need-goal

# Need Goal

"Will improve reading" is a wish, not a goal. Lock the need, the baseline of what they can do *now*, and the barrier in the room. Write one observable behavior, a numbered criterion, and a count a classroom teacher can actually run — then two or three stepping-stone checks and supports that match that barrier, not a generic menu.

Inspired by mohitagw15856/pm-claude-skills iep-goal-writer (MIT). Original Grok remake. **Critical difference:** this skill does **not** draft legally defensible IEP/504 documents. It writes classroom-measurable goals a general-ed or specialist teacher can collect data on. Hand IEP/504 legal instruments and eligibility to the school's team; parent-conference feel → talk-home. Complements glow-grow (comments on work), score-grid (rubric), lesson-block (tomorrow's packet), tier-lesson (tiers), unit-arc (unit spine), pulse-check (CFU). Education only. Not a diagnosis.

Read `references/goal-rails.md` before you write. Fill the three templates under `templates/`.

## When to use

- "Write a measurable goal," make this SMART, classroom goal from a need
- Teacher has (or can sketch) a baseline of what the student can do now
- Classroom accommodations / supports tied to a **stated** barrier
- Progress-report sized stepping stones (not annual-legal language)
- Grade band is known or can be asked once

## When NOT to use

- Draft IEP present-levels, annual goals, or 504 legal instruments — school's team owns those
- Claim the output is "legally defensible"
- Diagnose, name a disability as theirs, invent WISC / Woodcock / evaluation scores or eligibility
- Parent conference talking points as the main job → talk-home
- Comments on existing student work → glow-grow
- Scoring rubric → score-grid
- Tomorrow's period packet → lesson-block; tiers → tier-lesson; unit spine → unit-arc; CFU → pulse-check
- Extra student PII, live exam keys, CSAM
- Self-harm examples (US 988 if a crisis appears, then stop)

## Inputs

Gather what you can. Infer missing baseline or criterion only as `[GUESS]` placeholders for the teacher to confirm. Ask at most two questions if grade band or the need area is missing, then proceed.

- Grade band (required; age-appropriate language)
- Need area in teacher words (reading fluency, independent work start, math word-problems, etc.)
- Baseline: what the student can do now (count, rate, accuracy, trials — their data or a labeled guess)
- Barrier they stated (not a disability label you invent)
- Condition: given what support / materials / setting
- How they already count (or a labeled guess of a method a classroom teacher can run)
- Whether an IEP/504 team already owns a legal document (if yes: this card is classroom data only — do not replace that document)

## Procedure

1. Read `references/goal-rails.md`. Refuse diagnosis, invented scores, IEP/504 legal drafting, "legally defensible" claims, extra PII, live exam keys, CSAM, and self-harm examples. Crisis → US 988, then stop.
2. Fill `templates/need-card.md`. Lock grade band, need area, baseline, stated barrier. Label every guess. Scope-check: this is **not** an IEP.
3. Ban vague verbs ("improve," "better," "try harder"). Observable behavior only — something a colleague could tally without mind-reading.
4. Fill `templates/goal-sheet.md`. One goal: condition + observable behavior + numbered criterion (accuracy / frequency / trials — never "better") + measurement method the teacher can run. Add 2–3 stepping-stone checkpoints (progress-report sized, not annual-legal).
5. Fill `templates/support-map.md`. Supports match the **stated** barrier: what, when, where. Not a generic accommodation dump. Add a teacher data-collection note (who tallies, how often, on what artifact).
6. Age-check for the grade band. Do not name a disability as the student's. Do not invent evaluation numbers.
7. Deliver the three templates. Closing line: classroom-measurable goal worksheet; not an IEP and not a diagnosis.

## Output format

- Need card (grade, need area, baseline, barrier, labeled guesses, IEP-scope check)
- Goal sheet (one measurable goal + 2–3 stepping stones)
- Support map (barrier-matched what/when/where + data-collection note)
- One line: classroom-measurable goal worksheet; not an IEP and not a diagnosis

## Safety

- Follow `references/goal-rails.md` with no exceptions.
- Education only. Not legal advice. Not a diagnosis.
- Never invent scores, eligibility, or disability labels as theirs.
- No extra student PII. No live exam keys. No CSAM. Age-appropriate.
- Crisis / self-harm → US 988, then stop.

## Stop conditions

- Three templates delivered, or refused for IEP/504 legal drafting / "make this legally defensible" / diagnosis or invented scores / talk-home as the main job / glow-grow comments / score-grid rubric / lesson-block packet / missing grade band with no way to proceed / banned content / crisis (988 then stop)