Goal Planning
About This Worksheet
This worksheet is a behavior goal-planning tool that helps students turn collected data into a clear improvement plan. It is designed for students in grades 5 through 8 who are ready to choose a target behavior, gather baseline information, and write a SMART goal. Students decide how the behavior will be measured and then collect data for three days before setting a goal. For example, “I want to focus better” becomes “By Friday, I will stay on task for twenty minutes during independent work.”
Curriculum and Grade Alignment
The main learning goal is to help students understand that useful goals should be based on real information. Students should already know how to describe one behavior clearly and choose a measurement method such as frequency or duration. The next step is tracking progress over time and changing the plan when the data shows that a strategy is not working. This worksheet supports CASEL self-management and responsible decision-making because students create a realistic plan, monitor progress, and choose tools that support success.
Student Tasks
On this worksheet, students will choose one target behavior and decide whether they want it to increase or decrease. They select a way to measure the behavior and collect three days of baseline data in a chart. Students then write a SMART goal that explains what they will do and when they plan to achieve it. The final section asks them to create a monitoring plan, choose a tracking tool, decide how often to review progress, and explain how they will know the goal has been met.
Common Challenges and Misconceptions
Some students may choose a goal that is too broad, such as “behave better,” which cannot be measured clearly. Others may set a goal before collecting enough baseline information to know what is realistic. Children may also write a goal that depends on someone else’s actions rather than their own behavior. Teachers can help by checking that each goal names one observable action, includes a number or time amount, and has a clear deadline.
Implementation Guidance
Teachers can use this page during behavior conferences, intervention planning, advisory lessons, or individual goal-setting sessions. It may take several days to complete because students must gather baseline information before writing the goal. Parents and homeschool educators can use the same process for study habits, routines, chores, or respectful communication at home. Adults should review the final plan with the child and schedule regular check-ins so the worksheet becomes an active tool rather than a one-time activity.
Details and Features
The worksheet is organized into four steps that move students from choosing a behavior to creating a monitoring plan. A three-day data chart provides space for the measurement method and the information collected. A guided SMART-goal sentence helps students include a deadline and a measurable result. Four planning questions encourage students to think about tools, review times, progress checks, and success measures.