NC IEP Goal Bank: Measurable Goals for North Carolina IEPs

IEP goals are the backbone of the plan — everything else (services, placement, progress reports) is supposed to serve the goals. In North Carolina, goals must be written with enough precision that anyone reading them can understand what the child will do, under what conditions, to what level of proficiency, and measured how. Here's a working goal bank organized by area, with notes on what makes each goal compliant under NC's IEP standards.

What Makes an IEP Goal "Measurable" Under NC Rules

Under IDEA and the NC 1500 policy series, each annual goal must include:

• Who (the student's name or "the student")
• Will do what (the observable skill or behavior)
• Under what conditions (given what materials, prompting, setting)
• To what level (accuracy rate, frequency, number of trials)
• Measured how and when (teacher observation, work samples, data collection procedure)

Goals that say "will improve reading skills" or "will increase attention" without these components are not measurable and should not be signed. Ask for revision before the meeting ends or note your disagreement in writing.

Reading Goals

Decoding (early elementary): "By [date], given a list of 50 CVC and CVCE words, [student] will decode words accurately at a rate of 80% across 3 consecutive weekly assessments, measured by teacher-administered fluency probe."

Reading fluency: "By [date], [student] will read a grade-level passage aloud at [X] words per minute with 95% accuracy across 3 consecutive weekly oral reading fluency probes."

Reading comprehension: "By [date], given a grade-level informational text, [student] will identify the main idea and 2 supporting details in written or verbal response with 75% accuracy across 4 out of 5 opportunities, measured by teacher scoring rubric."

Phonological awareness (K-1): "By [date], [student] will segment spoken words into individual phonemes with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive assessments, measured by curriculum-based phoneme segmentation probes."

Math Goals

Computation: "By [date], [student] will solve [grade-level] addition/subtraction/multiplication/division problems with 80% accuracy across 5 consecutive weekly probes of 20 problems each."

Word problems: "By [date], given a 2-step math word problem, [student] will identify the correct operation and calculate the answer with 75% accuracy across 4 out of 5 opportunities, measured by teacher-scored rubric."

Number sense: "By [date], [student] will compare and order fractions using visual models or number lines with 80% accuracy on 4 out of 5 teacher-presented tasks, measured by work sample review."

Written Expression Goals

Sentence construction: "By [date], [student] will write 3 complete sentences on a given topic, each containing a subject, verb, and appropriate end punctuation, with 80% accuracy across 4 out of 5 writing samples."

Paragraph writing: "By [date], [student] will write a 5-sentence paragraph that includes a topic sentence, 3 supporting details, and a concluding sentence with 75% accuracy, measured by teacher rubric across 4 consecutive writing assignments."

Writing fluency: "By [date], [student] will write a minimum of [X] correct writing sequences (CWS) per 3-minute probe across 3 consecutive weekly curriculum-based writing probes."

Executive Function and Organization Goals (ADHD/Autism)

Task initiation: "By [date], [student] will independently begin a written or math task within 2 minutes of receiving directions on 4 out of 5 daily opportunities, measured by teacher observation data."

Task completion: "By [date], [student] will complete and submit 85% of assigned independent work tasks during class periods across 3 consecutive weeks, measured by teacher completion records."

Organization: "By [date], [student] will record all homework assignments in a planner in 4 out of 5 core classes daily for 3 consecutive weeks, measured by weekly planner review."

Transitions: "By [date], [student] will transition between classroom activities within 3 minutes with no more than 1 adult prompt on 4 out of 5 observed transitions, measured by teacher tally data."

Social-Emotional and Behavioral Goals

Self-regulation: "By [date], when experiencing frustration or anxiety, [student] will use a pre-taught coping strategy (e.g., deep breathing, requesting a break) instead of engaging in [specific behavior] on 4 out of 5 observed opportunities, measured by behavior data log."

Social interaction: "By [date], [student] will initiate positive, on-topic conversation with a peer for at least 2 minutes during structured activities on 3 out of 5 weekly observations, measured by teacher observation."

Conflict resolution: "By [date], when experiencing a disagreement with a peer, [student] will use a pre-taught problem-solving script (state the problem, suggest a solution, listen to the other person) with no more than 1 adult prompt on 4 out of 5 observed conflicts, measured by social skills data sheet."

Communication Goals (Speech/Language)

Expressive language: "By [date], [student] will produce grammatically correct sentences of 5+ words when describing an event or picture with 80% accuracy across 5 consecutive therapy sessions, measured by SLP session data."

Requesting: "By [date], [student] will use verbal or AAC-assisted requests to ask for preferred items or breaks in 4 out of 5 daily opportunities, with no more than 1 model prompt, measured by SLP and classroom teacher data."

Pragmatics/social communication: "By [date], [student] will maintain a 3-turn conversational exchange on a given topic with a peer or adult on 4 out of 5 observed opportunities, measured by SLP data."

Transition Goals (Ages 14+)

North Carolina requires transition planning to begin at age 14 — earlier than the federal minimum of 16. Goals must be tied to postsecondary outcomes in education/training, employment, and (where appropriate) independent living.

Employment-focused: "By [date], [student] will demonstrate 3 workplace readiness skills (punctuality, task completion, communication with supervisor) during a school-based work experience on 4 out of 5 observed days, measured by supervisor checklist."

Postsecondary education: "By [date], [student] will independently research and list admission requirements for 2 postsecondary programs of interest, measured by submission of a completed research organizer."

Self-advocacy: "By [date], [student] will verbally describe their disability, 3 accommodations they use, and how to request accommodations in a post-secondary setting, with no prompting, across 3 consecutive role-play observations."

North Carolina has three diploma pathways: Future-Ready Core (FRC), Occupational Course of Study (OCS — requires 600 work hours), and Extended Content Standards (ECS). Transition goals should align with the diploma pathway the IEP team has identified.

Using This Goal Bank

Goals here are frameworks — specific numbers (accuracy rates, dates, trial counts) need to match your child's current level of performance. The goal should represent meaningful growth from where the child is now, achievable within the IEP year but not trivially easy.

A strong IEP pairs each goal with the specific service that will support it (e.g., the reading fluency goal is supported by 60 minutes/week of specialized reading instruction) and a progress monitoring method that generates real data at least quarterly.

The North Carolina IEP & 504 Blueprint includes editable goal templates, a progress monitoring tracker, and guidance for challenging vague goals at the IEP meeting before signing.

Related: IEP for ADHD in North Carolina | IEP for Autism in North Carolina | NC Transition IEP Goals

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