Goals & Objectives Options

When the "Goals & Objectives" preference is enabled in SSS > General, the text boxes on the Goals & Objectives screen in the IEP or Amended IEP are replaced with pull-downs. The Goals & Objectives Options screen is used to set up the goals and objectives that display as options in those pull-downs.

If the district has existing goals and objectives in a CSV file or an Excel spreadsheet that can be saved as CSV, the file can be used to import the goals and objectives into Focus instead of manually entering them. See Importing Goals,  Importing Objectives, Matching the Domain and Area with Imported Goals, and Matching the Imported Goals with the Applicable Objectives for more information.

Setting Up Banks

The first level of organization for goals are banks. For example, you can have one bank for Gifted and another bank for ESE.

1. In the SSS menu, click Goals & Objectives Options.

The Banks tab is automatically displayed.

2. In the blank row, enter the name of the bank.

3. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

4. Add additional banks as needed.

Setting Up Grade Levels

Banks can be further organized into grade levels, if needed.

1. Click the Grade Levels tab.

2. In the blank row, select the Bank.

3. In the Grade Levels text box, enter the grade levels.

4. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

5. Add additional grade levels for each bank as needed.

Setting Up Domains

Domains are the next level of organization. Domains are used to tie the Goals & Objectives screen to the Present Levels form.

1. Click the Domains tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. In the blank row, select a Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank.

3. Select a Grade Level if not auto-populated.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

4. Enter the title of a Domain.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

5. Select the Present Levels form from the Form pull-down.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

6. Select the Field for the related domain, e.g. domain_A_concern.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

7. In the Value field, enter 0 (equates to the value assigned to “Yes” in Form Builder, which is actually the selection's position in an array).

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

8. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

9. Add additional domains as needed.

The Form, Field and Value columns can be left blank and the Domains will still be available if selected as an Area of Concern on the PLAAFP.

Setting Up Areas

The Areas tab is used to set up the areas (academic or functional skill) for each domain.

1. Click the Areas tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. In the blank row, select a Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank. The Domain will also auto-populate if there was only one Domain set up.

3. Select the Grade Level and Domain if not auto-populated.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

4. Enter a title for the Area (academic or functional skill area).

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

5. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

6. Add additional areas as needed.

Manually Entering Goals

1. Click the Goals tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. Select a Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank. The Domain will also auto-populate if there was only one Domain set up.

3. Select the Grade Level and Domain if not auto-populated.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

4. Select the applicable Area.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

5. Click the Goals field and type in the goal (or copy and paste from another source).

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

6. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

7. Continue adding goals in each domain/area. The same area can have multiple goals attached.

Each goal should only be listed one time regardless of how many objectives it will have.

Manually Entering Objectives

1. Click the Objectives tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. Select a Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank. The Domain will also auto-populate if there was only one Domain set up.

3. Select the Grade Level and Domain if not auto-populated.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

4. Select the applicable Area.

5. Select a Goal.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

6. Click the Objectives field and type in the objective (or copy and paste from another source).

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

7. Press Enter to add the row.

The row is auto-saved after pressing Enter.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

8. Continue adding all the objectives for all of the goals.

Importing Goals

Before importing goals from a CSV file, all the domains and areas should be set up in Focus. The file must have a column header labeled Goals. Each goal should only be listed in the file once regardless of how many objectives it will have.

If a goal is listed multiple times in the CSV file, it will display multiple times in the Goals pull-down when adding objectives.

1. Click the Goals tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. Click in the Goal field and then click Import.

The other fields will be selected after importing the file.

3. Select the CSV file from your computer.

4. In the pop-up window, click Import CSV.

The Goals tab is re-displayed with the imported goals.

If the imported file contained duplicate goals, delete those extra goals. This will prevent the goal from displaying multiple times when matching the Objectives to the Goals.

Importing Objectives

1. Click the Objectives tab.

Goals & Objectives Options - Google Chrome

2. Click in the Objective field then click the Import button.

The other fields will be selected after importing the file.

3. Select the CSV file from your computer.

4. In the pop-up window, click Import CSV.

The Objectives tab is re-displayed with the imported objectives.

Matching the Domain and Area with Imported Goals

Before matching the Goals with their related Objectives, the Domains and Areas must be matched with the Goals.

1. Click the Goals tab.

2. Select the Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank. The Domain will also auto-populate if there was only one Domain set up.

3. Select the Grade Level and Domain if not auto-populated.

4. Select the applicable Area for the goal.

You may either continue matching domains and areas with all goals, or after matching the first goal with the domain and area, go to the Objectives tab and match that goal with its objectives.

Matching the Imported Goals with the Applicable Objectives

This process can be done after all goals have been matched to the domains and areas or as each goal is matched to the domain and area.

1. Click the Objectives tab.

2. Select a Bank.

The Grade Level will auto-populate if there was only one Grade Level set up for the Bank. The Domain will also auto-populate if there was only one Domain set up.

3. Select the Grade Level and Domain if not auto-populated.

4. Select the applicable Area.

The Goal pull-down will populate with goals based on the selected area.

5. Select a Goal that matches with the displayed objective.

6. Continue until all objectives have been matched with their applicable goals.