Measuring and Reporting Progress Data Collection Templates Data Collection/Templates for Tracking Student Progress

Reporting Progress We need to know if strategies are working and if student is ready to move to a more advanced skill The first step is to look at the student’s present level of performance

Present Level of Performance Purpose: To describe the student’s unique needs that will be addressed by special education and related services, and to establish a baseline of measurable information that serves as a starting point for developing goals and objectives

The Present Level of Performance Specifies: Statement of Strengths Statement of Needs

Statement of Strengths These are statements of the student’s gifts, strengths and abilities as a learner. For example: Responds to familiar routine directions Communicates when motivated and understands the activity Understands cause and effect Lets his wants be known Loves to swim, listen to music, eat

Statement of Needs This section identifies those areas that are important for the student to learn in order to facilitate the development of functional skills and inclusion. For example: To improve mealtime skills To develop a yes/no To develop independent sitting, balance, and standing ability To improve functional hand use

Key Characteristics of the Present Level of Performance Measurable Objective Functional Current Identifies any special considerations Includes most recent assessment information Establishes the baseline of information used in writing Goals and Educational Objectives

Measurable IEP Objectives Purpose: To describe what the student can reasonably be expected to accomplish within 12 months with specially designed instruction and related services

IEP Objective Is directly related to the present level of performance which provides baseline information Provides a way of determining whether anticipated outcomes are being met Has three parts The student … does what … to what level Appropriate annual goals answer the question “What should the student be doing?”

We Can Measure Student Progress as Follows: Through increasing levels of partial participation in activities Through less prompting or facilitation over time Through generalization of the same skill to new people, activities or environments Through fewer false hits in activities involving switch work The amount of time it takes for the student might decrease The amount of time a student engages in an activity might increase

Levels of Prompts: 1. Independent 2. Non-verbal (eye contact) 3. Verbal only 4. Physical only (helping hand) Degree of Active Participation Measurement Form 5. Verbal and physical 6. Verbal & hand over hand (full support)

Degree of Active Participation How much assistance or prompting (physical and/or verbal) does the student require to perform the skill?

Degree of Active Participation The Objective is to: Increase the student’s level of independence with the skill Decrease the amount of prompting required Measure degree of success at a certain prompt level

Examples of Measurable Active Participation Skills The student will activate a single switch to play music with a verbal prompt only The student will make a choice between two objects by touching the object, with no more than a physical prompt, five times per session

Frequency of the Behaviour How often does the student perform the desired activity? How many times does the student sign “more” for an interrupted favourite activity?

Examples of Frequency of Behaviour or Skill Measurement The student will make a choice for an activity using pictures 5 times per session, by the end of the term The student will push the wheelchair door button on their own twice a day The student moves from sitting to standing on their own 3 times a day

Accuracy of the Behaviour How precisely does the student perform the behaviour? During switch work, how many “false hits” occurred? Did the student point or gaze accurately at an object choice?

Examples of Accuracy The student will ‘announce’ the next activity by pointing to picture symbols on the classroom picture schedule - with 80% accuracy by the end of the term The student will hold a cup with one hand and pour juice into it, without spilling The student will lean forward to help get jacket off

Appropriateness of the Behaviour Does the student demonstrate the desired behaviour in appropriate situations? The student vocalizes when requesting attention, but is appropriately quiet in the classroom

Examples of Appropriate Behaviour The student will respond to greetings by smiling and/or quiet vocalization The student walks safely and independently in the hallway The student uses a bingo dauber on paper (rather than putting it in his mouth)

Duration of the Behaviour How long does the student engage in the desired behaviour? Spending an increasing amount of time in their walker

Examples of Duration of Performance How long does the student hold onto a spoon during lunch? How long can the student keep his head up during buddy reading? How long can the student brush her hair independently?

Generalization of the Behaviour Does the student have the ability to use the developing skill with different people or in different settings? Greets a peer in the classroom and also greets the school secretary in the office?

Examples of Assessing Skill Generalization The student will communicate with five new people, expressing a total of five different communicative intents (including responding to questions, greetings, making choices, requesting “more”, and making comments) by the end of the term Final Activity: Ask participants to design a system of measurement for the skill that you’ve previously identified.

In Summary, Measuring and reporting progress allows us to document a student’s skill development and to modify instruction as necessary. Accountability is demonstrated by tracking student progress over time.