Writing Effective Individual Education Plan (IEP) Goals for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

Francisa F. Hernandez-Herbert, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Lynda Espinoza Idle, M.Ed., Colorado, TESOL, Colorado, USA

Determination for special education eligibility can be challenging, and for MLs it is a daunting task. Fortunately, there are steps educators and administrators can take to ensure ML referrals to special education are appropriate. Our article published in the TESOL SSDIS Newsletter, March 2021, “Identifying, Referring, and Servicing EL/SPED Students” reviews the equitable ML pre-referral process. The article below is part B of how to service MLs once they have completed an equitable pre-referral process and now are dually identified ML/SpEd students. Our new article focuses on writing effective individual IEP goals for MLs with disabilities.

What does an IEP for a Dually Identified Multilingual Learner/Special Education student look like? Who should be involved in developing and monitoring the goals? How might the goals look different? Federal policy addresses the education of Multilingual Learner (ML) students and those with disabilities in parallel yet distinct ways. (Carnock-Tankard and Silva, 2019). In both cases, federal policy calls on education leaders to determine how to serve children in ways that meet both their linguistic and individualized needs. Writing effective IEP goals for MLs must be linguistically relevant by reflecting the student's current linguistic level to ensure the student can access the goal.

Once an ML is dually identified as both ML and special education (SpEd), an Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed for the delivery special education services (CDE, 2017). The IEP goals need to be inclusive of both disability related services and linguistic supports which continue to enhance English language proficiency and meet the English language proficiency level of the student they are entitled to under federal law (OELA, 2017). Writing IEP goals in this manner ensures the dually identified SpEd and ML student the ability to benefit from the specialized instruction while continuing to improve English language proficiency.

The revisions of IDEA 2004 were written to improve educational results and to assess and ensure the effectiveness of services provided to children who have disabilities. When writing IEP goals, we need to use SMART goals (Watson, 2019) that follow the ABCD process (Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree) which enables us to write IEP goals that are clear and concise (Johnston, 2010).

Table 1. ABCD Process of IEP Goals

SMART Goals are measurable enabling educators to progress monitor student achievement and determine efficacy of the specialized instruction being provided to the dually identified ML student. However, we need to ensure that special education services for MLs that are dually identified are equitable to those services provided to non-English learners. Therefore, we need to write SMARTER* ML/IEPgoals. Writing SMARTER IEP goals include language functions and language scaffolds that align to the ML student’s language proficiency level thus giving the student the ability to benefit from the specialized instruction via the IEP goals.

Table 2. SMARTER* GOALS

IEP goals that meet the proficiency levels of dually identified MLs not only contain measurable annual goal components (ABCD) but are also inclusive of linguistic supports consisting of language functions and scaffolds (WIDA, 2020). Adding the language functions and scaffolds is what makes a SMART goal SMARTER. Below is an example of a SMART goal with the linguistic supports added (language functions and scaffolds).

Table 3. IEP Goal with ELD Supports Template Example #1

Now let’s put it all together example #1:

While listening to a short passage of 3-4 lines being read to her at grade level (Condition), Juanita, (Audience) will identify the meaning of words and phrases in a text (Behavior) by connecting illustrations with descriptive words (ELD Function) and checks with a partner reading aloud the printed word/phrase (ELD Scaffold) with 80% accuracy by the end of the first marking period (Degree/Criteria).

Table 3. IEP Goal with ELD Supports Template Example #2

Now let’s put it all together example #2:

After listening to a second-grade short story (Condition) using sentence frames (ELD Scaffold) Juan (Audience) will correctly predict (Behavior) by describing what happens next orally then in writing (ELD function) four out of five opportunities over a two-week period by the end of the first grading period (Degree/criteria).

In summary, services for MLs that are dually identified must be coordinated with the special education and the ELD service provider. Special education for MLs with disabilities should include specially designed instruction that is supportive of academic, linguistic, and socialemotional needs to ensure the student’s success. Once an ML student is identified as having a learning disability, the need to develop a cohesive and coordinated IEP addressing academic, linguistic, and social-emotional supports is imperative in providing equitable services. (Herbert and Idle, 2021)

References

Carnock-Tankard, J. & Silva, E. (2019, October 15). English learners with disabilities: Shining a light on dual-identified students. New America. https://www.newamerica.org/educationpolicy/reports/english-learners-disabilities-shining-light-dual-identified-students/

Colorado Department of Education. (2017, July). IEP procedural guidance: Exceptional student services unit technical assistance. Colorado Department of Education. http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep_proceduralguidance

Herbert, F. & Idle, L. (2021. March) Identifying, referring, and serving dually identified EL/SpEd students. TESOL Newsletter of the Supporting Students with Disabilities Interest Section: Difference and Disability Matters. http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolsswdis/issues/2021-03-17/3.html

U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition. (201, November). Tools and resources for addressing english learners with disabilities. U.S. Department of Education English Learner Tool kit. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/english-learnertoolkit/chap6.pdf

Terri, C. J. (2010) Data without tears: How to write measurable educational goals and collect meaningful data (first edition). Illinois: Research Press

Watson, S. (2020, August 28). How to write IEP goals. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-iep-goals-3110987

WIDA. (2020) WIDA english language development standards framework, 2020 edition: Kindergarten–grade 12. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf