Social Science Courses/Resources for Teaching Special EducationCourse
- AuthorReed Hepler
Reed Hepler received an M.L.I.S. from IUPUI, with emphases in Digital Curation and Archives Management. He received a Bachelor’s in History from USU, with minors in Religious Studies and Anthropology. He also earned a Certificate in Museum Studies. He has worked in museums, libraries, archives, and historical sites for the past four years.
View bio - InstructorLinda Winfree
Linda has taught English at grades 6-12 and holds graduate degrees in curriculum and teacher leadership.
View bio
Learn about progress monitoring in special education and its importance. Examine the different types and study progress monitoring assessments and examples.Updated: 11/21/2023
Table of Contents
- What is Progress Monitoring?
- Types of Progress Monitoring
- Implementing Progress Monitoring in Special Education
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is progress monitoring in special education?
Progress monitoring in special education is a model that tracks the growth of students in special education classrooms. This is done through the use of multiple assessment checkpoints.
What are the steps for progress monitoring?
Generally speaking, no matter which type of progress is being monitored, checkpoints or criteria are established by teachers. Then, throughout the schoolyear teachers periodically assess the students' progress based upon these criteria. Assessment of curriculum progress is performed through probes.
What is an example of progress monitoring?
An educator desires to teach students how to write clearly and legibly. As they teach their students, they track each child's progress through regular analysis of their writing on assignments and other documents. They continue to teach the skill of clean, legible writing until their students have mastered that skill.
Why is progress monitoring important?
Progress monitoring helps teachers and other professionals gauge how the student is progressing in school. The teachers, parents, and students can all see how the student is improving in terms of IEP and academic goals.
Table of Contents
- What is Progress Monitoring?
- Types of Progress Monitoring
- Implementing Progress Monitoring in Special Education
- Lesson Summary
Progress monitoring is defined as the process that educators and other education professionals use to evaluate the improvement of their students. Its purpose is to ascertain if teachers' students are fulfilling their academic goals. Specifically, progress monitoring is a model used in special education that tracks student growth with assessment checkpoints.
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Progress monitoring assessments are divided into two main categories: mastery measurement and curriculum measurement. Mastery measurement is an evaluation of a student's progress toward specific skill-related goals. Curriculum measurement analyzes how much a student has learned. Both of these assessments are related to the student's IEP. What is an IEP? An IEP is an individualized education plan. It is composed of specific goals created by the student's teachers, parents, and medical professionals. All of these stakeholders establish what they feel to be reasonable and relevant goals. These goals are the criteria for both master measurement and curriculum measurement progress monitoring processes.
Mastery Measurement
The mastery measurement progress monitoring model adheres to a strict scope. It is only concerned with evaluating and measuring the progress of students toward the mastery of skills. Knowledge of curriculum and other facts are not relevant to this measurement tool. The mastery measurement assessment requires students to master one skill before they can begin moving on to another skill. For example, Jane is teaching students to develop clear and legible handwriting. Over a regular, consistent period, her students are evaluated based on their writing skills. Until a student has proven through their coursework that they can consistently write legibly, they will not learn a new skill. Progress from one skill to the next is not dependent on curriculum measurement.
Curriculum Measurement
Curriculum measurement uses a model where all skills are assessed throughout the year on a regular basis through probes. This type of progress monitoring, also called ''curriculum-based measurement'' or ''general outcome measurement,'' is the preferred method. Probes are simple assessments created or adopted by teachers to examine the knowledge of students. The administration of these probes is regularly scheduled. Data gained from student participation in these probes is used to continue the administration of curriculum instruction. Occasionally, the data may show a need to adjust instruction or intervention processes. For some subjects, there are multiple types of probes that can be used to assess specific parts of a skill. For example, mathematics educators utilize computation probes, testing abilities, and concepts and applications probes, testing knowledge.
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The most frequent setting for progress monitoring use is in the classroom. There are multiple examples of how progress monitoring can be utilized by special education teachers.
Progress Monitoring Examples
Examples demonstrate how both mastery and curriculum measurement tools can be used in the classroom. Curriculum measurement is somewhat more involved because of the need to create probes. However, this type of progress monitoring is also performed more often because it is malleable and flexible.
- George notes that several of his students are having trouble with the same curriculum skills. He communicates with the stakeholders for all students about the need to address each of these skills. Writing, reading, and following directions are problem areas for each of the students in his class. He coordinates with the stakeholders to develop a general sequence and plan for teaching these skills. George teaches all of his students the skill of writing first. Some students, such as Evaldo, quickly learn the required writing skills. Others, such as Christy, do not learn writing. Evaldo can move forward to learning how to read. Christy, however, is held back from learning to read and follow directions until she learns how to write. All of the data on the students is recorded by George and included in reports related to each IEP. Goals and teaching styles are more or less static throughout the year.
- Another teacher, Fariha, has students with similar educational delays. She decides to utilize the curriculum measurement process instead of the mastery measurement tool. Accordingly, she communicates during the IEP sessions about needed improvements and skills. Reading, writing, following directions, and staying on task are specified as the most important skills to be learned. Certain subjects, such as elementary mathematics, are also designated as subjects for improvement. Regularly, Fariha evaluates her students using short and simple quizzes or assignments. The results of these assessments tell Fariha which students should focus on reading and writing and which need to focus more on mathematics.
Documenting Progress Monitoring
Progress monitoring, whether it is concerned with mastery or curriculum knowledge, should be heavily documented. Without documentation, the use of this model is for naught. Student involvement is important in creating progress monitoring documentation. If students participate, they can judge their own progress towards goals.
An example of how student participation impacts the use of progress monitoring is the experience of Juliana. She knows that her writing is not as legible as it could be. Jane is her teacher. Juliana willingly participates and submits her writing products for evaluation. Jane shares her reports and notes with Juliana so that Juliana can understand how she has progressed. Additionally, Juliana can understand specific ways that she can improve in the future.
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Progress monitoring is a model that tracks the progress of students in skills and curriculum knowledge by using multiple assessment checkpoints. Progress monitoring is usually used in the classroom and is created based on students' IEP plans. An IEP is an individualized education plan. Teachers, parents, and other individuals collaborate to make reasonable goals for students. There are two main types of progress monitoring assessments. The first is mastery measurement, in which students are taught certain skills and evaluated. This type of progress monitoring is only used for a limited, strict scope of abilities. One skill must be mastered before a student is taught another skill. This is not dependent on the curriculum knowledge of the student.
The second type of progress monitoring is curriculum measurement. In this type of progress monitoring, all curriculum-related skills or concepts are assessed regularly and consistently. This type of progress monitoring is somewhat more involved. Rather than simply evaluating outward manifestations of knowledge, teachers must create and administer probes. Probes are simple evaluative tools (quizzes, assignments) that display a student's knowledge. The data gathered in assessments are used to clarify past progress and future needs for progress. Student involvement is extremely important in monitoring their own progress. If students actively participate in the progress monitoring process, they will be able to evaluate and visualize their own progress toward their academic goals and IEP goals.
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Types of Progress Monitoring
As a special education teacher, you know that goals and objectives are an integral part of any individualized education program (IEP). But what is the best way to assess student progress toward these goals and objectives? Progress monitoring, a strategy for evaluating student growth through regular assessment checkpoints, is an excellent means of following your students' growth. Let's take a closer look at progress monitoring, including the types of progress monitoring, strategies for implementation, and effective ways to document progress.
Types of Progress Monitoring
Progress monitoring includes two basic types: mastery measurement and curriculum measurement. Mastery measurement is based on a curriculum scope and sequence. In this model, teachers introduce a skill, then teach and assess it until the skill has been mastered. Teachers and students work in sequence through the curriculum, staying with a skill until mastery is reached, and before continuing on to the next skill.
Curriculum measurement does not require a curriculum sequence, as regular probes, or assessments, measure all skills in the curriculum, allowing teachers to incorporate multiple skills and tailor teaching to student needs. The curriculum measurement model is often the preferred method in many districts because it's both reliable and valid. As a form of progress monitoring, curriculum measurement can be easily compared to all of the goals in a student's IEP. Furthermore, curriculum measurement can drive instruction, allowing for flexibility and greater differentiation, unlike the prescriptive scope and sequence of the mastery measurement model.
Since the curriculum measurement model is the one most commonly preferred, let's look at how a teacher might implement and document this type of progress monitoring.
Implementing Progress Monitoring
Willa is a special education teacher who works in an inclusion setting in a middle school. Willa's students have IEP goals in math and reading, and Willa, along with her subject area co-teachers, employs curriculum-based progress monitoring.
Looking at each unit, Willa and her co-teachers plan probes to cover various skills in reading and math. Because Willa's students receive special education services, their probes must be administered twice weekly, while the general education students might complete probes less often.
After each probe, Willa and her colleagues examine the data. The results allow them to track student mastery of skills and progress toward IEP goals. The teachers then make curriculum adjustments. If interventions or accommodations result in student success, the interventions or accommodations continue. If students are not making progress, then the interventions can be intensified. Teachers continue to give probes twice weekly and repeat this process.
Documenting Progress Monitoring
Documentation is an important component of progress monitoring for both teachers and students. Willa and her colleagues maintain shared spreadsheets that allow them to track interventions and probe results. Together they also create a graph to visually represent each student's progress. This not only allows Willa to document that interventions or accommodations are being provided, but also serves as evidence when it's time to determine if her students are making progress toward their IEP goals.
Additionally, Willa and her colleagues examine the charts when deciding if interventions are working, or if instruction requires adjustment. Willa also asks her students to document their progress so they can self-monitor. This allows students to make connections between instruction, probes, and personal goals.
Lesson Summary
Progress monitoring assesses student growth on IEP goals and objectives through regular checkpoints. The two basic types of progress monitoring are mastery measurement and curriculum measurement. Mastery measurement assesses students on one skill at a time and follows a strict scope and sequence. Curriculum measurement is the preferred model and assesses students on all skills throughout a curriculum, due to its reliability, validity, and flexibility.
Implementing curriculum measurement progress monitoring involves planning probes and administering them twice weekly to special education students. Teachers examine data and adjust their curriculum based on the results, such as continuing, changing, or intensifying the interventions. Progress monitoring requires documentation, such as:
- A shared spreadsheet of interventions and probes so that teachers can make joint instructional decisions.
- A shared graph of student probe results so that students can gauge progress and teachers can determine the need for further interventions.
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