14 IEP Goals for High School Students (With Examples)

High school IEP goals should prepare students for life after graduation — executive functioning for coursework demands, strong self-advocacy skills, and career or postsecondary readiness — and connect directly to the student's transition plan under IDEA.

Executive Functioning

1. 1.By [date], [student] will independently manage a weekly assignment calendar across all classes with 90% accuracy in 4 of 5 weekly checks.
2. 2.By [date], [student] will break down a long-term project into a timeline with milestones, meeting each deadline in 4 of 5 opportunities.
3. 3.By [date], [student] will use a prioritization strategy to manage competing deadlines with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities.

Self-Advocacy

1. 1.By [date], [student] will explain their disability and needed accommodations to a teacher or employer in a role-play scenario with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
2. 2.By [date], [student] will request accommodations directly from a teacher without prompting in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.
3. 3.By [date], [student] will participate actively in their own IEP meeting, stating at least 2 goals or needs, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.

Career Readiness

1. 1.By [date], [student] will research 3 career options aligned with their interests and complete a comparison worksheet with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities.
2. 2.By [date], [student] will independently complete a standard job application with 90% accuracy in 4 of 5 practice trials.
3. 3.By [date], [student] will demonstrate appropriate interview behaviors (eye contact, clear answers) in a mock interview scoring 3 of 4 on a rubric.

Independent Living

1. 1.By [date], [student] will create a monthly budget accounting for income and expenses with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities.
2. 2.By [date], [student] will independently use a ride-share, bus, or train schedule to plan a trip to a community destination in 4 of 5 practice trials.
3. 3.By [date], [student] will identify community resources (healthcare, housing, employment support) relevant to their post-graduation plan with 80% accuracy.

Connecting Goals to the Transition Plan

By high school, every goal should trace back to the student's stated postsecondary goals in education, employment, and independent living under IDEA's transition requirements. If a goal does not obviously support where the student says they want to be after graduation, it is worth asking the team why it is still on the IEP.

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