Measurable Annual Goals: Are They Written Properly?

I am sure you are familiar with the six critical criteria which OEC requires to be present in measurable annual
goals. The following three additional “tests” are also suggested to compare an annual goal against to decide if
it is written correctly. These tests are not part of expectations from OEC, however, each is good to consider
when writing measurable annual goals.

The Stranger Test

The “Stranger Test” refers to annual goals for students that are written in a way that a person unfamiliar with
the student could read and understand them with no difficulty or misconception. This expectation is essential
for both academic or behavior goals. Because various people are involved in the implementation of a
student’s educational plan, each person will have their own interpretation as to what has been written in the
IEP. Thus, the importance of having all information on the IEP as clear as possible is evident.

For example, if it is written the student has “hostile behavior,” a strange might interpret this as the student
hits, kicks, or bites others, but the IEP team may have meant he/she makes verbal threats or uses profanity
toward others. If hitting is the hostile act, does the student do this toward peers and/or toward adults? Does
the student hit only when provoked or in multiple situations? Simply stating the student has “hostile
behavior” is not descriptive enough. Write a full description of the academic skill or behavior that the goal is
addressing so the “stranger,” parents and all others involved in implementing the IEP are clear as what is
addressed in the goal. Having all participants viewing the goal the same way will provide results that are more
comparable and meaningful for the goal progress monitoring which has to be done.

The Dead Man’s Test

The question posed by the Dead Man’s test is this: Can a dead man do the goal? If the answer is “Yes,” then
it doesn’t pass the Dead Man’s test and it must be reworded. If the answer is “No,” then the annual goal
passes this test.

For example, if your behavior goal states, “the student will not swear at peers.” This doesn’t pass the Dead
Man’s test because a dead man also doesn’t swear at peers. However, if the goal is rewritten to state, “the
student will speak to peers politely,” then this passes the test because dead men don’t speak.

Positive versus Negative Written Goals

Goals should be written in positive language which indicates what the student will do or the expectations to
be met. A negatively written goal states what the student will not do. The statements in the Dead Man’s test
above show the difference.

Negative connotation: “the student will not swear at peers” This only states what you want them to stop doing.

Positive connotation: “the student will speak to peers politely” This replaces bad behavior with desired behavior.