Toolkit: Progress Monitoring
Progress Monitoring
This Recipe Box provides information and directions on how to progress monitor IEP goals and objectives. Determination of achievement of IEP goals should be based on objective data of student performance. The frequency of collecting and reporting objective data is determined by the gap between present levels of performance and grade level skills, such that a student with a larger gap would have more frequent progress monitoring and adjustment to instructional interventions than a student with a lesser gap.
At a minimum, school-based instructional staff (e.g., grade level team, content area team) should review student’s progress quarterly, and more frequently based on the student’s performance and rate of progress. Regularly inform families of student’s progress toward meeting annual goals. Select the tabs to learn the tools for progress monitoring IEP goals and objectives.
Requirements
Progress monitoring data provides reliable feedback on individual student progress and allows the educator to assess overall progress in the classroom to inform instruction.
- Progress monitoring is a scientifically based practice used to assess a child's progress on IEP goals and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.
- The Law: The IEP for a student with a disability shall include; how a parent is to be regularly informed of (a) Student’s progress toward the annual goals; and (b) the extent to which the progress is sufficient to enable the student to achieve the goals within a year. COMAR 13A.05.01.09B(1)(a)
Instructions
Many tools exist to support the progress monitoring of IEP goals and objectives.
- Select a type of progress monitoring below to learn more.
- Navigation Tips:
- Progress through the tutorial by selecting the numerical buttons
- Select the magnifying glass or the image to enlarge the graphic
Final Touches
Consider the following guiding questions when analyzing student progress.
- Is the student making progress at an acceptable rate? It is not enough to “just make progress”.
- Is the progress meaningful with appropriate expectations and accommodations to close the gap between the student’s performance and his / her peers?
- Based on progress monitoring, what gains did the student make during the last IEP period? (For children transitioning from early intervention services, what gains did the child make during the last IFSP period?)
- In what content areas did the student make progress? What factors influence the progress? Can they be generalized across content and environments?
- What changes could be made to increase the rate of learning?
- What supports, strategies, and specially designed instruction were used? How did the student respond?
- Do modifications need to be made to instructional practices and / or adjustments to student’s goals / objectives?
Next Steps
Using progress monitoring results helps to accelerate learning for students because appropriate and specialized instruction is provided based on data.
- Informs instruction and alters variables to better address the individual student needs;
- Accelerates learning because students are receiving well-designed and calibrated appropriate instruction;
- Enhances data-driven instructional decisions;
- Enables more efficient communication with families and other professionals about students’ progress; and higher expectations for students by teachers;
- Documents student progress for accountability purposes.
The benefits of progress monitoring:
