Creating SMARTER IEP Goals is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides a framework for writing legally compliant therapy and IEP goals.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings give parents and professionals a chance to work together to design IEPs for children with learning disabilities and who have been determined eligible for special education. The goals for academic achievement and functional performance set for each child are the core of the IEP. Goals represent what you and the other IEP team members think the child will be able to accomplish in their area(s) of disability – academic, developmental, and functional – in a year’s time. Annual goals must be written in measurable terms.
Research on the need for compliant IEP goals is presented based on the U.S. Department of Education’s findings from the Results Driven Accountability Measures. Implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to federal funding being tied to test results and progress on IEP goals. Court decisions are reviewed to emphasize the importance of developing compliant IEP goals.
Although this course highlights the importance of writing federally compliant goals for a student’s IEP, the skills taught are beneficial for all healthcare professionals who write therapy goals. The authors focus on supporting professionals to write legally compliant goals using the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Steps framework. These steps contain a variety of time-saving tips to help educators and healthcare professionals understand the legal jargon related to goal development.
Each step of the process is broken down in detail to demonstrate the strategy. In addition, the authors share information on how to use AI for creating federally compliant goals. Participants are given a bank of goals that can be used for future reference and includes examples of goals for academic achievement, executive functioning, communication skills, fine & gross motor skills, and social & emotional development. Real scenarios are problem-solved within the framework, so participants have practical advice to share with their colleagues and IEP teams. Course #21-65 | 2025 | 61 pages | 15 posttest questions | Mobile-Friendly
Creating SMARTER IEP Goals is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides a user-friendly framework for writing legally compliant therapy and IEP goals.
Target audience: psychologists, school psychologists, counselors, social workers, MFTs, teachers, SLPs, and OTs (or anyone working on writing federally compliant goals for a student’s IEP)
Course Directions
This online course provides instant access to the course materials and CE test. The course is text-based (reading), and the CE test is open-book (you can print the test to mark your answers on it while reading the course document).
Successful completion of this course involves passing an online test (80% required, 3 chances to take) and we ask that you also complete a brief course evaluation.
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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).
PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals.
Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers
Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.