KEY COMPONENTS OF A LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE IEP

  1. Assess English Proficiency/Language Development

Follow district policies/procedures related to assessment of English proficiency

  1. Plan for Comprehensible Input in English

Total Physical Response

Natural Approach

English Language Development

Language Experience Approach

Special Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE)

English Reading and Writing at Appropriate Level

  1. Provide Primary Language Support

Parent

Teacher

Instructional Assistant

Volunteer

Peer or Cross-age Coach

Primary Language Materials

  1. Promote Self-concept /Cross-Cultural Learning

Special Class Activities

School-wide Activities

Curriculum Content

Community Activities

  1. Address California English Language Development Standards

(Available for downloading at

G Kindergarten – grade 2

G Grades 3 – 12, literate in their primary language

G Grades 3 – 12, not literate in their primary language

Why write linguistically and culturally appropriate IEPs?

It’s the law!

EC 56345(b).When appropriate the individualized education program shall also include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (4) For individuals whose primary language is other than English, linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, programs and services.

For any student receiving special education services and designated as an English Learner, goals and objectives must reflect the individual’s cognitive and linguistic development and his or her language of instruction in order to be appropriate.

NOTE: Students in Special Education who are designated as English Learners must continue to receive English language development instruction.

Linguistic Considerations

Linguistically appropriate goals and objectives have the following characteristics:

  • They are appropriate for the cognitive level of the student
  • They are appropriate for the linguistic level of the student
  • They match the developmental level of the student’s primary or secondary language
  • They match the student’s general education transition criteria and district re-designation policy

Cultural Considerations

Culturally appropriate goals and objectives have the following characteristics:

  • They access the student’s prior knowledge and experiences
  • They incorporate culturally relevant materials and experiences
  • They affirm the student’s cultural heritage

General Guidelines

The following guidelines need to be followed in order to ensure that any given goal or objective meets the definition of being linguistically appropriate as specified above

  • It states specifically in what language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, etc.) the particular goal and objective will be accomplished
  • It is appropriate to the student’s level of linguistic development and proficiency in that language

Writing Goals and Objectives to address

California English Language Development Standards

The ACSA and CARS+ Handbook on Goals and Objectives Related to Essential State of California Content Standards (available for downloading online at provides specific examples of using the California Standards as a basis for developing IEP goals and objectives and an ELD proficiency checklist. It is important that this commitment to exposing our Special Education students to the same standards as their general education peers is extended to our English Learners with IEPs. Even though a similar publication has not yet been produced for English Language Development Standards, the same approach can be used to ensure that the IEPs of Special Education English Learners align with the curriculum provided for their nondisabled peers.

NOTE: The ELD standards were designed for students in grades 3-12 who are literate in their primary language. For LEP students who enter California schools in these grades not literate in their primary language, the ELD literacy standards for earlier grades including those related to phonemic awareness, concepts of print and decoding skills must be taught.

When developing IEP goals and objectives aligned with these standards, address the student’s present levels of performance as well as the English proficiency level.

SAMPLE LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE

IEP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following are samples of goals that meet the criteria of being linguistically and culturally appropriate. Use these as models in developing IEP goals and objectives that address the unique needs of your student. Do not simply copy these without consideration of your student’s present levels of performance, language proficiency, and learning style.

NOTE: Remember, you must develop a minimum of two (2) benchmark objectives for each goal.

Indicate how mastery/progress will be measured for each goal; by checking all that are appropriate in this box.

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will demonstrate increased comprehension of the English Language by giving (English, Spanish, Tagalog, etc.) responses to questions or requests made in English with ____% accuracy as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)when shown visual stimuli, will respond with a one-word response to questions with comprehensible input with _____% accuracy as measure by

Examples of questions with comprehensible input:

a)“Are you hot (teacher pantomimes wiping perspiration from forehead) or cold? (teacher pantomimes shivering and bundling up)

b)“Is this a dog?” (teacher point to a cat in a picture)

c)“How many flowers (teacher points) are in the vase?”

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will demonstrate the ability to respond to questions in written English with writing quality comparable to level of written language skills in students primary language with _____% accuracy as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)after reading a story at his/her instructional level will respond to a writing task with _% accuracy as measured by

Examples of basic student responses:

a)answer comprehension questions after reading a story

b)write a friendly letter

c)write a creative story

GOAL:By (date) , (student)will be able to read English at a comparable level to his/her reading proficiency in his/her primary language with ___% accuracy as demonstrated by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)will be able to demonstrate comprehension of a reading selection at his/her readability level as measured by appropriate grade level curriculum assessment.

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will be able to provide a response in English, either orally or in writing to stimuli that prompt critical and creative thinking with a response that shows elaboration and complex sentence structures ___% of the time as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)will be able to articulate responses to questions that require critical and creative thinking in the following four main areas: a) synthesis, b) evaluation, c) analysis, and d) application as measured by the following criteria: a) descriptive vocabulary, b) ability to elaborate and c) use of complex sentence structures within their response.

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will respond in English to literal questions with short phrases, which may or may not be grammatically correct ___ out of ___ trials, with ____% accuracy as demonstrated by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)when given comprehensible input, will respond to (who, what, where, when, how, and why) questions using short phrases with ___% accuracy as measured by

Examples of basic questions with comprehensible input:

a)“Where is the dog?” (sample student response: “by the tree”)

b)“Who is walking the dog?” (sample student response: “the man”)

c)“Why is the cat scared?” (sample student response: “sees the dog”)

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)in a natural environment, will be able to articulate and express on his/her own initiative, basic ideas and requests with ____% accuracy as measured by

Examples of advanced student ideas and requests:

a)“I am cold.”

b)“I go to the bathroom?”

c)“I like it!”

Sample Culturally Appropriate

IEP Goals and Objectives

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will demonstrate increased reading comprehension in (English, Spanish, Tagalog, etc.) by responding correctly to ___out of ___ questions about a story with ___% accuracy as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)will identify two common themes/ main ideas and two differences in stories after reading _____ (independently, with modifications, listening, etc.) to four folk tales from different countries with ---% accuracy as measured by

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will show improvement in writing fluency in (English, Spanish, Tagalog, etc.) by writing a (short story, paragraph, essay, sentence, etc.) using correct (punctuation, grammar, capitalization, spelling, etc.) with ____% accuracy as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)will respond by (dictating, writing a sentence, writing a paragraph, etc.) and share his/her personal responses to an open-ended question that draws upon life experiences, culture, and perceptions, after (listening to/reading) a story from (core/supplemental) curriculum with ___% accuracy as measured by

GOAL: By (date) , (student)will show increased understanding of multiplication concepts taught in (English, Spanish, Tagalog, etc.) by achieving a score of ___% or higher on (teacher-made test, standardized test, work samples, etc.)in __out of __ attempts as shown by

OBJECTIVE: By (date) , (student)will be able to use (graph paper, multi-link cubes, manipulatives, etc.) to demonstrate comprehension of the multiplication process after comparing and contrasting Mexican and Egyptian methods of multiplication as measured by