High school functional skills directly affect a student’s ability to manage daily responsibilities, advocate for support, prepare for employment, navigate the community, and plan for life after graduation. When a student struggles in one of these areas, teams need more than a broad statement that the student “needs life skills.”

The 9th-12th Grade Functional Life Skills Checklist, IEP Goals & Interventions helps educators identify specific strengths and needs, select targeted interventions, and develop measurable goals connected to independence, employability, transition planning, and postsecondary readiness.

I created this resource to keep assessment and planning connected. Instead of searching separately for an independent living skills checklist, transition interventions, employability skills, and functional IEP goals, educators can move from observation to instruction using one aligned system.

MOVE FROM A BROAD CONCERN TO A SPECIFIC FUNCTIONAL SKILL

A student described as unprepared for adulthood may have very different needs from another student receiving the same general description.

The student may need support with:

• Managing daily routines and responsibilities
• Advocating for accommodations or assistance
• Preparing for employment or job training
• Navigating school and community settings safely
• Managing money and making purchases
• Preparing meals and completing household tasks
• Managing personal care and health needs
• Communicating effectively with adults and peers
• Regulating emotions in academic, social, or workplace situations
• Planning for postsecondary education, adult services, or supported living

This informal functional skills assessment separates broad concerns into specific, observable skills. Once the team identifies the skill that needs support, the included interventions and sample goals provide a practical starting point for individualized transition and IEP planning.

INDEPENDENT AND SUPPORTED TRACKS

The high-school version includes two tracks in one resource:

• Independent Track: For students working toward completing functional tasks with minimal support
• Supported Track: For students who are expected to continue using structured guidance, accommodations, prompting, or adult assistance

Including both tracks allows teams to assess and plan for different transition pathways. The goal is not to apply the same definition of independence to every student. It is to identify meaningful next steps based on the student’s current skills, anticipated adult needs, and individual priorities.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

This resource includes:

• Functional life skills checklists designed for Grades 9–12
• Independent and Supported tracks
• Fourteen functional skill areas
• Student skill indicators for identifying strengths and needs
• Targeted interventions aligned with each skill area
• Measurable sample goals that can be individualized
• Notes and comments sections
• Optional tracking sheets for progress monitoring
• Printable and digital tracking options

These components help educators move from identifying a need to choosing instruction, planning support, and monitoring progress.

FOURTEEN FUNCTIONAL LIFE SKILL AREAS

The checklist addresses:

• Community Navigation and Safety
• Daily Living Skills
• Employment and Job Readiness
• Independence and Self-Advocacy
• Meal Preparation and Nutrition
• Medical and Health Management
• Motor Skills and Safety Awareness
• Personal Finance and Money Management
• Play and Leisure Skills
• Pre-Academic and Academic Readiness
• Self-Care Skills
• Self-Regulation and Emotional Control
• Social Skills and Communication
• Toileting Skills

Each area focuses on functional expectations that may affect adult independence, supported living, employment, postsecondary education, community participation, and quality of life.

TARGETED HIGH-SCHOOL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS INTERVENTIONS

Each checklist area includes targeted interventions that educators can select and adapt based on the student’s needs and transition pathway.

Intervention ideas may include:

• Explicit instruction and modeling
• Visual, written, or technology-based supports
• Task analysis
• Guided practice in realistic settings
• Prompting and systematic prompt fading
• Environmental adaptations
• Self-monitoring systems
• Role-play and rehearsal
• Community-based practice
• Supported decision-making
• Job-readiness instruction
• Self-advocacy practice
• Emotional-regulation strategies
• Collaboration with families and service providers

The interventions provide practical starting points rather than a single plan for every student. Teams can select supports that match the identified skill, setting, and level of assistance the student is likely to use.

MEASURABLE FUNCTIONAL LIFE SKILLS IEP GOALS

The sample goals connect directly to the skills assessed. Educators can adjust the setting, prompting level, frequency, performance criteria, and expected degree of independence to reflect the student’s baseline and postsecondary needs.

The goals may support instruction related to:

• Daily living skills
• Employability and job readiness
• Communication
• Self-care
• Personal and community safety
• Emotional regulation
• Social participation
• Self-advocacy
• Money management
• Organization and responsibility
• Community access
• Independent or supported adult functioning

The aligned format makes it easier to explain why a goal was selected, what skill the student is developing, and how that skill connects to life beyond high school.

USE THIS RESOURCE TO

• Identify functional life skill strengths and needs
• Establish informal baseline information
• Select transition-related instructional priorities
• Choose interventions aligned with identified needs
• Develop measurable functional IEP goals
• Document observations and progress
• Prepare for IEP and transition meetings
• Support BIP and MTSS planning
• Improve collaboration among teachers, families, service providers, and transition teams
• Plan instruction for employment, community participation, and adult independence

WHO THIS RESOURCE IS FOR

This resource may be especially helpful for:

• Special education teachers
• Transition coordinators
• Behavior specialists
• School psychologists
• Interventionists
• Occupational therapists and related-service providers
• Self-contained classroom teams
• Vocational and community-based instruction programs
• IEP, BIP, MTSS, and transition teams

Use the resource with an individual student or as part of a team discussion about functional skills, transition priorities, adult support needs, and postsecondary planning.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

This resource is an informal educational assessment and planning tool. It is not a standardized, norm-referenced, or diagnostic assessment. It does not replace a formal evaluation, functional behavior assessment, comprehensive transition assessment, or other individualized assessment when one is required.

The checklist, interventions, and sample goals should be individualized based on the student’s needs, baseline performance, environment, transition pathway, and anticipated level of adult support.

The purpose is not to hold every student to one definition of independence. It is to help the team identify meaningful next steps and plan instruction that supports the greatest appropriate level of participation, self-determination, and independence.

Learn More About Behavior Data & Measurement

Not sure what kind of data collection you need? Take a look at my FREE Resource, Data Collection for Behavior, which will walk you through various types of data collection, how to use them, and which types of behavior each data collection method is best suited to.

Please follow me on TPT for more great behavior tracking and SEL resources. And remember, if you purchase, please leave a review and TPT will give you credits toward more fabulous TPT resources!