There are two types of goals in the IEP transition plan: postsecondary (or post-school) and annual.

Postsecondary goals are those goals the student will achieve after they leave high school. They must address the areas identified in the transition plan in education and training, employment, and if appropriate, independent living skills.

Postsecondary goals must be built on students’ strengths, preferences, interests and needs and incorporate the cultural values of the family as well as those of the student. They must be measurable, as they are the objectives for the student when they leave school.

Annual goals are those goals the student will accomplish during the IEP year in each area of service identified through the evaluation. Annual goals align with the present level of performance and information gathered from transition assessments. Annual goals are further discussed in Module 6.

Comparing Postsecondary Goals and Annual Goals
Goal	Postsecondary Goal	Annual Goal
Who identifies	Student and IEP team	Student and IEP team
Student’s timeframe	After high school	While in school
What’s addressed	Education/training Employment Independent living skills (as needed)	Identified through the evaluation Linked to areas in transition plan
How it’s measured	Transition services	Progress Data

Next: Areas of Postsecondary Goals