A starter set of sample behavior goals across the areas teams write most often, each phrased so a teacher could mark it during a normal day. Use it as a jumping-off point, not a copy-paste bank: borrow the structure, then adapt the wording, criteria, and baseline to the actual student.
Task initiation and on-task goals
Examples: begins assigned work within two minutes of the direction in four of five opportunities, or remains on the assigned task for ten minutes with no more than one redirection. These read well on a duration or frequency chart because the behavior is observable and countable. Adjust the time, the number of redirections, and the setting to fit the student rather than the template.
Self-regulation and break-request goals
Examples: requests a break using a break card before escalating in three of four observed instances, or returns to work within five minutes of using the calm corner. Goals built around a replacement skill are usually easier to teach and chart than a broad reduction in problem behavior. Pair these with the calm-corner or self-monitoring routines your team already runs.
Following routines and transitions goals
Examples: follows the multi-step arrival routine independently in four of five mornings, or transitions between activities within the allotted time without a second prompt. Binary completion charts fit these cleanly, since each step either happened or it did not. Define what independently means up front so two staff would score it the same way.
Social and communication goals
Examples: uses a calm voice to disagree in three of four observed conflicts, or asks a peer to join an activity once per recess across a week. These are harder to score, so the observable definition and the opportunity count matter even more. Decide who is observing and when, because social goals fall apart fastest when the logging window is vague.
How to adapt a sample into a real goal
For any goal you borrow, set the baseline from current data, pick the measurement that matches the behavior, and confirm a teacher could mark it without stopping instruction. If two observers could disagree on whether it happened, tighten the wording before it goes in the IEP. The daily chart can read more simply than the formal goal, as long as both point at the same behavior.
For a longer walkthrough with 24 fully worked example goals across six behavior areas, see the IEP goal bank for behavior on the blog.