IEP Behavior Goals

Write the behavior you want to see — then measure it.

Behavior goals in an IEP should be written like academic goals: observable, measurable, and focused on what the student will do — the replacement behavior — rather than what they'll stop doing.

Writing behavior goals that work

Target the replacement behavior: "will request a break using a break card" instead of "will stop disrupting"
Make it measurable: frequency, duration, or percentage criteria
Keep it function-based: a goal built on the behavior's function (escape, attention, sensory) is teachable

Measuring behavior goals

Behavior data usually comes in two streams: event logs (what happened, triggered by what, what helped) and rate counts (how often the replacement behavior occurs). Spark handles both — structured incident logs feed your What Worked database, while goal logs track the replacement behavior's independent, prompted, or unable outcomes.

Behavior goals examples

For examples across behavior domains, see the behavior section of Spark's IEP goal examples — and remember that every goal must be individualized by the team that knows the student.

Related resources

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