Quick Answer: What Belongs in a Executive Function IEP Goal Bank?
A useful Executive Function IEP goal bank shows the parts of a measurable goal: the student's current baseline, the skill being taught, the target, how progress will be measured, and when progress will be reported. For a 2nd Grade student with Emotional Disturbance, every goal still has to be rewritten around the child's evaluation data and classroom needs.
Use the examples below to understand goal structure, then audit the Emotional Disturbance Executive Function section, review goals for Emotional Disturbance, or check Executive Function goals before the next IEP meeting.
The Problem With Cookie-Cutter IEP Goals
A goal can sound measurable and still be generic. Reusing a familiar criterion such as "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials" does not make the goal individualized unless the baseline, target, and measurement method fit the student.
Under IDEA §300.320(a)(2), every goal must be based on your child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance — their unique strengths, their specific barriers, their actual evaluation data. Not a template.
"I've sat at over 500 IEP tables."
I'm Mary, a Special Education Advocate and the founder of The Advocate Ally. I created this Executive Function IEP goal bank because too many parents feel pressured to accept generic, "cookie-cutter" IEPs.
The guidance below is grounded in the same practical, document-based questions I raise in IEP meetings every day. Use it to ask for clearer, more individualized support for your child.
Mary
Founder, The Advocate Ally
How Emotional Disturbance Affects Executive Function at the Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Level
At this stage, children are building the foundational skills they'll use for the rest of their education. IEP goals should focus on concrete, observable behaviors using hands-on materials, visual supports, and structured routines. It's normal for young learners to need more adult support — the key is systematically fading that support as skills develop.
Students with Emotional Disturbance often struggle with Emotional Regulation, Social Interactions, Coping Skills — but they also bring real strengths in Empathy, Resilience, Creativity. A well-written IEP goal doesn't just target the deficit. It leverages the strength to build a bridge.
⚡ But here's the thing: The information above is general. Your child isn't a category — they're an individual with specific evaluation data, specific classroom challenges, and specific strengths that no goal bank can capture. That's why we built a tool that analyzes your child's actual IEP.
Get your child's IEP reviewed freeRed Flags: Your Child's Executive Function Goals May Be Generic If...
The goal says "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials"
A familiar criterion is not automatically wrong, but it should match your child's baseline data rather than appear as a boilerplate number.
✕Goals that say 'will improve' without a specific, measurable target
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'Improve from what baseline to what target? How will you measure this? What does progress look like in data?' Every goal needs a starting point and an endpoint."
Want this checked automatically? Our audit reviews the written goals for measurable elements and flags areas that may need clarification.
Run a free audit✕No baseline data — if they can't tell you where your child is NOW, the goal is meaningless
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'Before we set a target, I need to see the current performance data. What assessment was used to determine the present level for this goal?'"
Want this checked automatically? When you upload your IEP, we compare the written goals with the Present Levels section to flag missing baselines.
Run a free audit✕Using the same goals as last year with no change in supports despite lack of progress
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'If this goal wasn't met last year, what specific instructional changes are being made this year? Repeating the same approach and expecting a different result isn't a plan.'"
Want this checked automatically? Our audit flags repeated goal language and helps you prepare a focused request for clarification or revision.
Run a free audit✕Goals that appear too easy or already mastered based on the student's current data
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'This goal seems below my child's current level. Can you show me the data that supports this as an appropriate target? I'd like to see goals that promote actual growth.'"
Want this checked automatically? We compare written goal targets with grade-level demands and the evaluation data described in the plan.
Run a free auditAdvocate Tip for Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Parents
If your child is struggling now, ask the team to review the data and consider timely, evidence-based support rather than relying only on a 'wait and see' approach.
What Executive Function Goal Patterns Look Like at This Level
These are example patterns to help you understand what the school should be writing — not goals to copy. Your child's goals must be built from their evaluation data.
⚠️ These are not your child's goals. Every child with Emotional Disturbance is different. A goal that's right for one 2nd Grade student may be completely wrong for another. Use these to understand the structure of a good goal — then make sure your child's IEP team writes goals tied to their specific present levels.
- Example Pattern 1
Follow a visual schedule with no more than one adult prompt to transition between three daily activities
What a school might write: "The student will follow a visual schedule with no more than one adult prompt to transition between three daily activities with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is follow a visual documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 2
Put away materials in the correct location after an activity with a visual label system
What a school might write: "The student will put away materials in the correct location after an activity with a visual label system with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is put away materials documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 3
Begin a familiar activity within 1 minute of being given a direction and visual cue
What a school might write: "The student will begin a familiar activity within 1 minute of being given a direction and visual cue with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is begin a familiar documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 4
Complete a two-step classroom task in the correct order without skipping a step
What a school might write: "The student will complete a two-step classroom task in the correct order without skipping a step with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is complete a two-step documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 5
Locate and retrieve a needed supply (pencil, crayons, glue) from a designated spot independently
What a school might write: "The student will locate and retrieve a needed supply (pencil, crayons, glue) from a designated spot independently with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is locate and retrieve documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
5 more goal patterns are available for this combination. But remember — the right number of goals for your child depends on their evaluation, not on how many a goal bank lists.
Show More Goal Patterns
- Pattern 6
Stop a current activity and transition to a new activity within 2 minutes when given a visual and auditory signal
- Pattern 7
Attend to a teacher-directed activity for at least 10 minutes before needing a break
- Pattern 8
Use a visual 'first-then' board to complete a non-preferred task before accessing a preferred activity
- Pattern 9
Remember and follow a one-step verbal direction given 5 minutes earlier without a reminder
- Pattern 10
Sort completed work into the correct folder (e.g., 'take home' vs. 'turn in') at the end of the day
The Real Question Isn't "What Goals Should I Copy?"
It's: "Are the goals already in my child's IEP actually individualized — or did the school copy them from a bank just like this one?"
The audit reviews the goals in your child's IEP for measurable elements, missing baselines, vague criteria, and alignment with the needs described in the plan.
Audit Your Child's IEP — FreeAccommodations to Discuss With Your IEP Team
These are commonly considered for students with Emotional Disturbance. Like goals, accommodations must be individualized — not selected from a checklist.
What To Do Right Now
- 1
Pull out your child's current IEP
Find the document the school gave you. Look for the section called 'Measurable Annual Goals.'
- 2
Find the Executive Function goals
Look for goals that specifically address executive function. Does the goal reference YOUR child's evaluation data?
- 3
Check for baseline data
Every goal must state where your child IS right now. If there's no number or specific skill level, the goal can't be measured.
- 4
Look for red flags
Compare the goals to the red flags listed above. If you see '80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials' or goals that sound like they could apply to any student, flag it.
- 5
Upload for a free document review
Still not sure? Upload the IEP to review whether the written goals include measurable elements and connect to documented needs.
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See Executive Function Goal Patterns for Other Grade Levels
Goal expectations differ significantly by developmental level.
Executive Function Goal Patterns for Other Disabilities
Different disabilities create different barriers. Explore what goals should look like for each.