IEP Goal Bank for PEI: Writing Measurable Goals Under the PEI Education Framework

If you've ever looked at your child's IEP and thought "that goal doesn't actually say anything," you're probably right.

Vague IEP goals are endemic in schools with high Resource Teacher caseloads and limited time per student. In Prince Edward Island, where Resource Teachers often manage large caseloads across multiple grades, templated goals are common. The problem isn't bad intentions — it's an overwhelmed system producing paperwork that satisfies the formal requirement without creating real accountability.

Under Minister's Directive 2025-08, PEI IEPs must include "specific educational expectations" with defined methods of progress review. That language requires measurability. This post gives you a working reference of what measurable goals look like across the most common IEP areas, so you can evaluate what the school is proposing — and push back when goals aren't good enough.

What Makes an IEP Goal Measurable

Every goal in a PEI IEP should have five elements:

1. Who — identifies the student by name or pronoun
2. What — describes the specific, observable skill or behavior
3. Condition — specifies the context in which the skill will be demonstrated (e.g., during independent work, using a graphic organizer)
4. Criterion — the performance standard that counts as "achieved" (e.g., 80% accuracy, 4 out of 5 trials)
5. Timeline — by when (e.g., "By June 2027")

If a goal is missing any of these, it's not measurable — which means it can't be honestly reported on, and there's no way to tell whether it was met.

Literacy Goals

Weak: "Noah will improve his reading comprehension."

Strong:

• "By June, Noah will read a Grade 3 levelled text aloud and answer 4 out of 5 literal comprehension questions with 80% accuracy, using structured phonics-based decoding strategies."
• "By March, Ella will identify the main idea and two supporting details from a non-fiction paragraph at Grade 2 reading level, in 4 out of 5 trials, without adult prompting."
• "By June, Liam will decode unfamiliar two-syllable words using knowledge of common prefixes and suffixes with 75% accuracy in 4 out of 5 classroom reading tasks."

Writing:

• "By June, Sofia will produce a 5-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence, three supporting details, and a conclusion, using a graphic organizer as a scaffold, with 3 out of 5 paragraphs meeting criteria on the school's writing rubric."
• "By March, James will independently use a word processing tool to draft and edit a 3-sentence response with 1 revision cycle, completing the task within 15 minutes in 4 out of 5 written assignments."

Math Goals

Weak: "Emma will improve her number sense."

Strong:

• "By June, Emma will solve single-digit addition and subtraction problems within 20 with 80% accuracy on timed assessments, without using concrete manipulatives."
• "By March, Caleb will correctly apply the partial-products method to solve 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems in 4 out of 5 worksheet trials."
• "By June, Aisha will read and represent data from a bar graph by answering 4 out of 5 comprehension questions with 80% accuracy."

Attention and Executive Function Goals

• "By June, Marcus will begin an independent work task within 2 minutes of instruction using a visual timer, requiring no more than 1 adult prompt, in 4 out of 5 observed classroom sessions."
• "By March, Lily will independently organize and submit required homework materials using a daily checklist, with 4 out of 5 days of compliance tracked by the Resource Teacher."
• "By June, Owen will complete a 20-minute independent reading block with no more than 2 off-task redirections from the classroom teacher, in 4 out of 5 observed sessions."

Behaviour and Social-Emotional Goals

• "By June, Tyler will use a designated break card to request a movement break when feeling overwhelmed, in 4 out of 5 incidents of observable frustration, as tracked by the Educational Assistant log."
• "By March, Amara will use a scripted self-regulation phrase (e.g., 'I need a minute') when prompted during conflict situations, in 3 out of 4 observed episodes, rather than physical expression of distress."
• "By June, Sam will participate in 3 structured peer interactions per week during scheduled co-operative learning activities, with adult facilitation reduced from full to minimal support by April."

Communication Goals (Speech and Language)

These are typically developed with SLP input, but parents should be able to evaluate them:

• "By June, Maya will produce /r/ sounds accurately at the word level with 80% accuracy in structured therapy tasks, transitioning to conversation-level use with 60% accuracy."
• "By March, Leo will follow 3-step verbal classroom instructions without repetition in 4 out of 5 observed trials, using visual support (written or picture schedule) as needed."
• "By June, Zara will initiate a conversational topic with a peer using a learned opener phrase in 3 out of 5 structured social opportunities during lunch or recess."

Occupational Therapy and Motor Goals

OT goals in PEI focus on fine motor, gross motor, sensory processing, and environmental access:

• "By June, Ben will independently produce legible printed letters at a size appropriate for Grade 2 line spacing, with 80% of letterforms meeting legibility criteria on a 10-word dictation task."
• "By March, Nia will manage all components of her locker and bag independently (zipper, combination lock, coat hanging) in under 3 minutes with no adult prompting, in 4 out of 5 observed trials."
• "By June, Oliver will tolerate proximity to peers in a classroom setting for 30-minute structured work blocks without requiring a sensory break, with sensory accommodations (noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tool) in place, in 4 out of 5 observations."

Transition Goals (Grade 8 and Above)

Under MD 2025-08, students with IEPs who are 14 or older should have a Transition Action Plan (TAP) embedded in or attached to their IEP. TAP goals bridge the current school program to post-secondary life.

• "By June, Connor will independently research 2 post-secondary programs aligned with his stated vocational interests and present findings to his Resource Teacher and parent."
• "By March, Isabelle will demonstrate workplace readiness by completing a 10-hour volunteer placement with independent travel to and from the site, as documented by the placement supervisor."
• "By June, Ethan will independently schedule and attend 2 community appointments (medical, bank, or government) without adult facilitation, as verified by parent report."

How to Use This as a Parent

When you receive a draft IEP, compare each goal against the measurability criteria above. For every goal, ask the Resource Teacher:

• "How will this be tracked? What data will you collect?"
• "How will I know by June whether this goal was met?"
• "Who is specifically responsible for tracking and reporting on this goal — the classroom teacher or the Resource Teacher?"

If the school can't answer those questions concretely, the goal isn't functional. Ask for it to be rewritten before you sign.

You are not being difficult. MD 2025-08 requires measurable goals and documented progress reporting. You're holding the school to its own legal standard.

Going Further

The Prince Edward Island IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes a goal-evaluation framework, an IEP audit checklist specific to PEI's directive requirements, and guidance on how to request goal revisions when the school's first draft doesn't meet the standard. If you're preparing for an IEP meeting, it's worth having before you walk in.

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