Progress Monitoring

Educational progress must be carefully monitored (NASDSE, 2018).

The term “progress monitoring” often elicits strong emotional responses and a knee-jerk response for a #2 pencil for many educators (and students too). However, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (2018) describes the importance of gathering student data in the Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Educational Service Guidelines where they state, “progress monitoring of specially designed instruction is critical [emphasis added] to ensure students are making short term and annual growth as well as accelerated progress to close gaps [emphasis added].” Progress monitoring is an integral part of the development of the Individual Educational Plan (IEP).

Instructional Flowchart: Analysis of Student Need (PLOP)-> Intervention (SDI)-> Data Collection (PM)

Progress Monitoring to Close the Achievement Gap

When teachers use systematic progress monitoring to track their students’ progress they are better able to identify students in need of additional or different forms of instruction, they design stronger instructional programs, and their students are more successful.