# A Teacher’s Guide to Progress Monitoring

## Track Goals to Refine Instruction for All Students

by **Jennifer N. Mahdavi, Ph.D., BCBA-D**  
Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, California *with invited contributors*

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**Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data**  
Names: Mahdavi, Jennifer Nasrin, author.  
Title: A teacher’s guide to progress monitoring : track goals to refine instruction for all students / by Jennifer N. Mahdavi ; with invited contributors.  
Description: Baltimore : Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index.  
Identifiers: LCCN 2020003225 (print) | LCCN 2020003226 (ebook) | ISBN 9781681253879 (paperback) | ISBN 9781681253886 (epub) | ISBN 9781681253893 (pdf )  
Subjects: LCSH: Educational tests and measurements. | Academic achievement—Evaluation. | Individualized instruction.  
Classification: LCC LB3051 .M423 2021 (print) | LCC LB3051 (ebook) | DDC 371.26—dc23  
LC record available at [https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003225](https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003225)  
LC ebook record available at [https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003226](https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003226)

## Contents
1. **Fundamentals: The Value of Progress Monitoring**
   - Introduction to Progress Monitoring...3  
   - Progress Monitoring in Foundational Academic Skill Areas...17  
   - Progress Monitoring in Behavioral and Social Skills...37  
   - Task Analysis: An Instructional Strategy and Assessment Tool...51

2. **Procedures: Implementing Progress Monitoring in Your Classroom**  
   - Graphing Progress Monitoring Data...69  
   - Making Decisions Based on Progress Monitoring...87  
   - Engaging Students in Monitoring Their Own Progress...101  
   - Managing Progress Monitoring in the Classroom...117

3. **Practice: Case Studies in Progress Monitoring**
   - Case Study: Francis...131  
   - Case Study: Jack...139  
   - Case Study: Natalie...151  
   - Case Study: Christopher...161

4. **Putting It All Together**  
   - Progress Monitoring in the Real World...183

5. **References**...187  
6. **Index**...197

## About the Author

### Jennifer N. Mahdavi, Ph.D, BCBA-D

Jennifer N. Mahdavi has been a professor and teacher-educator at the university level for nearly 2 decades. She earned her doctorate in special education from the University of California, Riverside, and she is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Her 10 years of experience teaching general and special education in public schools inspired her to pursue advanced study to support struggling learners. Her research and teaching expertise are in assessment, data-based intervention decisions, and behavior management. Dr. Mahdavi is committed to making the lives of individuals with disabilities better by assisting preservice and in-service teachers in understanding and implementing evidence-based practices in education.

## Preface

Individuals with disabilities require careful approaches conducted by skilled professionals to ensure that they are learning and growing to meet their potential. Data-based decision making is a current buzzword that describes the way that teachers and specialists use assessment data to inform instructional decisions. Progress monitoring (PM) is perfectly suited to be used for data-based decision making. This book provides a broad discussion of PM.  
It incorporates both academic and social or functional skills. PM can be used at all ages and for just about any skill, goal, or plan individuals wish to track. Teachers can monitor reading fluency, language development, behavioral strategies, and even adult goals, making PM a powerful tool in various educational settings.

## Chapter 1
### Introduction to Progress Monitoring

### Learning Goals
- Define the term progress monitoring in the context of teaching and learning.  
- Summarize the research-based foundations of progress monitoring.  
- Identify practical applications of progress monitoring.  
- Observe the effectiveness of progress monitoring across various skills and subjects.

### Progress Monitoring in Context: Overview of Assessment Types

Educators and professionals use several types of assessments for different purposes. Assessments can be summative or formative, standardized or informal. PM is a particular kind of informal assessment designed to track student progress closely and inform instructional strategies.

### Table 1.1. Assessment Types and Schedules
| Assessment Type | Definition | Examples | Schedule of Use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Formal, norm-referenced assessments | Standardized tests administered the same way each time | Woodcock-Johnson, WIAT, Vineland | Initial IEP, every 3 years |
| End-of-year tests | High-stakes tests to assess grade-level standards | State academic exams | Annually |
| Screening measures | Assessments to determine if students require additional support | DIBELS, Renaissance Star | Three times per year |
| Diagnostic measures | Identify areas preventing student learning | Brigance, Basic Phonics Skills Test | As needed, at least three times per year |
| Informal assessments | Measures used to understand student growth | Observations, interviews, portfolios | As needed, weekly, daily |
| Progress-monitoring probes | Designed for quick administration and easy scoring | DIBELS, Renaissance Star | Weekly for students who need them |

## Conclusion: Why Use Progress Monitoring?

PM is an effective evidence-based practice for increasing student learning through the data-based selection of more efficacious instructional strategies. Regularly using PM helps educators promptly identify when students are not making the expected progress, allowing immediate adjustments to teaching strategies and improving outcomes.