ADHD can push a reply out before the other person finishes, so a child interrupts and misses what was asked. The goal should spell out the setting, what counts as waiting his turn, and how often an adult has to step in. Open your child’s IEP to the goal page and read one goal for three things: the baseline it starts from, the behavior someone could count, and the date it gets reported.
By The Advocate Ally, checked against the rules it cites. Sources checked September 15, 2026.
Is this your goal?
“Student will raise his hand and wait to be called on before speaking in class.”
It never says how many times a day that happens, or what happens when he blurts instead.
What the rule says
“A statement of measurable annual goals … [and] [a] description of … [h]ow the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured, and when periodic reports … will be provided.”
34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(i) and (a)(3)
The rule’s own example of a periodic report is quarterly, issued with report cards: four updates a year.
The three tests
Every strong goal below passes all three.
BaselineWhere your child is today, as a number with its date, in present levels.
CountableA behavior two adults would tally the same way. Read the goal: what would you count?
ReportedHow often the number comes home. Check the progress-reporting box, then the last report sent.
Weak“Wyatt will let his partner finish speaking before he replies, on 3 of 4 turns, counted daily and shared each quarter.”
Strong“During a turn-taking game with a visual cue card, Wyatt will let his partner finish speaking before he replies, on 3 of 4 turns, counted daily and shared each quarter.”
Baseline
Without the cue card, 1 of 4 turns.
Countable
Letting a partner finish first: one mark.
Reported
Daily counts fold into the quarterly share.
Drop the turn-taking game from the wording and a teacher can swap it out, leaving Wyatt untaught the skill being measured.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Can we name the turn-taking game in the goal itself?”
The meeting notes should say which turn-taking game was used.
3rd through 5th grade
Weak“During partner discussion in class, Wyatt will ask one question about his partner’s idea before sharing his own, logged weekly and reported quarterly.”
Strong“During partner discussion in class, Wyatt will ask one question about his partner’s idea before sharing his own, on 3 of 5 discussions, logged weekly and reported quarterly.”
Baseline
He currently manages 1 of 5, not 3.
Countable
Asking first, before sharing: one clear count.
Reported
Weekly logs add up each quarter.
Leave out a target number and one strong session can count as the whole quarter while most weeks still slip by unnoticed.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Should this goal say how many discussions count as a win?”
Read present levels and look for a current number of questions asked.
6th through 8th grade
Weak“In small-group project work, Wyatt will use appropriate group communication skills, on 4 of 5 sessions, reported monthly.”
Strong“In small-group project work, Wyatt will bring the conversation back to the assigned topic within one prompt, on 4 of 5 sessions, reported monthly.”
Baseline
Today he derails the topic most sessions.
Countable
There’s no behavior here for anyone to score.
Reported
The monthly update never lists this behavior.
With no behavior named, credit becomes whatever the adult felt like counting, and Wyatt is never taught the return-to-topic move at all.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Can we write the return-to-topic move into the goal in plain words?”
The progress-reporting box will show if this behavior is tracked at all.
9th through 12th grade
Weak“During weekly check-ins with his job coach, Wyatt will wait for a pause before asking his question, on 3 of 4 check-ins.”
Strong“During weekly check-ins with his job coach, Wyatt will wait for a pause before asking his question, on 3 of 4 check-ins, reported each semester.”
Baseline
This term he interrupts three of four check-ins.
Countable
A pause held before speaking: one mark.
Reported
Semester is never named; nobody sees a date.
Without a semester named, a rough fall can go unmentioned until Wyatt has already graduated without anyone seeing the pattern.
IDEA requires the IEP to say how progress is measured and reported: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3).
“Can we write down which semesters this count gets reported home?”
The services page should list minutes for practicing this exact skill.
What to ask the team
What is he supposed to do instead of interrupting, in exact words?
How was the starting point for this goal recorded, and by whom?
Will progress track the specific skill taught, or just overall quietness?
An example is not your child’s goal: it does not replace the data the team starts from, or advice from someone qualified in your state.
Have every goal in your IEP checked against these three tests, free.
The review reads every page you upload, flags each goal missing a baseline, measurable criteria, a target or a timeline, and quotes the wording with its page.
