When reviewing the Progress Monitoring Report, teams should examine the data for three possible patterns which indicate the success (or lack thereof) of the intervention being implemented. These three patterns will indicate whether the intervention is very successful, somewhat successful, or not successful, and knowing the success (or lack thereof) will provide educators with corresponding next steps to follow, such as maintaining, adjusting, or changing the intervention.
It’s important to pay attention to the Trend Line, the FAST Projection Line, and their relationship to the Goal Line when examining the Progress Monitoring Report. For more information on each of these lines, please review the resource below.
Navigating the Progress Monitoring Report.pdf (linked at end of article)
Before drawing any firm conclusions about the data, first consider the following questions:
- How many data points have been collected? If fewer than six data points have been collected, the FAST Projection Line will not yet be visible, making it challenging to accurately interpret the data.
- Was the data collected with fidelity? Was an ORAA completed to verify data collection fidelity?
- Does the student have data points at or above their Goal Line?
- Does the data indicate that the student is on-track to meet end-of-year targets?
- Is the intervention feasible to continue or is it causing a strain on resources?
Then, determine whether the intervention is very successful, somewhat successful, or not successful.
Very Successful Interventions
When the student’s Trend Line or FAST Projection Line is at or above the Goal Line, an intervention is considered very successful. These are interventions which need to be continued, provided that they are not causing a significant strain on resources (e.g., staff time, the schedule, or materials needed).
Somewhat Successful Interventions
When the student’s Trend Line or FAST Projection Line has an upward trajectory but the likelihood of closing the gap is uncertain, an intervention is considered somewhat successful. These are interventions which need to be adjusted. In order to adjust the intervention, teams need to explore why the intervention isn’t as successful as it needs to be. To do so, teams should consider the following questions:
- Is the intervention being implemented with fidelity? How do you know?
- Is the intervention happening as often as planned? Does it need to be moved to a different part of the day?
- Should the intervention dosage be increased?
- Is the interventionists able to implement a lesson per session, or does the student receive at least 30 minutes of daily intervention?
Interventions that are Not Successful
When the student’s Trend Line or FAST Projection Line has a flat or downward trajectory, an intervention is considered not successful. These are interventions which need to be changed. In order to change the intervention, teams need to explore why the intervention isn’t as successful as it needs to be. To do so, teams should consider the following questions:
- Is the intervention being implemented with fidelity? How do you know?
- Is the intervention successful for most students in the group?
- Is the intervention matched to the student’s skill deficits?
- Is the progress monitoring measure matched to the intervention?
Data Interpretation Tool
Teams can also use the questions in the attached Data Interpretation Tool as they examine the Progress Monitoring Report for specific learners. This is a valuable tool to use during team meetings to analyze and identify next steps.