The Problem With Cookie-Cutter IEP Goals
Every year, millions of IEP goals get copy-pasted from goal banks just like this one. The school fills in your child's name, slaps on "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials," and calls it individualized. It's not.
Under IDEA §300.320(a)(2), every goal must be based on your child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance — their unique strengths, their specific barriers, their actual evaluation data. Not a template.
"I've sat at over 500 IEP tables."
I'm Mary, a Special Education Advocate and the founder of The Advocate Ally. I created this goal bank because I was tired of seeing parents bullied into accepting generic, "cookie-cutter" IEPs.
The goals below aren't just random suggestions—they are the exact same forensically sound goals I fight for in meetings every day. Use them to demand better for your child.
Mary
Founder, The Advocate Ally
How Dyslexia Affects Written Expression at the Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Level
At this stage, children are building the foundational skills they'll use for the rest of their education. IEP goals should focus on concrete, observable behaviors using hands-on materials, visual supports, and structured routines. It's normal for young learners to need more adult support — the key is systematically fading that support as skills develop.
The Specific Barrier
Dyslexia affects writing through spelling difficulties, slow handwriting, limited phonological awareness for sound-symbol correspondence, and reduced automaticity that makes the physical act of writing consume most cognitive resources — leaving little for content and organization.
Building on Your Child's Strengths
Students with dyslexia often have rich vocabularies and sophisticated ideas that exceed what they can produce on paper. Assistive technology (speech-to-text, spell-check, word prediction) and alternative assessments (oral reports, multimedia projects) can reveal true ability.
What Goals Should Actually Address
Using assistive technology to produce written work that reflects verbal ability, applying learned spelling patterns to high-frequency words, and demonstrating content knowledge through alternative response formats when appropriate.
⚡ But here's the thing: The information above is general. Your child isn't a category — they're an individual with specific evaluation data, specific classroom challenges, and specific strengths that no goal bank can capture. That's why we built a tool that analyzes your child's actual IEP.
Get your child's IEP reviewed freeRed Flags: Your Child's Written Expression Goals May Be Generic If...
The goal says "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials"
This is the #1 sign of a copy-paste goal. Real criteria should match your child's baseline data, not a boilerplate number.
✕Goals that say 'will improve' without a specific, measurable target
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'Improve from what baseline to what target? How will you measure this? What does progress look like in data?' Every goal needs a starting point and an endpoint."
Want this checked automatically? Our audit checks every goal for measurability — and tells you exactly what's missing.
Run a free audit✕No baseline data — if they can't tell you where your child is NOW, the goal is meaningless
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'Before we set a target, I need to see the current performance data. What assessment was used to determine the present level for this goal?'"
Want this checked automatically? When you upload your IEP, we cross-reference every goal against the Present Levels section to catch missing baselines.
Run a free audit✕Using the same goals as last year with no change in supports despite lack of progress
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'If this goal wasn't met last year, what specific instructional changes are being made this year? Repeating the same approach and expecting a different result isn't a plan.'"
Want this checked automatically? Our audit flags recycled goals automatically — and shows you how to demand changes.
Run a free audit✕Goals that are too easy or already mastered — often a sign the school wants to show 'progress' without doing the work
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'This goal seems below my child's current level. Can you show me the data that supports this as an appropriate target? I'd like to see goals that promote actual growth.'"
Want this checked automatically? We compare goal difficulty against grade-level standards and your child's evaluation data to spot sandbagging.
Run a free auditAdvocate Tip for Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Parents
Don't let the school tell you 'they'll grow out of it.' Early intervention is the single most effective predictor of long-term success. If your child is struggling now, push for intensive, evidence-based support — not a 'wait and see' approach.
What Written Expression Goal Patterns Look Like at This Level
These are example patterns to help you understand what the school should be writing — not goals to copy. Your child's goals must be built from their evaluation data.
⚠️ These are not your child's goals. Every child with Dyslexia is different. A goal that's right for one 1st Grade student may be completely wrong for another. Use these to understand the structure of a good goal — then make sure your child's IEP team writes goals tied to their specific present levels.
- Example Pattern 1
Write first and last name legibly with correct letter formation
What a school might write: "The student will write first and last name legibly with correct letter formation with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is write first and documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 2
Draw a picture and dictate or write at least one sentence that describes it
What a school might write: "The student will draw a picture and dictate or write at least one sentence that describes it with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is draw a picture documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 3
Copy a simple sentence from a model with correct spacing between words
What a school might write: "The student will copy a simple sentence from a model with correct spacing between words with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is copy a simple documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 4
Write at least three complete sentences on a single topic with a capital letter and period
What a school might write: "The student will write at least three complete sentences on a single topic with a capital letter and period with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is write at least documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 5
Generate a list of words related to a given topic using a word bank or picture support
What a school might write: "The student will generate a list of words related to a given topic using a word bank or picture support with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is generate a list documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
5 more goal patterns are available for this combination. But remember — the right number of goals for your child depends on their evaluation, not on how many a goal bank lists.
Show More Goal Patterns
- Pattern 6
Use inventive/phonetic spelling to write unfamiliar words that are decodable by an adult reader
- Pattern 7
Write a simple personal narrative describing one event with a beginning and end
- Pattern 8
Respond to a 'wh' question in writing with a complete sentence
- Pattern 9
Add descriptive words (colors, sizes, feelings) to expand a simple sentence
- Pattern 10
Trace and independently form all uppercase and lowercase letters with appropriate sizing on lined paper
The Real Question Isn't "What Goals Should I Copy?"
It's: "Are the goals already in my child's IEP actually individualized — or did the school copy them from a bank just like this one?"
I check every goal in your child's IEP against federal standards. I catch the copy-paste goals, the missing present levels, the goals with no real criteria — all the things a goal bank can't tell you.
Audit Your Child's IEP — FreeAccommodations to Discuss With Your IEP Team
These are commonly considered for students with Dyslexia. Like goals, accommodations must be individualized — not selected from a checklist.
What To Do Right Now
- 1
Pull out your child's current IEP
Find the document the school gave you. Look for the section called 'Measurable Annual Goals.'
- 2
Find the Written Expression goals
Look for goals that specifically address written expression. Does the goal reference YOUR child's evaluation data?
- 3
Check for baseline data
Every goal must state where your child IS right now. If there's no number or specific skill level, the goal can't be measured.
- 4
Look for red flags
Compare the goals to the red flags listed above. If you see '80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials' or goals that sound like they could apply to any student, flag it.
- 5
Upload for a free professional review
Still not sure? Upload the IEP and I'll check every goal against IDEA standards — automatically.
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See Written Expression Goal Patterns for Other Grade Levels
Goal expectations differ significantly by developmental level.
Written Expression Goal Patterns for Other Disabilities
Different disabilities create different barriers. Explore what goals should look like for each.