The IEP: Progress Monitoring Process

1
The IEP Progress Monitoring Process

• Southwest Ohio Special Education
• Regional Resource Center
• By Liz Neal, Clermont County Educational Service
  Center

2
Session Objectives

• To provide an overview of the steps of progress
  monitoring.
• To provide resources and tools for gathering and
  compiling data.
• To provide time for practical application and
  feedback.

3
Session Agenda

• Definition
• Rationale
• Prerequisites
• The Steps of Progress Monitoring
• Data Collection
• Unpack Existing IEP
• Fill in the Missing Pieces
• Determine Measurement Types and Tools
• Data Collection Schedule
• Data Compilation
• Data Compilation Tools
• Data Compilation Schedule
• Data Reporting
• Data Reporting Schedule
• Data Presentation To Graph or Not to Graph
• Using Data to Make Instructional and Service
  Decisions

4
Session Format

• These slides indicate time for questions, group
  discussion, review of the IEPs you brought, and
  application of monitoring suggestions.

5
What is Progress Monitoring?

• Progress monitoring is the ongoing process of
  collecting and analyzing data to determine
  student progress.
• Progress monitoring should be used to make
  instructional and service decisions based on
  student performance.

6
Rationale

• Individuals With Disabilities Education
  Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004
• Requires a students individualized education
  plan (IEP) to include
• A statement of present levels of academic and
  functional performance
• A statement of measurable annual goals
• A statement of special education, related and
  supplemental services

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
7
Rationale

• An explanation of the extent, if any, of
  non-participation in the regular classroom
• A statement of any appropriate and necessary
  accommodations on state and district-wide
  assessments
• A statement of dates and duration of services
• Appropriate, measurable post-secondary goals and
  transition services and
• A statement of how the childs progress toward
  the annual goals will be measured.

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
8
Rationale

• Legal Decisions
• The absence of adequate progress monitoring has
  been the focus of several administrative and
  judicial decisions.
• Courts are unwilling to accept the claims of
  school districts regarding the appropriateness of
  a students program without proof in the form of
  data.

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
9
Rationale

• Legal Decisions
• Recent decisions concerning progress monitoring
  have revealed five primary areas of concern
• The IEP team fails to develop or implement
  progress monitoring plans
• Responsibilities for progress monitoring are
  improperly delegated

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
10
Rationale

1. The IEP team does not plan or implement progress
   monitoring for behavior intervention plans
   (BIPs)
2. The team uses inappropriate measures to determine
   student progress toward graduation
3. Progress monitoring is not frequent enough to
   meet the requirements of IDEIA or to provide
   meaningful data to IEP teams.

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
11
Prerequisites

• A statement of measurable annual goals, including
  benchmarks or short-term objectives related to
  meeting the childs needs that result from the
  childs disability to enable the child to be
  involved in and progress in the general
  curriculum and to meet the childs other
  educational needs that result from the childs
  disability. (OS page 66)

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Prerequisites

• In order to collect data that provides evidence
  of student progress, the IEP must include
  measurable annual goals and benchmarks or
  short-term objectives.
• Annual goals and benchmarks or short-term
  objectives must include
• clearly defined, observable behaviors/actions
• the condition under which the behavior is
  performed
• the performance criterion.
• Who will do what
• how well under what conditions?

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Prerequisites

• A statement of how the childs progress towards
  the annual goals will be measured and how the
  childs parents will be regularly informed
  (through such means as periodic report cards), at
  least as often as parents are informed of their
  non-disabled childrens progress (OS page 66)

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Prerequisites

• in regard to
• Their childs progress towards the annual goals,
  and
• The extent to which that progress is sufficient
  to enable the child to achieve the goals by the
  end of the year.
• (OS page 66-67)

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Prerequisites

• In order to collect data that provides evidence
  of student progress, the IEP must also include a
  specific statement of how and when progress will
  be measured and reported.
• What data will be collected?
• Where will the data be collected?
• Who will collect and compile data who will
  report progress?

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Step 1 Data CollectionUnpack the Existing IEP
Existing IEP contains measurable goals and
short-term objectives as well as a clear and
specific statement of student progress.
NO
YES
Determine and define missing pieces of the
goal, benchmark, or objective. Determine and
define missing pieces in the statement of student
progress.
Measure the behaviors under the conditions using
the criteria set forth in the goal, benchmark,
or short-term objective defined in the
IEP. Follow data type, schedule, and person
responsible defined in the IEP.
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Step 1 Data CollectionFill in the Missing
Pieces

• Make the existing IEPs goals, benchmarks, and/or
  short-term objectives measurable.
• Determine purpose and outcome of goal. (What do
  we need to observe of this student?)
• Fill in the blanks. (Conditions? Criteria?)
• Check with the team. (What are parent and other
  team member perceptions of purpose and outcome?)

18
Step 1 Data CollectionFill in the Missing
Pieces

• Make the existing IEPs statement of student
  progress specific.
• Determine the best way to provide evidence of
  student progress. (What type of data will be
  collected?)
• Determine who will collect, compile and report
  data and progress.
• Determine where evidence will be collected.
  (Where will the data be easily collected as well
  as provide documentation of skill?)

19
Step 1 Data CollectionFill in the Missing
Pieces

• Make the existing IEPs statement of student
  progress specific. (continued)
• Determine how often evidence will be collected.
  (How often is enough to truly show progress, or
  lack of?)
• Check with the team. (What are parent and other
  team member perceptions about data collection and
  reporting?)
• Any written changes on an IEP must be approved by
  the IEP team (parents, service providers,
  district personnel).

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Step 1 Data CollectionFill in the Missing
Pieces

• Questions and Suggestions.
• Review the IEP at your table and
• work through the flow chart
• for unpacking the existing IEP.
• Changes?
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Roadblocks?

21
Step 1 Data CollectionDetermine Measurement
Types and Tools

• The tools used to collect data and ultimately
  measure progress provide evidence of student
  performance specific to IEP goals, objectives,
  and/or short-term benchmarks.
• Data collection tools should represent different
  types of measurement in order to provide a clear
  picture of student progress.

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• DIRECT MEASUREMENT provides valid and reliable
  indications of student progress.
• Behavior Observation can be documented in many
  different ways behavior observation provides
  first hand evidence of student performance as it
  occurs.
• Observation Narratives
• Data Charts
• Frequency Recording
• Duration Recording
• Interval Recording
• Time Sampling
• More

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• DIRECT MEASUREMENT (continued)
• Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA) is the
• direct observation and recording of students
  performance in the school curriculum.
• Criterion Referenced Test (CRT)
• Teacher constructed
• Focuses on hierarchies of skills in the general
  education curriculum
• Curriculum Based Measure (CBM)
• Brief, standardized samples
• Fluency based (accuracy and time)

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• DIRECT MEASUREMENT
• Questions and Suggestions.
• Review the data collection tools for
• direct measurement.
• Which of these tools could be used to
• monitor the IEP you just unpacked?
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Roadblocks?

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• INDIRECT MEASUREMENT can supplement direct
  measures.
• Rubrics
• Describes performance on a scale from desired
  performance to undesired performance using both
  qualitative and quantitative descriptions.
• Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
• Rates student performance changes on a five-point
  scale of from least to most favorable.

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• INDIRECT MEASUREMENT (continued)
• Interviews
• Provides a summary of student performance on a
  given behavior in a structured format regular
  education teachers or other school personnel can
  informally conference with the teacher in charge
  of data collection conferences are then
  summarized and added to the progress monitoring
  file.
• Student Self-Monitoring
• Documents student behaviors and performance
  through self recording given specific cues.

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• INDIRECT MEASUREMENT
• Questions and Suggestions.
• Review the data collection tools for
• direct measurement.
• Which of these tools could be used to
• monitor the IEP you just unpacked?
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Roadblocks?

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• AUTHENTIC MEASUREMENT provides evidence of
  student performance through genuine student
  input.
• Work Samples
• Provides evidence of student performance through
  hard copies of actual student work.
• Writing
• Math
• Projects (cutting, drawing)
• Pictures of student work
• Audio recordings of student performance (reading,
  responding to questions)
• Portfolios
• Documents student performance through a
  collection of work samples demonstrating specific
  outcomes.

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• AUTHENTIC MEASUREMENT (continued)
• Student Interviews
• Assesses student performance through informal
  conferences between the teacher and student
  conversations are then summarized and included in
  the progress monitoring file.

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Step 1 Data Collection Determine Measurement
Types and Tools

• AUTHENTIC MEASUREMENT
• Questions and Suggestions.
• Review the data collection tools for
• direct measurement.
• Which of these tools could be used to
• monitor the IEP you just unpacked?
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Roadblocks?

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Step 1 Data CollectionSchedule

• The data collection schedule depends on how
  service is delivered.
• Direct Instruction
• Times for data collection should be worked into
  daily and weekly plans for instruction.
• Data collection does not necessarily have to be
  separate from this instructional time this
  situation can provide a real picture of student
  performance during a typical day.

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Step 1 Data CollectionSchedule

• Indirect Instruction or Support
• Times for data collection should be worked into
  the time when service is being delivered, if
  possible.
• Data can also be collected remotely by regular
  education teachers or other service providers.
• Consultation
• Regular education teachers and other service
  providers play a key role in data collection and
  input.
• Times for data collection should also be
  scheduled when concerns have been brought up
  this is a perfect opportunity for using direct
  measures (observations, data charts, etc.)

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Step 1 Data CollectionSchedule

• The effectiveness of services and instructional
  method is determined most efficiently when
  progress is measured frequently.

If progress is monitored Then effectiveness may
Daily, as part of instruction Be determined within 2 weeks
Twice a week Be determined within a month
Weekly Be determined within a quarter
Quarterly NOT be determined, even after a year
An Administrators Guide to Measuring Achievement
for Students with IEPs. http//www.awa11.k12.ia.u
s/iep/iepresults/AdministratorsGuide.htm
34
Step 1 Data CollectionSchedule

• Questions and Suggestions
• Develop a data collection schedule for two or
  three of the tools you chose.
• Use your daily routine.
• Consider how services are delivered.
• Consider measurement type and
• frequency.
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Roadblocks?

35
Step 2 Data Compilation

• Compiling data is a critical component in
  progress monitoring.
• Summarizes data collected periodically during the
  duration of an IEP.
• Ultimately saves time attempting to compile all
  data collected during the duration of a year long
  IEP would be an overwhelming task.
• Provides the team with useful reference points in
  time.
• Saves time and confusion during meetings.

36
Step 2 Data CompilationTools

• The tools used to compile data should include
• Student name
• IEP effective dates
• The goal, benchmark, or short-term objective
  directly from the IEP
• A restatement of the criteria in the goal,
  benchmark, or short-term objective
• An organized format that makes clear the data
  compilation schedule.

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Step 2 Data CompilationSchedule

• The data compilation schedule depends upon the
  data collection frequency.
• Suggested compilation schedules

If data is collected Then data should be compiled
Daily Weekly
Two or three times per week Bi-weekly or monthly
Once a week Monthly
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Step 2 Data CompilationTools and Schedule

• Questions and Suggestions?
• Discuss data compilation
• If you already practice compiling data, how do
  you make it work along with all other
  responsibilities?
• If you dont usually compile data, how might it
  be worked in with everything else you do during
  school?

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Step 3 Data ReportingSchedule

• Progress on IEP goals, benchmarks, and short-term
  objectives is reported to parents as often as
  non-disabled student receive academic progress
  reports.
• Timeline
• Mid-Quarter (Interim Reports)
• Quarterly
• Format
• Compilation Forms
• Graphs
• Narratives
• Accompanies hard data
• Explains any instructional changes or specific
  circumstances

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Step 3 Data ReportingData Presentation To
Graph or Not To Graph

• Review the two sets of collected data provided at
  your table.
• Review the graphs used to compile the data
  collected.
• Discuss the impact of the graphs.
• How might the IEP meetings for these students
  gone had only the collected data (not compiled)
  been shared.
• Questions?

41
Using Data to Make Instructional and Service
Decisions

• Student progress is considered in relationship to
  each goal, benchmark, or short-term objective.
• Four aspects should be considered
• Progress
• Did the student make the progress expected by the
  IEP team? (criteria)

42
Using Data to Make Instructional and Service
Decisions

• Comparison to Peers or Standards
• How does the students performance compare with
  the performance of general education students?
• Independence
• Is the student more independent in the goal area?
• Goal Status
• Will work in the goal be continued?
• Will student be dismissed from this goal area?

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Using Data to Make Instructional and Service
Decisions

• Questions and Suggestions
• Using the graphs of compiled data, consider
  instruction or service options.
• Consider progress, comparison to peers or
  standards, independence, and goal status (with
  the limited information you have).

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Final Thoughts

• Progress monitoring remains a required part of
  the IEP with IDEIA 2004.
• Other provisions in IDEIA 2004 mandate greater
  accountability for student progress.
• Results-oriented shift
• Outcomes

Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006)
45
Final Thoughts

• Progress monitoring processes that are focused,
  clearly defined, and completed will ensure
  meaningful educational programs for students with
  disabilities.

46
Works Cited/Consulted

• Alexandrin, J. R. (2003). Using continuous,
  constructive classroom evaluations. TEACHING
  Exceptional Children, 52-57.
• An Administrators Guide to Measuring Achievement
  for Students with IEPs. http//www.awa11.k12.ia.u
  s/iep/iepresults/AdministratorsGuide.htm
• Etscheidt, Susan K. (2006). Progress monitoring
  Legal issues and recommendations for IEP teams.
  TEACHING Exceptional Children, 56-60.
• Jones, C. J. (2004). Teacher-friendly
  curriculum-based assessment in spelling.
  TEACHING Exceptional Children, 32-38.
• Operating Standards for Ohios Schools Serving
  Students with Disabilities (OS), 61-74.
• http//www.ode.state.oh.us/exceptional_children/c
  hildren_with_disabilities/Operating_Standards/defa
  ult.asp
• Show Me the DATA! University of Washington,
  Experimental Educational Unit. 2004.
• Pemberton, J. B. (2003). Communicating academic
  progress as an integral part of assessment.
  TEACHING Exceptional Children, 16-20.

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Information

• Contact Information
• Elisabeth Neal
• Clermont County Educational Service Center
• 735-8332 (office)
• neal_l_at_ccesc.org
• The IEP Progress Monitoring Systems
• September 12, 2006
• 430 p.m. 700 p.m.