The platform supports special education staff in developing standards-based individualized education plans (IEPs).
District student services director Wendy Kemling-Horner said that the program, which the district has been using since the start of the year, provides tools for progress monitoring and offers instructional strategies aligned to each student’s targeted skill areas.
Kemling-Horner, along with a handful of resource teachers from the district, shared their experiences with the platform.
The program is an AI-based platform that allows teachers to streamline the IEP-writing process. The four basic points of an IEP are to write strong present levels of performance, develop measurable goals, monitor progress and provide instructional strategies aligned to the student’s needs.
“We just put our data that we already have for the students,” Kemling-Horner said, “and then it kind of generates something for us to include in IEPs. After that, it will come up with some goals, some suggested goals, based on the strengths and the needs that we have inputted already.”
All the recommendations the program projects for approaching and developing goals are based on whatever the standard is for that student’s grade level, since Scottsbluff utilizes standards-based IEPs.
Whitney Bennett, who is a resource teacher at Roosevelt with 17 years of special education experience, said she was hesitant about the program at first.
“Change is challenging, especially when it impacts something as important in detail as the IEP process,” Bennett said. “However, my perspective quickly changed once I worked with Goalbook.”
She added that developing an IEP is not just putting a few papers together once a year and setting it aside, but creating a roadmap that supports a district’s most vulnerable learners and ensures that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education.
“I'll be honest, (IEP’s) are time-consuming,” Bennett said. “It's very stressful. Burnout is real, and it's important for us to not only paint a clear picture of a student's needs but also to meet any state and federal requirements to ensure compliance. (But) I can confidently say that the tools and goal book have made this aspect of my job easier.”
Cierra McDonald teaches kindergarten and first-grade special education at Roosevelt Elementary.
One of the things she likes is that the program takes the data she’s already collecting and produces or offers ideas for the goals the students may need, or things she may not even think about.
“Having that built in for us gives us more time to work with the students and give those interventions and plans to the students directly,” McDonald said, “while not wasting time coming up with those on our own.”
She added that overall, it's made the process of writing IEPs more manageable and more purposeful.
“(It) helps me focus my time where it matters the most,” McDonald said, “which is with my students.”
Elizabeth Pierce is in her first year of special education at Bluffs Middle School.
“One of the biggest challenges I've had, obviously, is building confidence with effectively writing IEP goals,” Pierce said. “Using Goalbook has been a big game-changer for me. It's helped me feel a lot more confident and supported.”
Once she got more comfortable and confident using it, she said it’s reduced her time constraints somewhere between 25 percent and 50 percent.
Board member Rob Polk said he appreciated the fact that the teachers see that their time is reduced, which alleviates stress but also improves their opportunity to work with their students.
“And at $22,000 for a year, that's half a teacher's salary,” he said, “with 45 staff members already using it.”
The board also recognized eight groups for recent accolades. They included the Sodexo Future Chef's Challenge, MATHCOUNTS, SHS Math Club, Quiz Bowl, HOSA, Robotics, Boys Basketball and AFJROTC Flight Academy — Shara Schluterbusch.
© 2026 Scottsbluff Star-Herald, Neb. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
