviewing and negotiating IPP goals at annual review meetings, including what to do when goals from the previous year weren't met.
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