QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
October 2022
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Manageable Data Collection | |
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Ama sah gya'wn (hello in Tsimshian),
When you hear the words “data collection,” you might not automatically have a reaction of joy or excitement. However, given the opportunity to observe the powers of data-driven instruction and the programming of student learning, you would likely change your opinion. Data collection is an invaluable tool that falls under best practices in the world of education, particularly in special education. Manageable data collection includes:
● creating a schedule
● gathering data at regular intervals
● analyzing the results
● applying that data to future instruction/programming
The Council for Exceptional Children directly identifies the steps for collecting data in both the Code of Ethics Standards and their Standards for Professional Practice for special education teachers. From my own experience as a special education teacher, efficient and regularly scheduled data collection made my job EASIER! It drove my instruction with students, allowed me to quickly update IEP goals quarterly, and monitor student progress toward those goals making adjustments as needed.
We hope this newsletter on manageable data collection gives you the tools and inspiration you need to jump in and get started! Feel free to reach out to your SESA Specialists for additional support. For more information on SESA services, visit us at www.sesa.org.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
-Maya Angelou
Amy Topmiller
Newsletter Editor and Multiple Disabilities Specialist
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Data, What's the Point?
by Shane Phillips, Autism Specialist
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Lesson plans, individualized plans, behavior management, reinforcement, staff meetings, and data collection on top of that? Is data collection really that important?
In the special education world, data collection may be one of the most important things we can do. Data collection drives the educational and behavioral programming of our students. Data can be used to determine the effectiveness of our interventions. Is the student’s problem behavior decreasing? Is the student’s time at work increasing? Data has all of our answers!
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Paraprofessional Spotlight | |
Meet Minnie!
Minnie is a great paraprofessional because she...
- has high expectations for the students
- believes that all kids can learn
- creates materials and lessons for her students to enhance learning
- encourages and is positive to all students
- is patient with all students
- promotes independence and self-help skills
Thank You for All You Do!
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Data Collection
by Jennifer Schroeder, Multiple Disabilities Specialist
Collecting data is an important part of special education. Data shows us not only where a student is now, but also shows us student growth, where a student may need more support and how much support a student needs to be successful. Collecting data can seem like “one more thing” that we struggle to fit into the day, but with a system in place it does not need to be tedious or an all-consuming task.
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Data is Our Friend, Not Foe
by Kelsey Koenigs, SESA Deaf & Hard of Hearing Education Specialist
What a perfect topic for our October newsletter! Similar to the Sunday scaries, the idea of data collection can spook even the most seasoned educator. It’s time to dispel those fears and become a master of manageable progress monitoring by not feeling burdened to reinvent the wheel. Instead of shooting in the dark, here are a few strategies to empower you in future student-centered, data-driven IEP meetings.
• High-quality data collection starts with high-quality goals. Creating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals, AKA SMART goals, will be your golden ticket.
• Review with your team how the data is being taken. If there are multiple individuals taking data on the same goal, ensure consistency on what is being observed and how it is being recorded so nothing is lost in translation.
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Managing the Monster of Data Collection
by Autumn Holt, AARC Specialist
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Whether you are a first-year teacher or a tenured teacher, collecting data can seem like a monstrous task. From stacks of paperwork to excel spreadsheets, data collection can feel overwhelming. Maybe you've been searching for ideas to improve tracking your child's progress at home. If either of these is you, then this review might be for you!
Managing the monster, which we refer to as data collection, can be conquered with the help of Christine Reeve and her book, Taming the Data Monster. The book is full of forms, ideas, and a link for free resources. In addition to that, there is a free blog, podcast, and resource section.
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Data Collection with Print Disabilities
by Luke Martin, AKCAM Specialist
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Data collection is at the heart of everything we do as educators, and we often find ourselves burnt out when little progress has been made. So, how can we, as teachers, give ourselves grace while knowing that what we are doing is making a difference? With literacy being the cornerstone of education, most teachers are delighted when they see their students making strides in fluency and comprehension based on the data. However, when students are not able to easily access printed words on the paper like their peers, the question remains, “How can I collect and use data to show the student is reaching their goals?”
If your student needs braille, you might be able to take fluency data based on the time it takes them to read an embossed page. For most teachers, however, this looks a little different compared to a typical fluency passage assessment. The teacher is still checking for fluency, pacing, errors, etc., but they are following a translated printed copy of the passage the student will read. The assessment is still timed, and you, as the teacher, have the discretion to ask them to correct any mistakes made during their reading, just like a typical reading assessment.
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Data Collection for Students with Low Vision
by Angel Black M.S.Ed., TSVI, COMS, SESA Vision/O&M Specialist
It is difficult to know where you are going if you don't know where you have been. This simple statement sums up the importance of collecting data for all students. Data collection is a vital part of evidence-based educational practice. It forms the basis for evaluating student learning outcomes and the effectiveness of our teaching practices. Regardless of what data collection you use, be sure that when taking data for a student with low vision/blindness, all necessary accommodations are being made, so the student has the best possible opportunity to be successful. Without necessary accommodations, the data collected would be very skewed and possibly invalid. When choosing accommodations, they should be based on the most up-to-date individualized needs:
• Reduce the effect of the disability to access the current curriculum;
• Be specific about where, when, who, and how the accommodations will be provided;
• Include current input from parents, teachers, students, and therapists;
• Be based on current specific needs in each content area.
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Two Excellent Behavioral Progress Monitoring Tools
by Lyon C. Johnson, MA, MCSP, BCBA, LBA, SESA Emotional Disabilities Specialist
In my 16-plus years at SESA as an Emotional Disabilities Specialist, behavioral data collection is often a challenging topic. The reasons for this are varied. Sometimes it isn't easy to know precisely what and how to measure and monitor a student's progress. One recurrent problem is the overuse of running records by teams. Running records requires a team member to sit in the classroom and generate a continuous narrative of student behavior and the instructional environment. A little bit of qualitative data can be helpful, but running records often become very subjective, laborious for the staff member, and challenging and unhelpful. Running records often get in the way of educating, supporting, and intervening with a student's challenging behaviors. All of the SESA Specialists can help teams with monitoring a student's progress in ways that support a student's IEP. Given my training and experience, the measurement of behavior is my area of expertise. Whether it be a problem behavior or pro-social behavior, I frequently help teams set up progress monitoring systems to measure student behavior. Specialists can support teams with technical assistance and how to measure and monitor target behaviors. For example, they can let teams know if they should measure a student's behavior using frequency, rate, latency, intensity, or percent of opportunity and how to collect, organize and make sense of the data systematically. Training resources are often recommended that address progress monitoring, such as the free online training by the National Center on Intensive Interventions (NCII).
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The Anne Freitag Lending Library
The SESA Lending Library has officially been renamed The Anne Freitag Lending Library in honor of our recently retired Librarian of 32 years, Anne Freitag.
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Please welcome our new Librarian, Claire Agni. Claire joined SESA in 2022 after 7 years at Anchorage Public Library. Born and raised in Anchorage, Claire is excited to continue to serve her hometown and state. She earned her Bachelor of Art in Liberal Studies from Alaska Pacific University in 2009, and her Master of Science in Library and Information Science, as well as an Advanced Certificate in Archives, from Pratt Institute in 2013. In her spare time, Claire enjoys playing with her dog, baking, traveling, and listening to K-Pop.
To contact Claire or for more information on The Anne Freitag Lending Library, please visit our website, email, or call 907-334-1301 or (907) 290-2612, Ext. 301
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