What does progress monitoring typically involve?

Progress monitoring typically involves the systematic collection and analysis of data regarding a student's performance on specific skills over time. This process allows clinicians and educators to assess whether the interventions being implemented are effective and to make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan based on tangible evidence. Graphing this data helps visualize the trends in a student’s progress, enabling practitioners to see patterns, celebrate improvements, or identify areas where further support might be needed.

The focus on individual skills means that the data collected is targeted and relevant to each student's personal goals, distinguishing this method from broader concepts such as creating treatment plans or developing screening protocols, which are foundational tasks usually conducted prior to or in conjunction with monitoring progress. While meetings with parents can be important for discussing goals and providing updates, they do not encompass the essential aspect of quantifying progress through data collection and analysis.