IPP Goal Bank for Nova Scotia: Examples Parents Can Actually Use

Parents reviewing a Nova Scotia IPP for the first time often can't tell whether the goals in front of them are good or useless. The goals use professional-sounding language, they've been typed neatly into TIENET, and the resource teacher seems confident. But a goal like "Student will improve reading fluency" is not a goal — it's a wish. It can't be measured, it can't be tracked, and when the quarterly report comes back saying "making progress," you have no way to know if that's true.

This post gives you concrete goal examples across the major IPP domains used in Nova Scotia, explains what makes a goal strong, and shows you the warning signs that mean a goal needs to be rewritten before you sign anything.

What Nova Scotia Requires in an IPP Goal

Under Nova Scotia's educational policy, IPP goals are structured as Annual Individualized Outcomes (broad year-end goals) and Specific Individualized Outcomes (the incremental steps). Both levels must be:

• Specific — targeting an observable skill or behavior
• Measurable — with a clear way to collect data
• Achievable — realistic given the student's current level
• Relevant — tied to a meaningful educational or life domain
• Time-bound — with a clear timeframe, typically aligned with reporting periods

Goals live in TIENET. Every person who works with your child — resource teacher, EA, classroom teacher — is expected to collect data against these goals. If a goal can't be tracked, no data gets collected, and your quarterly report will say something like "insufficient data to report progress."

Literacy Goals

Weak (do not accept):

• "Student will improve reading skills"
• "Student will work on comprehension"
• "Student will participate in literacy activities"

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will correctly read 60 words per minute on a Grade 2 leveled text passage (measured via weekly running records by the resource teacher, baseline: 30 wpm)
• By the end of Term 2, [Student] will identify the main idea and two supporting details in a Grade 3 informational text with 70% accuracy across 4 of 5 opportunities
• By January 2026, [Student] will use decoding strategies (sounding out, chunking) independently when encountering unfamiliar words in Grade 1 texts, as measured by bi-weekly observation records

Numeracy Goals

Weak:

• "Student will develop math skills"
• "Student will work on number sense"

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will accurately add two-digit numbers with regrouping on 8 of 10 consecutive problems using a number line or manipulatives
• By Term 2, [Student] will identify coins and their values and calculate combinations up to $1.00 with 80% accuracy on monthly probes
• By March 2026, [Student] will demonstrate understanding of multiplication facts for 2s, 5s, and 10s with 85% accuracy on timed 1-minute assessments

Communication and Language Goals

Weak:

• "Student will improve communication"
• "Student will use words to express needs"

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will use a visual choice board or AAC device to make a request or communicate a preference independently during 4 of 5 observed opportunities per day
• By the end of Term 1, [Student] will produce three-word sentences to comment on classroom activities with 70% intelligibility to familiar adults, measured through monthly speech sampling
• By February 2026, [Student] will follow two-step verbal instructions in the classroom without repetition on 8 of 10 consecutive opportunities

Social/Emotional and Behavioral Goals

Weak:

• "Student will be a positive member of the classroom community"
• "Student will demonstrate appropriate behavior"
• "Student will manage emotions better"

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will use a self-regulation strategy (deep breathing, sensory break, "take a break" card) independently when experiencing frustration, on 7 of 10 observed opportunities, as measured by weekly behavior tracking sheets
• By Term 2, [Student] will remain in the common learning environment for a minimum of 80% of the school day with no more than one regulated exit per day, tracked via daily attendance logs
• By March 2026, [Student] will initiate a peer interaction (greeting, invitation to play) at least once per recess, with prompting fading from adult prompt to visual prompt over the term

Life Skills and Independence Goals

Weak:

• "Student will improve independence"
• "Student will work on daily living skills"

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will independently complete a 5-step morning routine (put away backpack, retrieve agenda, copy schedule from board, sharpen pencil, begin morning work) with no more than one prompt, on 4 of 5 consecutive school mornings
• By Term 3, [Student] will independently prepare a simple meal (sandwich, bowl of cereal) using a visual recipe card with no adult prompting, demonstrated on 3 consecutive occasions
• By February 2026, [Student] will independently navigate from the classroom to the resource room and back using a visual map, on 8 of 10 attempts

Transition Goals (Grades 9–12)

Nova Scotia mandates that Transition Planning begins formally in Grade 9 (or age 14). Transition IPP goals shift focus from purely academic outcomes toward meaningful pathways for post-secondary life.

Strong examples:

• By June 2026, [Student] will identify three occupational interests and two corresponding post-secondary pathways using MyBlueprint, supported by bi-monthly check-ins with the school's Nova Scotia Works liaison
• By Term 2, [Student] will independently complete a job application form with assistance from assistive technology (text-to-speech), with 90% field accuracy
• By March 2026, [Student] will demonstrate the ability to self-advocate for an accommodation in a simulated post-secondary scenario (explain a disability, request a specific support) in a role-play with the resource teacher

How to Review the Goals in Your Child's Draft IPP

When a draft IPP is presented to you at a Program Planning Team meeting, go through these questions for every goal:

1. Can this be counted? If you can't imagine someone sitting with a clipboard and recording data on this goal during a school day, it isn't measurable enough.

2. Is there a baseline? Every goal should reference where the student is starting from. "Will increase accuracy from X% to Y%" is measurable. "Will improve accuracy" is not.

3. Who is collecting data and how? The goal or its accompanying notes should specify which staff member is responsible for data collection and what method they're using (frequency counts, probes, observation checklists).

4. What does "progress" look like at each reporting period? If the goal is year-end, what should be true at Term 1 and Term 2 reviews?

If you get to a quarterly report that says "making progress" or "unable to collect data due to behavior" without specific numbers or examples, that's your signal to formally request an IPP review meeting.

The Nova Scotia IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes a full goal review checklist and templates for requesting IPP amendments when progress isn't being tracked — built specifically for Nova Scotia's TIENET-based IPP framework.

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