South Carolina Postsecondary Goals IEP Examples

What South Carolina Requires in Postsecondary Goals

Every transition-age IEP in South Carolina must include measurable postsecondary goals — statements describing what the student will do after leaving high school. Federal law under IDEA requires appropriate measurable goals related to training, education, and employment, with independent living addressed when the transition assessments indicate it is appropriate.

South Carolina's early transition trigger — planning must begin during the IEP year in which the student turns 13 — means these goals appear in IEPs earlier than in most states. The goals are refined each year as new transition assessments provide updated data about the student's skills, interests, and functional abilities.

What Makes a Postsecondary Goal Measurable

The most common compliance failure in transition IEPs isn't missing goals — it's goals that aren't measurable. "Hopes to get a job" or "wants to go to college" are preferences, not measurable postsecondary goals.

A compliant goal has three components:

It starts with a temporal marker — "After graduation" or "Upon exiting high school" or "Within one year of completing high school."

It uses definitive language — "will enroll," "will obtain," "will be employed" — not aspirational phrasing like "hopes to" or "plans to."

It names a specific, observable outcome that can be verified. "Will be employed in a food-service position" is measurable because someone can check whether the student has that job. "Will explore career options" is not, because there's no way to determine whether the exploration happened or was sufficient.

Compliant Employment Goal Examples

These examples illustrate the structure. Every goal should be individualized to the student based on their transition assessments — never copied verbatim from a bank without modification.

"After exiting high school, [Student] will obtain competitive integrated employment in the culinary arts field, working at least 20 hours per week."

"Upon graduation, [Student] will be employed in a supported employment position in a warehouse or distribution setting, with job-coaching support coordinated through SCVRD."

"Within one year of completing high school, [Student] will maintain part-time employment in a retail or customer-service position, using the workplace social skills practiced during school-based job training."

Notice each one names a field, a type of employment, or a specific support — not just "will have a job."

Compliant Education and Training Goal Examples

"After exiting high school, [Student] will enroll in a certificate program in automotive technology at a South Carolina technical college, using accommodations documented in the Summary of Performance."

"Upon graduation, [Student] will participate in a workforce-readiness training program through SCVRD, completing a minimum of one vocational skills module within the first year."

"After exiting high school, [Student] will enroll in a life-skills-based postsecondary program, such as the ClemsonLIFE or Coastal Carolina LIFE program, to continue developing independent living and employment skills."

For students pursuing the High School Employability Credential rather than a standard diploma, the education goal often targets vocational training or technical-college certificates rather than four-year degree programs — but it doesn't have to. The goal should match the student, not the credential track.

Compliant Independent Living Goal Examples

Independent living goals aren't required for every student — only when the transition assessments indicate a need. But IEP teams sometimes skip them even when the data clearly supports inclusion, either because they're unsure how to write them or because they assume another goal covers the territory.

"After exiting high school, [Student] will independently manage daily living tasks — including meal preparation, personal hygiene, and household maintenance — in a supervised apartment or family home setting."

"Upon exiting high school, [Student] will use public transportation independently to travel between home and a work or day-program location, following the fixed-route bus system in [County]."

"After graduation, [Student] will manage personal finances — including banking transactions and monthly budgeting — using supported decision-making assistance from a designated supporter."

Connecting Goals to Transition Services

A postsecondary goal without a corresponding transition service in the IEP is like a destination without a route. For each goal, the IEP should list the instruction, community experiences, employment development, or adult living objectives that will move the student toward it.

If the employment goal targets a food-service position, the transition services might include a community-based internship at a local restaurant, workplace-behavior instruction, and a Pre-ETS referral to SCVRD for career counseling.

If the independent living goal targets transportation independence, the services might include community-based instruction on reading bus schedules, supervised practice trips, and coordination with the local transit authority's travel training program.

When you review your child's IEP, trace each goal to its supporting services. If a goal stands alone without any service to build toward it, ask the IEP team what instruction or experience will actually prepare the student to reach that outcome.

The South Carolina IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a postsecondary goal builder worksheet that walks through each goal type with prompts based on your child's assessment results, along with model language you can bring to the IEP meeting.

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