Progress Monitoring Methods & Strategies

Today's episode is all about progress monitoring—a foundational element in special education that ensures each student's unique educational journey is effectively supported. Whether you're new to this field or looking to refine your current strategies, understanding how to implement a solid progress monitoring system is crucial. 

Talking Points:

1. Understanding Progress Monitoring
   • Definition and importance of progress monitoring in special education
   • How it helps in achieving personalized educational outcomes and informs IEP adjustments
2. Choosing the Right Frequency
   • Discussing how often to conduct progress monitoring
   • Balancing thorough assessment without overwhelming students or educators
3. Methods of Progress Monitoring
   • Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)
     • Overview and benefits for reading, math, and other core areas.
     • Introduction of digital tools like Easy CBM
   • Direct Behavior Rating (DBR)
     • Explanation of how DBR tracks behavioral and educational success
   • Exit Ticket System
     • Benefits of using exit tickets for quick daily assessments
   • Portfolio Assessment
     • The use of comprehensive collections of student work to assess growth over time
   • Learning Management Systems (LMS)
     • How digital platforms can streamline progress monitoring
   • Performance-Based Assessment
     • Evaluating students through real-life tasks to measure practical application of skills
   • Anecdotal Records
     • Importance of observational data in understanding student behavior and learning context
4. Decide on a System
   • Traditional paper or pencil vs. digital
   • Use of a Student Data Notebook

Summary and Product Links:

As we wrap up today's discussion, it's clear that effective progress monitoring is pivotal in special education. By choosing the right tools and methods, you can ensure your monitoring efforts are both efficient and tailored to the unique needs of each student. I highly recommend checking out the customizable Student Data Notebook and the dynamic Exit Ticket bundle from my TPT store. These resources are designed to help you streamline your progress monitoring processes and are currently available at an introductory price.

Links to Products Mentioned in the Show:

• Student Data Notebook
• Exit Ticket Bundle

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Chapters

• 0:59 Effective Progress Monitoring in Special Education
• 6:34 Diverse Methods for Student Progress

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:59

Hey there and welcome back to another episode of Special Education for Beginners. Today, I want to chat with you about all things progress monitoring, because understanding and implementing a solid progress monitoring system isn't just beneficial for every special education teacher. It's imperative that you have a system in place that works for you and your students. It is the cornerstone of everything we do. Progress monitoring is how we ensure our students are making progress. It's what we use to communicate that progress to parents. It's the data our administration asks for and it's what will drive the next IEP. So let's get to it.

Speaker 1: 1:42

Amount of paperwork on your to-do list. Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock-solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload? Well, hey there. I'm Jennifer Hopperberg, an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach, who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and, yes, I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me. Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos, to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand. So are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape, because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming laugh, so you don't cry.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Profession of being a special education teacher. So I see and hear questions like these from special education teachers all the time how often should I be progress monitoring? What do I use to progress monitor? Is there a specific system I should use? Should I use paper, pencil or digital? And as I think back over my career, I have done so many different things. Some of those things have worked well, some of them have been thrown out and some of them have been tweaked to work better. Some methods that work wonderfully for some students may not work for every student, and so it's hard for me to give a rock solid answer of how often you should progress monitor and what you should use to do it. So let's just start with what it is, why it's important, and then I will give you some options you might want to consider. So progress monitoring is exactly what it sounds like.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Once you write your IEP goals, you will need to monitor a student's progress on a regular basis to ensure every student is given the opportunity to succeed according to their unique potential. Without a good progress monitoring system, we are basically trying to navigate without a map. Imagine trying to get somewhere without our GPS systems in our phones or our cars. The chances of getting lost are high. The same goes for teaching. Without progress monitoring, we might know the end goal, but without regular check-ins we can't be sure we are on the right path. We might miss some crucial turns or fail to adjust our speed. So progress monitoring provides that real-time data we need to understand whether our teaching strategies are effective and, more importantly, whether our students are truly learning and growing.

Speaker 1: 4:09

It is entirely possible that you wrote a goal that was too easy for a student or way too hard for a student. When you are checking in on this goal on a regular basis, you will begin to see if this was a just right goal or if you need to reconvene to modify the goal. And this means progress monitoring offers more than just academic or behavioral checkpoints. It is a dynamic process that can be just as individualized as the IEP itself. Progress monitoring isn't a one-size-fits-all tool. It's about observing, recording and analyzing. It is a process that fosters an educational environment tailored to individual needs and it empowers us as educators to pivot our strategies, not just when we are off course, but to accelerate, to hit that gas when we are on the right track. So let's discuss the how. There are different methods you can use for progress monitoring and, unless your administration or your director tells you what they want you to do, you will get to decide what works for you and your students, and it's okay if you use a combination of things. Remember, it's all individualized for each student. So one of the methods I have used in the past and I enjoyed was curriculum-based measurement, cbms. Curriculum-based measurement is a standardized scientific method used to assess students' competence in core academic areas such as reading, fluency, comprehension, math, computation, problem solving and writing.

Speaker 1: 5:28

Cbm involves brief timed tests or probes. I use that word probes a lot and many of the teachers that I coach have asked what do you mean when you say probe? Well, it just means using a short test to get a data point. These are conducted at regular intervals over the school year. So how it works is teachers administer these short assessments they're usually one to three minutes, or sometimes I don't time them and if I don't time them the first time, I don't ever time them because I want my data to be accurate and these are given weekly or every other week. These tests are directly aligned with the school's curriculum and they ensure that the monitoring is relevant to what the students are actually learning. And then, after each test, teachers score the assessments quickly and they plot the results on a graph so they could visually track students' progress over time. The benefits are that they provide immediate feedback to help you adjust your instruction, they help predict long-term performance and they offer a reliable way to track progress across different students, classes or even schools. There is a digital component to this one called EasyCBM that has free and paid tests.

Speaker 1: 6:35

The second is direct behavior ratings. Dbr Direct behavior rating combines aspects of rating skill and direct observation methods to monitor student behaviors that are directly linked to educational and social success. They are particularly useful for tracking behaviors such as engagement, disruption or compliance, which are critical in special education settings. So how these work, are teachers or observers, like your paraprofessionals? Use a simple scale, for example zero to 10, to rate one or more behaviors immediately, after observing them during a specified period, typically a class or a session. This method requires consistent observation periods and standardized criteria for ratings to maintain reliability. The benefits are they can be tailored to specific behaviors and provide immediate insights. They are less time-consuming than a full-scale behavioral assessment and they are easier to implement regularly. And they helped in creating behavioral interventions and supports that are individualized behavior management plans.

Speaker 1: 7:38

The third method is the exit ticket system. The exit ticket system is a quick and effective formative assessment tool used at the end of a lesson or a class period to assess students' understanding of the material covered. It consists of a brief question or set of questions related to the day's content, which students must answer before they leave the classroom, and how it works is at the end of each lesson. So say, you have a subtraction lesson, the teacher hands out a small piece of paper or a digital form with one or more questions that reflect on that day's learning objectives. So students will complete that subtraction problem and then it is quickly reviewed by the teacher and then the teacher can make some notes on there. This immediate feedback helps teachers assess the effectiveness of their instruction and understand what students have grasped and where they may need more support. So the benefits of the exit ticket system is it offers real-time real-time feedback on the effectiveness of the lesson and the student's comprehension of the lesson. They are simple and quick and easy to prepare and administer and they don't take much class time. And they help teachers plan future lessons based on the areas where students show that they need more reinforcement or where they are ready to advance and be pushed.

Speaker 1: 8:50

The exit ticket system, the exit ticket method, might be my favorite now. It is an efficient and effective way to track your students' progress on their IEP goals and streamline the process of documenting that progress. I do have a growing bundle of exit tickets in my TPT store, tailored specifically for special education teachers. These exit tickets offer a structured and consistent method to capture that real-time data that you need and quickly assess their understanding of their IEP goals. If you are remotely interested in this method, you want to take advantage of the current price before it increases, because it is a growing bundle, which means the more sets I add, the more the price goes up, and if there are any skills that you want to see added to the bundle, just email me and let me know, and I can create those for you.

Speaker 1: 9:36

The fourth method is the portfolio assessment. Portfolio assessments are a comprehensive form of progress monitoring that involves a systematic collection and evaluation of various student works over time, so this could include assignments, projects, tests, notes and other educational artifacts that represent a student's learning journey. How this works is students or teachers collect works that demonstrate key aspects of learning and development throughout the year. Portfolios are reviewed periodically, for example, per quarter or per semester, to assess progress and identify areas of strengths and needs. This is a holistic approach and it provides a more detailed and nuanced picture of a student's performance across different contexts and time periods. The benefits of this approach is that it provides a broader perspective on student learning and achievements, it encourages students to take an active role in their learning process by selecting the works that they believe best represents their achievements, and it promotes reflection for both the student and the teacher in helping them to identify long-term trends and areas for improvement.

Speaker 1: 10:45

The next one is the Learning Management System, or the LMS, integrated Progress Monitoring. Many schools use learning management systems like Google, classroom, schoolology or Canvas, which often include built-in tools for progress monitoring students. These platforms allow educators to track submissions, grade assignments and assess student engagement with course materials and how they work is. Teachers can assign and grade work directly within the LMS. They give detailed reports on student activity, such as time spent on tasks and participation in discussions, and they integrate with other tools and apps to allow for a comprehensive overview of a student's progress across various platforms. The benefits of using an LMS is that all the data is stored in one place, making it easier for teachers to manage and analyze. They give students and parents can log in to view progress reports, which helps maintain transparency and enhances that communication piece, and it automates many aspects of the progress monitoring process, which saves time and reduces the risk of errors.

Speaker 1: 11:50

The sixth one is performance-based assessments. Performance-based assessments involve evaluating students through tasks that mimic real-world challenges. These assessments are designed to measure not just knowledge but also the application of skills in various contexts. Students might be asked so how this works is students might be asked to complete a project, participate in a simulation or create a physical artifact that demonstrates their understanding and skills, and then educators can evaluate these tasks based on predetermined criteria or rubrics that reflect the objectives of the curriculum. I often used performance-based assessments at the end of a unit. It gave the students an understanding, a real-world application, that they might be learning geometry. But this is why and we're going to apply it to an actual activity so that we can show students how the skills that they're learning applies to real life situations. And so the benefits is it provides a realistic measure of a student's ability to apply their knowledge in practical situations. It encourages students to develop and use a range of skills from critical thinking to problem solving, and it is often more engaging for students than traditional tests, which can lead to deeper learning and retention. I know my students, once they had the skills and we'd been working on them for a while, they were like, all right, when are we going to do our project-based learning activities? So it really kept them engaged.

Speaker 1: 13:16

And then number seven is anecdotal records, and this is one that I got better at later in my career. Anecdotal records involve the systematic documentation of observable student behaviors or performances in natural settings, providing qualitative data that can offer deep insights into a student's learning processes and social interactions. And so how? These workers just teachers are just taking notes during or right after an event or an observation, and these notes detail significant incidents that are indicative of student progress or areas needing attention, and these records are dated and organized thematically or chronologically for review. So the benefits of these is that it offers detailed insights into the circumstances surrounding learning and behavior. It gives you useful information across a variety of contexts and subject areas, and they are particularly useful for tracking developments in behavior, social skills and emotional well-being.

Speaker 1: 14:16

So each of these seven systems methods provides a different lens through which to view student progress. They each cater to different, varying aspects of learning and development, and so the choice of the system or the method that you use often depends on the educational goals, the nature of the curriculum and the specific needs of the students. There probably isn't going to be one method you use all the way throughout your career. You're going to use a variety of different things, and then, once you choose your data collection method or methods, it is essential to have a system in place to organize all your data efficiently.

Speaker 1: 14:52

I have traditionally favored a paper and pencil approach and using I used a notebook with a dedicated divider for each student and that each. Under each divider I had a set of probes or worksheets for that student, and within this notebook I would reserve a spot to jot down observational notes, those anecdotal notes throughout the year and quickly record scores from exit tickets as they were collected. I would use sticky notes with dates for any additional data points gathered sporadically, and this method ensured that by the end of the nine week period, when it was time to write progress reports, I already had all of the necessary data compiled, which made it easier to avoid any last minute rushes to assess students. So the notebook that I used and recommend to all the teachers I coach is in my TPT store and I will link it in the show notes. But basically it's a customizable notebook designed to keep all of your student IEP data organized and accessible at all times. It includes 40 editable student covers. It has progress monitoring sheets, has data tracking tools that are tailored to manage goals, keep notes and work samples efficiently. So if your admin or parent ever asks where a student is working or how a student is working toward their goals, just grab your notebook and look up the students tab and all the data you've taken is right there.

Speaker 1: 16:10

Transitioning to a digital system can streamline this process even further. I'm not a digital girl, I'm more of a paper pencil person, like I said, but if you are digital if you like that. Better, you can utilize a digital portfolio or learning management system where each student has a profile or a dedicated digital folder, and so here you can upload scanned copies of worksheets, you can directly input scores from digital exit tickets and maintain ongoing observational notes in a structured format, and then those time you can have timestamps on digital entries, which will automatically keep your records up to date. So this setup not only saves physical space, but it allows for quicker access of an and analysis of data, making the process of compiling progress reports much more efficient. Additionally, having a digital backup ensures that data is secure and easily shareable with other educators, administrators or parents.

Speaker 1: 17:02

So, as we close today's discussion on progress monitoring, it is clear that finding the right approach to track and support each student's unique educational journey is essential. No matter which method you choose or which system you use to track data, it's just important to remember that the goal is always the same to ensure every student not only meets but exceeds their individual learning targets. Progress monitoring is more than a routine. It is a commitment to adaptive and responsive teaching that truly understands and addresses the needs of every student. So thank you for joining me today. I hope this episode empowers you to continue refining your strategies to better serve your students. Go out and have a great day.