We often hear that SMART goals are good IEP goals. Yes, I agree that goals should be specific, measurable, achievable and timely. 

AND: Keep in mind that we are talking about children here. Our students deserve support, and frequent progress monitoring. We know children learn when they are ready - and benchmarks are like ladders to make it to the goal. 

It is not enough to have a SMART goal, it needs to be aligned to grade level standards, include supports, include benchmarks, and focus on skills, abilities and knowledge - NOT complaince.

Supports are often in the accommodations, modifications, and assistive technology sections. However, the assistive technology is often blank, and the accommodations and modifications usually states "as needed" or "daily" as the frequency. The supports should be tied to the benchmarks and goals, so that they are always used when the child is working on that goal.

IEP goals are often compliance-based goals that view your child as a robot. This cheat sheet will help you advocate for student-centered goals that are based on your child's strengths.

Benchmarks, sometimes called "objectives," are sub-goals that support mastery of the IEP goal. The benchmarks break the main goal into knowledge, skills and abilities that your child needs to meet the goal. Identifying benchmarks and monitoring progress helps the team know where your child needs more support and/or more independence.

Most goals are written as compliance-based goals. The goal requires the student to comply with school or classroom procedures, such as following directions or completing assignments. 

The problem with ompliance-based goal is that the team is not helping the child learn new skills that can generalize. Moreover, compliance goals are generally not aligned to state grade level learning standards, so mastering the goal will not help your child learn at grade level.