Day 3: Data or it Didn’t Happen
Welcome back to Day 3 of the Paperwork Reset Guide: 4 Days to Start the Year Strong. Hopefully Day 1 & 2 have helped you to get a good start to completing those beginning of year items and you are feeling a bit less overwhelmed. Today is all about data!
Progress monitoring and data collection is a large part of a Special Education Teacher’s job. It guides instruction day to day, week to week; it is collected and sent home to parents/guardians on a monthly, at the quarter, at the trimester or at the semester cadence; it is used to write and inform the annual IEPs and other forms such as BIPs.
Additionally, it is a requirement of the IDEA and must be communicated in the IEP. Setting up data systems before the school year begins ensures consistency, helps guide instruction, and makes compliance smoother.
Checklist: Building Data Systems
Develop progress‑monitoring tools:
Decide the way you’ll collect data for each IEP goal:
Frequency (tallies)
Trial based (percentage correct)
Duration of activity
Weekly curriculum‑based measurements or portfolio samples
Create digital forms or binders that list each goal and the table for collecting data.
Decide who (e.g. general education teacher, special education teacher, paraeducator, student etc…) and when the data will be collected and record this on the form.
Collect baseline data:
Determine whether pre-assessments are needed for initial data points.
Gather baseline data early so growth can be tracked from the start.
Plan for data review:
Set regular intervals (e.g., every Friday) to review data.
Decide how you’ll graph or summarize trends to clearly show progress.
⚡ Laying this foundation now supports consistent data collection, strengthens communication with parents and staff, and ensures you’re prepared for IEP meetings and legal requirements.
😀 It’s tempting to put this off until a week or two into the year, but getting it done early takes a big weight off your shoulders. Consider ways to involve students in the process, like self-monitoring or graphing their own data, this can build ownership and motivation.
Stay tuned for the final day, Day 4, Teamwork makes the dream work!