Progress Monitoring and Decision-Making Procedures

We want to make sure staff members are aware of the current guidelines regarding progress monitoring and decision-making that are in the Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures Manual.

In the past, we have promoted the use of a minimum of six to eight data points when first applying the 4-Point Decision Making rule. Please see the change in the manual to indicate the collection of seven to 12 data points for use of both the four-point decision making rule and trend line analysis.

The following excerpt can be found on page 15 of the AEA Special Education Procedures Manual, January 15, 2012 edition. (The same information can also be found on page 13 of the July 1, 2011 edition.)

Systematic progress monitoring shall include: regular and frequent data collection and graphic display of the data.

Regular data collection is defined by the intervention plan. The frequency of data collection is based on the nature and severity of the problem.

Seven to 12 data points are required to make instructional decisions that are statistically valid. So, in order to have sufficient data points to make a valid instructional decision, data must be collected regularly and frequently.

If progress is monitored:
• daily, effectiveness of instruction may be determined after 2 weeks (10 data points).
• twice a week, effectiveness of instruction may be determined after 1 month (8 data points).
• once a week, effectiveness of instruction may be determined within 1 quarter (9 data points).
• quarterly, every 9 weeks, effectiveness of instruction may not be determined, even after a year (4 data points).