With the holidays coming to an end, teachers are reflecting on how to come back from break fixing the kinks in the classroom. Data collection is constantly the beast in the room! Teachers and related services providers are managing and taking data constantly: IEP goals, FBA’s, common assessments, formal assessments, functional skills, communication goals, the list goes on. It feels nearly impossible to keep track of everything but can be manageable with a plan!
IEP at a Glance in the beginning of each binder
KEEP EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE
Most of us can admit that the hardest part of data collection is keeping track of all the data. Post it notes, clip boards, assessments, etc. all in different places made it impossible to assess progress. I found that the most effective and efficient way to manage each student’s IEP data was through IEP binders. Each child had their own binder accessible to all adults in the room. In each binder was the child’s IEP at a glance, their ready to go data sheets and assessments. These binders made it easy and accessible for related service providers, outside therapists, and classroom aides to quickly grab as needed.
SIMPLE, TO THE POINT DATA SHEETS
The more basic the data sheets, the better! Not only does this help you keep track of all goals needed to be worked on, but it is straight forward to anyone who takes data. I struggled with this quite a bit and found the more complicated my data sheets were set up; the less data was collected. A simple +/-, Y/N, and few anecdotal notes go a long way!
QUICK ASSESSMENTS
Within each IEP binder, create quick assessments relating to each goal. These should be all ready to go so you can take data any time you have the chance. All you need to do is grab a binder, flip to the page, and start assessing.
ALLOTT DESIGNATED TIMES TO TAKE DATA
As teachers, we all know that no matter how much we organize for the week, it never goes as planned! We are constantly changing lessons, modifying plans, reteaching, etc. I can’t tell you the number of times I would find myself struggling to get student data. I found that if I held myself accountable to one day a week, it was so much easier to get done. Every Friday I allotted time in my schedule to collect data on the student’s academic IEP goals.