ICP Goal Bank for Queensland Schools: Writing Goals That Hold Schools Accountable

The goals written into your child's Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP) or adjustment plan are the primary tool for measuring whether the school is actually delivering what it committed to. Vague goals protect the school. Specific, measurable goals protect your child.

This goal bank is structured around the four NCCD functional disability categories used in Queensland: cognitive, physical, sensory, and social-emotional. Use these as a starting point, then adapt them to your child's specific situation. The format matters: a useful goal specifies what the student will do, how it will be measured, in what conditions, and by when.

Before using any goal, confirm that the achievement standard in the goal is appropriate to your child's actual year-level placement (or modified placement under an ICP).

Cognitive Goals

Literacy:

• Will independently identify the main idea in a short (3–4 sentence) paragraph using a graphic organiser, with 80% accuracy across 4 consecutive tasks by end of Term 2
• Will decode 30 Dolch high-frequency sight words from the Year 2 list with 85% accuracy in 2 consecutive sessions by end of Term 3
• Will write a structured paragraph using a visual scaffold (topic sentence, 2 supporting details, conclusion) across 3 consecutive writing tasks by Week 8 Term 2

Numeracy:

• Will solve single-digit addition problems using a number line with 90% accuracy in a timed 10-minute session by end of Term 1
• Will identify coins and notes to $10 and calculate correct change in simulated shopping scenarios with 80% accuracy by end of Term 3
• Will complete a 3-step word problem using concrete materials with verbal support, with 70% accuracy across 5 consecutive problems by end of Term 2

Executive function / organisation:

• Will independently use a visual checklist to complete the morning routine (unpack bag, hang bag, copy daily agenda) on 4 out of 5 consecutive school days by Week 6 Term 2
• Will break an assigned task into at least 3 sub-steps using a task-decomposition card before beginning, in 4 out of 5 observed instances by end of Term 3
• Will submit a completed assignment before the due date with only one teacher prompt (a written reminder issued 2 days prior), across 3 consecutive assessment tasks by end of Term 2

Physical Goals

• Will independently transfer from wheelchair to classroom chair using the approved technique and with standby assistance only (no physical guidance), in 4 out of 5 observed instances by end of Term 2
• Will participate in a 20-minute adapted physical education session (modified rules, seated activities) with full engagement and no support for self-regulation of fatigue, on 3 consecutive sessions by end of Term 3
• Will use an adapted grip tool to write a minimum of 3 complete sentences within a 20-minute writing session, 4 out of 5 times by end of Term 2
• Will independently operate [specific assistive technology, e.g., communication device] to make a request or answer a question in 4 out of 5 observed classroom opportunities by end of Term 1

Sensory Goals

Hearing Impairment:

• Will access verbal instructions through the classroom FM system and respond appropriately to 4 out of 5 single-step instructions without requiring repetition, by end of Term 2
• Will self-identify when background noise is impacting comprehension and independently use the agreed signal to alert the teacher, in 4 out of 5 observed instances by end of Term 3

Vision Impairment:

• Will navigate between home classroom and specialist rooms independently using a cane on the approved route, with no physical guidance required, on 5 consecutive occasions by end of Term 1
• Will access modified large-print materials (font size [X]) or digital text independently across all core subjects by end of Term 2

Sensory processing (incl. autism, sensory processing differences):

• Will identify escalating sensory distress and independently request access to the quiet withdrawal space using the agreed communication method (card, verbal, or AAC device), in 4 out of 5 observed opportunities by end of Term 3
• Will complete a sensory regulation activity (e.g., 5-minute movement break) and return to learning tasks without teacher redirection in 3 consecutive observations by Week 10 Term 2

Social-Emotional Goals

Self-regulation:

• Will identify an escalating emotional state from a personalised feelings scale and independently use an agreed de-escalation strategy (e.g., breathing technique, movement break, safe space access) before reaching crisis point, in 4 out of 5 observed instances by end of Term 2
• Will use a break card to exit a triggering situation before behaviour escalates to verbal or physical aggression, across 4 consecutive observed instances by end of Term 3

Peer interaction:

• Will initiate a positive social interaction with a peer (verbal greeting, cooperative play, or question) in 3 out of 5 observed structured social opportunities by end of Term 2
• Will participate in a partner task for a minimum of 10 consecutive minutes using agreed communication strategies, in 3 consecutive observations by end of Term 3

Anxiety:

• Will enter the classroom on time (within 5 minutes of the bell) on 4 out of 5 school days, following the agreed entry routine, by end of Term 2
• Will complete an assessment task in the standard classroom environment with the agreed accommodations (extra time, sensory aids) in 3 consecutive assessment events without requiring removal by end of Term 3

School avoidance / attendance:

• Will attend school for at least [X] hours per day as per the agreed return-to-school plan, on at least 4 out of 5 days per week by [specified date]
• Will attend 3 consecutive full school days without a panic-driven early departure by end of Term 2

Tips for Using These Goals

At the LST meeting: Bring these as draft proposals, not demands. Frame them as: "I've drafted some goals based on [child's name]'s reports. Can we work through these together and adjust as needed?" Schools respond better to collaboration than confrontation.

Evidence of progress: For each goal, ask at the meeting: "How will progress be recorded and who is responsible for that documentation?" Get the answer in writing.

Review cycle: Goals should be reviewed at least each semester, and immediately if there's a significant change in the student's presentation.

Don't accept generic goals: If the school inserts vague goals after the meeting without your input, you have the right to request a revised plan. The ICP requires your formal endorsement.

The Queensland Disability Support Blueprint includes an ICP quality audit checklist, meeting preparation tools, and step-by-step guidance on reviewing and challenging goals that aren't working. Get the complete toolkit at /au/queensland/iep-guide/

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