IEP Transition Goals

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nnov tion

TriangulatedIEP Transition Goals

DevelopingRelevant andGenuine AnnualGoalsLori Y. Peterson Jon Paul Burden Jennifer M . SedaghatJu ne E. Gothberg Paula D. Khler and Jenn ifer L. Coyle

Mr Krump is a highschool specialeducationteacherwith high expecta-tions for his students. Heencourageshis students to dream big and thenhelps themcreate a plan to achievetheir goals. Inresponse to his question What do you w ant to do when yougradu ate from high school?, Austinanenergetic sophomore with tw o lippiercingsand anoversized hoodedsweatshirt shouts, I'm going to be apoliceofficer. Austin has aGPA of2.5, w rites at thesixth-gradelevel an dfrequentlyreceives in-schoolsuspen-sion forinsubordination. Iw ant tohave my own apartment without room-mates, chimes in Marisala, a person-ablesophomore with multiple disabili-ties whoexcels atinterpersonal rela-tionships,receives instruction in analternative curriculum, andrequiresassistance with daily living skills.

Mr. Krump thinks about this con-versation as heprepares for his stu-dents' individualized educationpro-gram(IEP) meetings. Austin wants tobe apoliceofficer. Marisala wants tolive on her own. How do1 know ifthey canreach theirgoals? Whatknowledge and skills will they need?How a re we going to develop annualgoals thatclearly supportthesepostsec-ondarygoalsand how do I alignthem w ith the new state standards?46 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN


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Like Mr. Krump, many educators feeloverwhelmed writing transition plans,particularly when students' dreams donot align with their current abilities;IEP teams are also challenged to alignstudents' individualized plans withchanging curricular expectations.Special education professionals arerequired by law to develop relevantand legally defensible IEPs for studentswith disabilities, while teaching to anarray of required standards. As stu-dents move into their teen years andcloser to adult life, schools mustaddress both their academic and theirtransition needs. This charge is intensi-fied as educators strive to developplans that will truly prepare studentsfor postsecondary education, employ-ment, and independent living and stillmeet standard or modified curricularexpectations.

Triangulating annual goals linksthem with transition and academicassessments, embeds industry and con-tent standards related to postsecondarygoals, and responds to any skill andknowledge gaps (see Figure 1). Thisprocess, which includes input from thestudent and key players in a student'slife,ensures that annual goals are gen-uine and relevant to postsecondarygoals, legally defensible, and meet statecontent standards (for many states, theCommon Core State Standards, CCSS;National Governors Association Centerfor Best Practices, Council of ChiefState School Officers, 2010).Figure 1 . Triangulated Annuai Geais

Developing Relevant andGenuine Itansition FocusedIEPsSuccessful transition of students withdisabilities to postsecondary life isdependent upon them having a strongfoundation of skills, knowledge, behav-iors, and strategies. The IndividualsWith Disabilities Education Act (IDEA,2006) mandates transition planning toprepare students for the demands ofadulthood, and requires transitionplanning to be a results-orientedprocess. For students with disabilities,results matterand are measured bythe improvement of both academic andfunctional skills that facilitate transi-tion from school to postschool activi-ties (Li, Bassett, Hutchinson, 2008).In developing a transition plan, the IEPteam must consider the student's needsin the areas of postsecondary educa-tion, employment, and independentliving, simultaneously or sequentially( 3 4 C . F R . 300.320[b]).

IDEA definestransition servicesas a coordinated set of activitiesthat promote movement from schoolto post-school activities (34 C.FR. 300.43[a][1]).Schools, as part oftransition services and activities, mustdevelop measurable postsecondarygoals that (a) are based on the resultsof age-appropriate transition assess-ments, (b) incorporate annual goalsthat are related to the student's needs,and (c) ensure access to the generaleducation curriculum and standards.At least one annual goal is needed to

support each of the student's post-secondary goals, and the IEP teammust specify how student progress willbe measured and reported (Katsiyan-nis,Zhang, Moore Mackjewicz,2012).This federal mandate for IEPtransition content actually helps simpli-fy IEP development, by aligning thevarious components (present level ofacademic achievement and functionalperformance, annual goals, course ofstudy, special education and relatedservices, duration of services, andaccommodations) with the student'spostsecondary goals (Finn Khler,2009). In addition, to align the annualgoal to the general education curricu-lum (for many states the CCSS), moststates require a standards-based IEP.

IDEA allows states to use perfor-mance indicators to monitor their pro-vision of special education services. Ofthe 20 performance indicators, onlyone.Indicator 13, is federally moni-tored; it requires states to ensure thattransition IEPs include appropriatemeasurable postsecondary goals thatare annually updated and . . . annualIEP goals related to the student's tran-sition services needs (20 U.S.C.1416[a][3][B]; see Table 1). This man-date, along with the shift to new stan-dards, highlights the need to triangu-late students' future postsecondarygoals with state standards as well aswith the skills and knowledge require-ments for the student's desired postsec-ondary career and living situation.

If IEP teams identify realistic post-secondary goals, then every component

Industry standardsworkforce, higher education,military, independent living)

Postsecondarygoals

Triangulatedannual goalsstate content

standards

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Table 1 . Aligning Postsecondary Goals With Annual G oals

IEP Postsecondary and Annual GoalsPostsecondary goal:To work as a truckdriver.Annual goal:Will be able to determinethe meaning of words and phrases as theyare used in a text, including figurative,connotative, and technical meanings ata 9th grade reading level.

Postsecondary goal:To attend a cosmetologyschool.Annual goal:Will be able to select and applycomputational techniques to solve a variety ofalgebraic problems at a lOth-grade level anddetermine the reasonableness of the solutionwith85 accuracy.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Goals Meet Indica tor 13 Requirements? ^^ ^^ 1The leading goal provides a basis for the student to pass the commercialdriver licensing test; it also fulfills a job-skill need to be able to read andcomprehend industry documents.Including information in the IEP that delineates the skill set requiredby the postsecondary goal (see O*NET Online Summary Report athttp://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-3032.00) establishes aclear connection between the annual goals and the postsecondary goal.The goal in algebra will support the student's development of complexproblem-solving skills.Including information in the IEP that delineates the skill set requiredby the postsecondary goal (see O*NET Online Summary Report athttp://www .onetonline.org/link/sum mary/39 -5012.0 0) establishes aclear connection between the annual goals and the postsecondary goal.

of the plan (including annual academ-ic,life skill, social-emotional, andbehavior goals) should assist the stu-dent in reaching those goals. Develop-ing annual goals that realistically andclearly link to the student's postsec-ondary goals requires more than check-ing a box to meet compliance regula-tions. The questions for IEP teams indeveloping transition plans are:? What skills and knowledge do stu-

dents need to meet their postsec-ondary goals?

? What skills and knowledge arerequired or identified by our statestandards?

? What annual goals will help stu-dents progress toward achievingtheir postsecondary goals?There are industry standard s forthe skills and knowledge individualsneed in order to function in the work-force, postsecondary education, andindependent living environments.

Identifying skill and knowledge gapsbetween the standards associated withthe postsecondary environment andstudents' current skills can guide thedevelopment of g nuin (realistic tothe context) and relev nt (valuable tostudents) annual goals. Developing tri-angulated annual goals that link thestudent's postsecondary goals to statecontent and industry standards is a

seven-step process (see Figure 2). Onceeducators master the steps to triangu-late annual goals, they can enhance theprocess by conducting a task analysisto expand the scope and sequence ofidentified goals as well as monitorprogress.Step : Conduct and ReviewTransition Related AssessmentsData from transition assessments con-tribute significantly to the foundationof postsecondary and annual goals(Morningstar&Liss, 2008). Ideally, theIEP team will use a variety of assess-ments and inventories to comprehen-sively evaluate the student's transition-related skills and identify interests andpreferences in the areas of education,employment, living, and personal andsocial env ironments. This processshould assess all relevant data thatrelates to the attainment of the stu-dent's postsecondary goals includingcurrent academic performance, behav-ioral and disciplinary data, attendancerecords, and classroom and on-the-jobobservations. Developing a transition-focused plan requires examining alldata through the transition lens with afocus on specific postsecondary goals.For example, if a student's postsec-ondary goal is a career in nursing,transition assessment data that simplyreflect an interest in the medical field

is not sufficient; data are neededregarding the student's performance inthe skill areas needed for a particularfield of nursing.

Developing annual goals thatrealistically and clearly link

to the student's postsecondarygoals requires more thanchecking a box to meetcompliance regulations.

Using assessm ents, skilled question-ing,school records, and other data cansupport students in identifying postsec-ondary goals that match their personalinterests and preferences, and whichwill form the foundation for relevantannualgoals.Therearemanyresources toassist educators in devel-oping a comprehensive assessmentplan to drive postsecondary goal devel-opm ent (see box, Transition Assess-ment Resources ).Step 2: Write thePostsecondary GoalsPostsecondary goals are the coordinat-ing component of a transition-focusedIEP,the litmus test for evaluating therelevance of every other component of

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coursework if they do not meet orexceed cut-off scores on college place-ment assessments.Postsecondary mploymentTo support stude nts' identification ofpostsecondary career goals, IEP teamsshould collect and use assessmentsthat both identify student skills, knowl-edge, interests, and abilities, and alsolink these to potential careers andindustries. In addition to resourcesavailable through school counselingoffices and transition resource person-nel, there are several Internet web sitesthat provide knowledge and employ-ment skills assessments, profiles ofcareers, and planning tools.

Military service can encompass botheducation and employment goals; stu-dents interested in careers in the armedforces need to take the Armed ServicesVocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB;see http://official-asvab.com/). As withpostsecondary education requirements,there are minimum ASVAB scoresrequired for each branch of the military(currently3 for the Army andMarines, 35 for the Navy, 36 for the AirForce, and 45 for the Coast Guard).Independent LivingAlthough there may not be a standard-ized source of skills and knowledgerelated fo independent living skills,there are certain functional expecta-tions for living on one's own versusliving within a supported environment.IEP transition teams should considerthe general minimum requisite func-tional skills necessary for independentliving. For example, orientation andmobility skills for students with visualimpairments should be established ator near competencies measured near100%. Similarly, skills such as cooking,driving, cleaning one's home, andusing public transportation all requirehigh thresholds for success as theinstances of nonsuccess without sup-port or supervision could be dangerousto the student's health and well-being.Step 4: Identify Student Skilland Knowledge BaselineAfter identifying the industry standardsthat relate to potential postsecondary

Table 2 Industry Stand ard ResourcesHighereducation

Workforce

Independentliving

School counselors, transition resource personnel, and admis-sions offices at local community colleges or 4-year institutionscan provide a general overview of the skills necessary to besuccessful in the postsecondary education setting.Education institution disability services offices can provideinformation on the types of support services available andsteps for accessing these.Web sites such as the Occupational Information Network(O*NET; http://www.onetonline.org), a project sponsored bythe U.S. Department of LaborFor students interested in a career in the armed forces, theArmed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery web site (ASVAB;http://official-asvab.com/index.htm) provides informationregarding the skills necessary to be in the military (e.g.,paragraph comprehension, mechanical comprehension,assembling objects).Contact adult developmental disability service providersor centers for independent living for information relatedto independent living skill thresholds.The National Dissemination Center for Childrenwith Disabilities (NICHY) has a resource page onindependent living and additional resources athttp://nichcy.org/schoolage/transitionadult/independent.

goals, the IEP team should review thestudent's transition, academic, andbehavioral data to establish a baselineand identify specific barriers to attain-ment of postsecondary goals. Forexample, if a student wants to becomea police officer or go into the militarybut has been convicted of a felony, hemay not be eligible to attain this post-secondary goal. Similarly, a studentwho is a registered sex offender or hasbeen convicted of a felony is unlikelyto find employment in schools orworking with children.Step 5: Conduct a Gap AnalysisIndustry standards and data from com-pleted transition assessments informthe gap between students' currentskills and their postsecondary goals. Todefine the gap a direct comparison ismade between current levels of aca-demic and functional performance andthose required by the preferred post-secondary setting. This informationidentifies target points for instructionalgoals and establishes the necessaryrates of improvement (ROI) required

for the student to attain the postsec-ondary goal. An ROI can easily be cal-culated by the amount of progressneeded divided by the amount of timeit will take to attain the postsecondarygoal. Once the gap and ROI are estab-lished, the IEP team should determineif the gap is bridgeable in the time thestudent has left to receive servicesunder IDEA (or until graduation,whichever comes first). Gaps thatappear to be too great may require theteam to review the postsecondary goalto determine if it is still an achievable next real step for the student, andthe necessary interventions and sup-ports for assisting the student in pro-gressing towards the goal.Step 6: Identify StateStandanlsMany states require that IEP annualgoals be linked to state content stan-dards or the CCSS, in order to identifythe skills and knowledge necessary forstudents to make progress in the gener-al curriculum. Determining the appro-priate standard to assist students in

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Table 3 W rit ing SMART Individwaiized Education Program GoalsS

M

A

R

T

Each goal should identify a specific skill, behavior, strategy orpiece of knowledge that is related to the target area.The goal must be measurable meaning that it is observable andcountable.Goals must use words that indicate the specific action the studentmust take in order to show performance, words that show thedirection in which the behavior will progress, related to the areaof need, and specify the level and conditions of attainment.Goals should be developed that are realistic and relevant;theymust specifically address the student's area of need, and in thepostsecondary planning realm they must be relevant to assistingthe student in meeting a postsecondary goal.

Goals must indicate a specific time limitin which they will beaccomplished.

attaining the postsecondary goalrequires transition teams to identify thestandards reflecting the current or nextgrade level for students. The use of off-grade-level or below-grade-level stan-dards will ultimately result in a failureto achieve the desired outcome of clos-ing the achievement gap between cur-rent performance, industry standards,and the postsecondary goal. Teamsshould remain focused on grade-levelstandards aligned to the general educa-tion curriculum. Aligning goals to less-er standards greatly decreases the like-lihood of postsecondary readiness andsuccess.Step 7: Write IHangulatedAnnual GoalsAs with all goals, the triangulatedannual goal should consist, at a mini-mum, of an observable behavior(action), a condition, and criteria(measurement). Triangulating thesethree components helps the team writea goal that provides a maximized out-come for students with disabilities.Jung (2007) recommended using theSMART acronym: including specific,measurable, actions, realistic and rele-vant, and time-limited information inthe goal (Wright Wright, 2006; seeTable 3).When determining measurable crite-ria for transition-related goals, consider

the minimum criteria for success.For example, if a student currentlyresponds to teacher requests 6 of thetime, it may be tempting to expect thestudent to improve to a 50 within 1year. However, consider the postsec-ondary minimum threshold for suc-cess,such as an employer making arequest of an employee. Is responding50 of the time acceptable for suc-cess? Would a minimum threshold bebetter set at a higher level, say 90 ?Although setting such a high criteriamay seem challenging for the studentto attain, if educators are not aimingfor the minimum criteria for success, itmay never be accomplished. In addi-tion, lower standards fail to communi-cate authentic adult expectations tostudents and their families.

Triangulated, transition-focusedannual goals must show a specificalignment between the skills andknowledge needed to make progress inthe general education curriculum, theskills and knowledge required by theindustry, and the postsecondary goal.They also must be rooted in the needsof the student and the impact of thedisability. All of these pieces cometogether to form a cohesive andconcrete annual goal that helps pro-mote movement towards postsec-ondary goal attainment.

The postsecondary goal also shouldbe self-evident within the annual goal.One way to ensure this outcome is toread the annual goal and ask if eachelement is clearly identifiable. Whenread in isolation from the rest of theIEP,the reader of an annual goalshould be able to (a) state the postsec-ondary goal, (b) identify the content orGCSS standard, and (c) identify theindustry standard. In addition, all ofthese elements should be documentedwithin the annual goal section of theIEP.

If the purpose of an annual goal isto help close the gap between currentperformance and desired performance,then the established ROI in the annualgoal must be sufficiently written to dojust that. For example, if a beginningjunior needs to read at 170 words perminute by the end of 12th grade tosucceed in college and her currentbaseline is 80 words per minute, shewould need an ROI of 2.5 words perweek (determined by her gap of 90words per minute divided by 36 weeksinstruction). If the annual goal is writ-ten to reflect a growth of 2 words perweek, the gap is not likely to closewithin the identified timeframeandher pursuit of the postsecondary goalmay be compromised. In addition, theannual goal as written diminishes thelegitimacy of the IEP as a transitionplan that supports the student inattaining her postsecondary goals.Triangulating IEP Goals:Two ExamplesOur opening scenario introduced twoof Mr. Krump's stude nts, Austin andMarisala. Austin is a 16-year-old stu-dent in 10th grade and has his driver'slicense. He was identified for specialeducation services under the categoryof specific learning disability in thearea of written language. He hasexpressed an interest in becoming apolice officer; an interest inventory hetook highlighted interest in the areas ofregulation and protection, and commu-nication and records.

Marisala is a 17-year-old student,also in 10th grade. She was identifiedfor special education services underthe category of multiple disabilities

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with intellectual an d speech languageimpairments .She ispassingall of herclasses with significant accommoda-tions an dm odifications to the curricu-lum including modified responsesandone-on-one support. Marisala enjoysher Theater Arts and Spanish classes,and socializing with peers;she is inter-ested inworkingin the child-care fieldafter high school.

Mr. Krump understands that eachofthese students' transition IEPs shouldbe tailored to identify their specificneeds as these relate to their postsec-ondary goals.He and theotherm em -bers of thestudents ' IEPteamsfol-lowed th e seven-step process wehaveoutlined to develop triangulatedIEPgoals.Step : Conduct and ReviewTransition Related AssessmentsTable4summarizes th eresults ofvari-ous transition-related assessme nts thathelped the IEPteam understand Austinand Marisala's current level of per-formance in theareas of education,employm ent, l iving, andpersonalandsocial environm ents as these related tothe students' interests and preferences.The types of assessment data collectedby the IEPteam s nec essarily differed;the information they needed to collecthad to beindividualized for eachofthe students.Step 2: Write the PostsecondaryGoals

ustin The IEPteam (whichincluded Austin) reviewed hi stransi-tion assessments todetermine the rea-sonable next steps for 1to 2yearsfol-lowing high school. Although acareeras a police officer is his stated employ-ment goal,the team acknowledged thatit m aytake himlonger tha n 2yearstoaccomplish this.The next real stepsforAustin, they decided, would be for himto gain education, training, and workexperience related to acareer in lawenforcement. Therefore, his IEP reflect-ed th e following postsecondary goals:is Education: After graduation, Austin

will enroll in and attend CrabtreeCom munity Collegeto obtain anassociate's degree in Criminal

Justice aspreparation for applyingto th epolice academy.

Employment: After graduation,Austin will work part t ime withlocal lawenforcem ent (sheriff'soffice, police department, orbuOd-ing security) while attendingCrabtree Community College.

Because Au stin's Transition PlanningInventory (TPI;Clark Patton, 2006)indicated that his independent livingskills were typical of his agegroup,th e IEPteam did not need to writean independent living postsecondarygoal.

Marisala Marisala, Mr.Krump,a ndthe other mem bersof her IEPteamreviewed her transition assessments todetermine th enext reasonable stepsforher. Although acknowledging that sh eis interested inworking in apreschool,they noted that her Adaptive BehaviorAssessment System-Second Edition(ABAS-Il; Harrison Oakland, 2003)indicated need forsupport in adaptivefunctioning, home living, and commu-nity use.They decided that th enextreal steps for Marisala wouldbe togain jobtraining related to child careand instruction in home living skills.Her postsecondary goals reflected thisdecision: Education: After completingher

high school career, Marisala willparticipate in on-the-job trainingwiththeassistanceof the jobcoachin th earea of child care.

Employment: After completingherhigh school career, Marisala willobtain part-time employmentin thearea of child care.

Independent living: After complet-ing h er high school career, Marisalawill have th eskills tolivein anassisted living situation by cookingfor herself, grocery shopping,andparticipating in household cleaning.

Step 3: Identify PostsecondaryGoal Skills and Knowledge

ustin Priorto the IEP team meet-ing, Mr.Krump and Austin reviewedhis assessment data and drafted somepostsecondary goals. They reviewed

the O*NET skill an d ability standardsfor th eoccupation of police officer(see http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3051.01) andcontactedthe community college admissionsofflce and disability support servicesoffice forinformation on academicskills that support success in the com-munity college setting. They alsodis-cussed and focused on Austin's currentneed for special education servicesinthe area ofwriting skills.

Tob e ableto be admitted to andsucceed in the community collegeset-t ing, they determined that Austinwould need a minimum writing profl-ciency reflecting at least lOth-gradelevel writing vocabulary, structure,andreadability. He would also needto beable to take accurate electronicorhandwritten notes during instruction,an d tocompose a well formulated andsubstantiated five-paragraph essay.These skills would also prove essentialto achieving hi s career goal;th e indus-try standards for police officers includestrong English language skills (spellingof words, rules of composition, andgrammar) and ability to document andrecord information (O*NET Online,n.d.) .

Marisala Prior to her IEPteammeeting, Mr.Krump and Marisalareviewed th e transition assessmentdata and identified some preliminarypostsecondary goals. Basedon herinterest inworking in child careand inliving in a supported environment ,they reviewed both th e postsecondaryindustry standards for child-care occu-pations and the adaptive behaviorskills necessary for independent living.Throughout this process, Mr.Krumpand Marisala considered her need toreceive special education services infollowing multistep directions anddeveloping daily living skills.

The O*NET standards for child-careworkers (see ht tp : //www .oneton line.org/hnk/summary/39-9011.00) includ-ed oral comprehension skills (i.e.,th eability to listento and understandinformation and ideas presented oral-ly), sothis becam e agoal shewouldneed to meet prior to leaving highschool. Based on areviewof herABAS-II (Harrison Oakland, 2003)

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Table4 Transition Related Assessment DataI^^^^^^^^^^^^B Austin ^^^^^^^^^^^^H

AssessmentTPl

Mock jobinterview

BESI

ACT Plan

Stateassessment(Crade9

WJIII

Flesch-Kincaldreadabilityanalysis(MicrosoftWord tool)

Information for I P team

Interpersonal Relationships: Austinhasdifficulty respondingtodirectives givenby authority figures.

Austin scored below averageonappear-ance (clothing) and above averageonpresentation (answering questionsthoughtfully). The interviewer statedhewould possibly hire Austin becausehewas motivated and had goals.Austin's scores indicatehehas morebarriers than most adultsinthe areasofPersonal and Financial, Career Decision-Making and Planning, Emotional andPhysical, Job Seeking Knowledge,andTraining and Education.

Overall compositeof 18 with subscoresof Reading 19, English 12, Math 19,andScience20Proficiency inReading and Math;unsatisfactory scoreinWriting

Average scoreinReading and Math;Limited toAverage scoreinWrittenLanguage, Written Expression, Spelling,Writing Fluency, and writing samplesScored6.0grade level (range, 5.3-6.7)

^^^^B Marisala ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ HAssessmentTPI

TOLD

ABAS-II

Reading(teacherreport)

Followingdirections(teacherreport)Math skills(teacherreport)

Daily livingskills(informalobservationand parentinformation)

Information for IEP teamStrengthsinLeisure Activities,Self-Determination,andInterpersonal Relationships;identified needsinEmployment, FurtherEducation and Training, Daily Living,Community Participation, and Health andCommunicationSignificant impairments inthe areasofspoken language (standard score 50),grammar (standard score 50) and organizing(standard score 54); relative strengthsinlistening and vocabulary

Overall adaptive functioning, conceptual, social.social and practical skills within the ExtremelyLow rangeat school and Borderline rangeathome. Areasofrelative strength included healthand safety skills.Athome Marisala also showedstrength insocial ability. Areasofconcerninclude functional academics, communication.self-care, home living, and community use.Marisala readsat lst-grade level with compre-hension fallinginthe late kindergarten range;she can writealllettersinthe alphabet.

Marisala can follow two-step oral directionswith 90 accuracy.

Marisala can count pennies with 90 accuracy.nickels with 80 accuracy, dimes with 40accuracy, and quarte rs with 60 accuracy withassistance.Marisalaisabletotake careofher personalhygieneatschool. She requires assistance whengoing outinthe community; sheisunsurewhen navigating from one placetoanother andis hesitantto walk across roads without theassistanceofan adult. Sheisnot abletolocateitemsin astore, useastore directory,oraskforh lp She can cookonher own with picturedirections.

Noie.IEP = individualized education program. TPI = Transition Planning Inventory (Clark & Patton, 2006); BESI = BarrierstoEmployment Success Inventory (Liptak, 2011); WJ III = Woodcock-Johnson III TestsofAchievement (Woodcock, McCrew, &Mather, 2001); TOLD = TestofLanguage Development Intermediate-Fourth Edition (Hammill & Newcomer, 2008); ABAS-II=Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition (Harrison & Oakland, 2003); ACT Plan (ACT (n .d.).

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scores and a conversation with anadult developmental disability serviceprovider, they also realized that sheneeded the ability to find items in astore and shop for home goods andgroceries.

Step : Identify Student Skilland KnoNvledge Baseline

ustin Mr. Krump reviewedAustin's present levels of academic andfunctional performance to identifyAustin's current writing skills. Austin'swriting scores and other measures ofperformance related to writing indicateimpairments related to written expres-sion and readability levels. He current-ly performs around the 13th percentilewith readability levels measuredaround the sixth-grade level.

Marisala Mr. Krump reviewedMarisala 's present levels of perform-ance to identify her daily living skillsand her ability to follow directions.Currently, Marisala is able to followtwo-step oral directions with 90%accuracy. She does not currently havethe skills required to shop independ-ently for groceries.Step 5: Conduct a GapAnalysis

ustin A sophomore in highschool, Austin currently writes at thesixth-grade level; to be successful incommunity college, he needs to beable to function at the lOth-grade level.Therefore, Austin will need to close awritten expression gap of two gradelevels by the time he finishes highschool. The IEP team will need todecide if this gap is bridgeable forAustin or if an adjustment should bemade to his postsecondary goal so itreflects the true next real step forAustin to attain his goal of becoming apolice officer.

Marisala Marisala needs to be pro-ficient at following multistep oral andwritten directions to work in the fieldof child care; she has not yet masteredfollowing two-step oral directions. Inorder to live semi-independently shewill also need to be able to locateitems in a grocery store without sup-port, and to be able to ask others for

assistance. Again, her IEP team willneed to decide if these gaps are bridge-able for Marisala or if adjustmentsshould be made to the postsecondarygoals to more accurately reflect herattainable skills.

Step 6: Identify StateStandardsThe state in which Austin and Marisalalive uses the CCSS as their state stan-dards. Mr. Krump's next step was toidentify the CCSS that relate to Austin'sand Marisala 's needs and postsec-ondary goals.

For both Austin and Marisala, Mr.Krump identified CCSS literacy stan-dards (see http:/ /www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12; NationalCovernors Association Center for BestPractices, Council of Chief State SchoolOfficers, 2010) that aligned with theirneeds and goals. For Austin, thesefocused on Developing topics and identifying

information, details, and otherinformation appropriate to aparticular audience (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.ll-12.2b);

Being able to link major sectio nsof the text and clarify relationshipsbetween c la ims, reasons, andevidence (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1C);

Being able to prod uce clearand coherent writing (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4); and

Planning , revising, editing, andrewriting skills (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.5).

Marisala's identified needs alignedwith CCSS that involved: Being able to integra te mu ltiple

sources of information from differ-ent formats and media (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL. 11-12.2);

Evaluating advan tages and dis-advantages of different media(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7); and

Synthesizing information from arange of sources (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.9).Although Mr. Krump was able to

link CCSS to Marisala's goals, Marisala

receives instruction in an alternativecurriculum for the majority of theschool day. Some states have expandedon the CCSS by identifying extendedevidence outcomes and access skills toidentify outcomes for students workingin an alternative curriculum.Step 7: Write TriangulatedAnnual Goals

ustin Using information thatassessed Austin's current level of skillsand knowledge, the education andindustry standards related to his post-secondary goal, and the CCSS, Mr.Krump and Austin's IEP team wereable to develop triangulated annualgoals. These goals addressed both hisneed to improve his level of writingskills and his need to be able to recordand distill information, and included: Austin will com pose all written

work at a minimum lOth-grade writ-ing level to include compound,complex, and compound-complexsentence structures as measured byFlesch-Kincaid readability analysison a minimum of five formal writ-ing assignments.

Austin will record (in wri tten for-mat) information as heard fromthree different sources with 90%accuracy as measured three timesper quarter.Marisala Mr. Krump and Marisala 's

IEP team developed triangulated ann u-al goals that addressed Marisala 's cur-rent level of skills and knowledge, thechild-care industry standards, andadaptive behavior expectations. Thesegoals included: Marisala will listen to oral direction s

of four steps and follow them with100% acc uracy for 10 task s perweek for 15 consecutive weeks.

W hen given a grocery list with sixitems Marisala will locate and pur-chase these items with 100% accu-racy during four consecutive shop-ping trips.

Bringing It All TogetherTriangulating annual goals to the post-secondary goal creates a student-focused, compliant, legally defensible

54 COUN CIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN


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Figure 3 Examples of Triangulated Annuai GoaisKayla s IEP

^ Postsecondarygoal

Annual goal

State standardmet by thegoal

Industrystandard metby the goal

To work in the food service industry. 1

Speech-language goal: Kayla will improve 1her receptive and expressive speech- 1language skills through answering various 1 wh questions in the provided order with 1100% accuracy on 6 consecutive trials. 1CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.3 1CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.lM2.4 1

O*NET Skills and Abilities Sum mary: 135-3021.00 (Food Preparation and Serving 1Workers) 1See speaking , active listening, and oral 1expression standards 1

Annette s IEPPostsecondarygoal

Annual goal

State standardmet hy thegoal

Industrystandardmet hythe goal

To ride the city bus to work and homeindependently.

Orientation and mobility goal: Annetteviiill learn to identify her bus stop (in thecommunity and on the bus map), ask thedriver for confirmation of destination priorto boarding the bus, and confirm thedestination with the driver prior to depart-ing the bus.Annette will demonstrate this skill100% of the time over 10 consecutiveindependent trials in a1 monthperiod.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.9

O*NET Skills and Abilities (multiplecareer paths)See critical thinking, deductivereasoning, and inductive reasoning skillsAdaptive behavior skill: The ABAS-IIidentifies the need for individuals to beable to travel within the community eitherby walking, using public transportation, orusing a bicycle or a car.

Lem ont s IEPPostsecondarygoal

Annual goal


Industrystandard metby the goal

To join the U.S. Marine Corps and become 1a machinist. 1Behavior goal: Lemont will respond to 1direction/red irection by using the following 1learned skills: have eye contact, use a 1calm tone of voice, and acknowledg e the 1person(s) speakin g to him 95% of the time. 1

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.3 1CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6O*NET Skills and Abilities Summary:51-4041.00 (Machinists)See monitoring and active listeningstandards.U.S.Armed Forces Standards: A localrecruiter identified that individuals inthe Marine Corps needed to be able torespectfully receive and respond todirectives and corrective feedback fromauthority figures.

Jeremy s IEPPostsecondarygoal

Annual goal


Industrystandard methy the goal

To attend community college and earn anassociate's degree in criminal investigation.

Jeremy will advocate for himself when hedoesn't understand content or instructions:asking questions for clarification, andaccessing learning center tutors and othersupport systems available to him in five outof five situations.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1

O*NET Skills and Abilities Summary:33-3021.03 (Criminal Investigators andSpecial Agents)See problem sensitivity, inductivereasoning, and oral comprehensionstandards.

;. IEP = indiv iduali zed ed ucati on prograrn; CCSS = C om mo n Core State Stan dard s; ABAS-II = A daptive Behavioressm ent System-Second Edition (Harrison & Oakland , 2003).rmation on CCSS is available at http://w ww .cor esta nda rds. org /; information on industry standard s accessed fromlET web si te occupation searches, ht tp:/ /www.onetonline .org/ .


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and relevant IEP (see Figure 3). Thisdoes not mean, however, that the IEP,postsecondary goal, and annual goalsare static. Educators must continue to

goal, then why is it even in the IEP? Atthe secondary level, every goal shouldbe related to transition. If annual goalsdo not clearly support postsecondary

Some states have expanded on the SShy identifyingextended evidence outcomes and access skills to identify

outcomes for students w orking in an alternative curriculum.develop plans specific to the needs ofthe student and maintain flexibilitywhen revising plans; students' postsec-ondary goals often change. Triangu-lating annual goals supports identifyingthe next real steps necessary for stu-dents to attain their postsecondarygoals.

Sometimes, IEP teams approachspecial education and transition goalsas two distinctly different functions,writing annual goals focused on aca-demic skills and separate goals toaddress transition skills. But why sepa-rate these goals? If an annual goaldoesn't directly or genuinely supportmovement toward the postsecondary

success, their value to the IEP must bequestioned. Greating triangulated tran-sition and academic focused annualgoals ensures that al lgoals are appli-cable to postsecondary plans.eferen esACT. (n.d.).ACT plan [Testing prog ram ].

Retrieved from http://www.act.org/products /k-12-act-plan/

ASVAB (2013J. Enlistment eligibility.Retrieved from http:// ofci al-asva b.com/eligibility_coun.htm

Clark, G. M., Patto n, J. R. (2006). Tran-sition planning inventory: Administra-tion and resource guide. Austin, TX:PRO-ED.

Colorado Department of Higher Education.(2011). Section 1: Academic affairs. Part

E: Statewide remedial education policy.Retrieved from http://higheredcolorado.gov/publications/policies

/archive.htmlEtscheidt, S. (2006]. Issues in transition

planning: Legal decisions.CareerDevelopment for Exceptional Individuals29(1), 28-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/08857288060290010201

Finn , J. E., Khler, P. D. (2009). A com pli-ance evaluation of the Transition Out-comes Project. CareerDevelopmen t forExceptional Individuals 32(1), 17-29.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0885728808315332

Ham mill, D. D., Newcom er. P. L.(2008). Test of language developmentIntermediate (4th ed.). Austin, TX:PRO-ED.

Harrison , P. L., Oaklan d, T. (2003).Adaptive behavior assessment system(2nd ed.). Torrance, CA: Western Psycho-logical Services.

IDEA Regulations, 34C F R 300 (2012).Individuals With Disabilities Education Act,

20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. (2006 Supp .V. 2011).

Jung, L. A. [2007). Writing SMART objec-tives and strategies that fit the ROUTINE.TE CHING Exceptional Children 34(4),54-58.Katsiyannis, A., Zha ng, D., Moore Mack-jewicz, S. (2012). Promising practicesfor effective transition for students

5 6 GouNciL FOR EXCEPTIONAL GHILDREN


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with emotional and behavior disorders .InJ. P.Bakken,F. E.Obiakor, A.F.Rotatori (Eds.), Behavioral disorders:Practice concems and students withEB D(Advances in Special Education,Vol.23, pp. 157-178). Bingley, UnitedKingdom: Emerald Group.

Li,J., Bassett,D. S., Hutchinson, S. R.(2008). Secondary special educators'transition involvement. Joumal ofIntellectual Developmental Disabilities,34 , 163-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13668250902849113

Liptak,J. J. (2011). Barriersto employmentsuccess inventory [4th ed.). Indianapolis,IN: JIST.

Morningstar,M. E.,& Liss,J. M.(2008).Apreliminary investigationof how statesare respondingto the transition assess-ment requirements under IDEIA 2004.Career Development for ExceptionalIndividuals, 31(1), 48-55 . h t tp : / /dx .do i.org/10.1177/0885728807313776National Center for O*NET Development(n.d.) . Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org

National Governors Association CenterforBest Practices, Councilof Chief StateSchool Officers (2010). Common corestate standards forEnglish language arts,literacyand writing grades 11-12.Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.Org/ELA-Literacy/W/ll-12

National Secondary Transition and TechnicalAssistance Center (2006). Indicator13checklist. Frequently asked questions andresponses. Retrieved from http://www.nsttac.org/s ites /default/files /assets /pdf/pdf/il3checklis tqa.pdf

O*NET OnLine. (n.d.). Summary reportfor:33-3051.01 -Police patrol officers.Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3051.01

O*NET OnLine. (n.d.). Summary reportfor:39-9011.00-Childcare workers. Retrievedfrom http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-9011.00

Woodcock, R. W.,McGrew,K. S.,& Mather,N. (2001). Woodcock-Jolinson III testsofachievement. Rolling Meado ws,IL:Riverside.

Wright,P. W. D.,& Wright, P. D.(2006).Smart IEPs.In P. W. D. Wright, &P. D.Wright, Wrightslaw: From emotions toadvocacyThe special education survivalguide 2nd ed.).Hartfield, VA: Harb orHouseLaw.

Lori Y. Peterson (Colorado CEC), AssistantProfessor, SchoolofSpecial Education,University of Northem Colorado, CreeleyJon Paul Burden (Colorado CEC), Director:an d JenniferM Sedaghat (Colorado CEC),TeacheronSpecial Assignmen t, ExceptionalStudent Services, W eld RE-4 School District,Windsor, Colorado.JuneE Gothberg

(Michigan CECj, Senior Research Assoc iate,Officeof theVice President forResearch;PaulaD Khler (Michigan CECj, AssociateVice President forResearchand Professor;an d JenniferL Coyle (Michigan CECj,Project Coordinator, Senior ResearchAssociate, Officeof the Vice PresidentforResearch, Westem Michigan University,Kalamazoo.This document wasproduced inpart underU.S. Department ofEducation, OfficeofSpecial Education Programs GrantNo.m326J050004. Dr Marlene Simon-Burroughs servedas theproject officer.Theviews expressed hereindo not necessarilyrepresent thepositions and policiesof theU.S. Department ofEducation. Noofficialendorsement by theU .S. Department ofEducation of anyproduct, comm odity, s erv-ice,or enterprise mentioned in this publica-tion isintended orshould beinferred.Address correspondence conceming this arti-cleto Lori Peterson, Universityof NorthemColorado, Campus Box141, Greeley, CO80639 (e-mail: lori.peterson@un co.edu).TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 45No . 6 pp. 46-57.Copyright 2013 CEC.

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