Data collection and analyzing the data is an important part of special education. However, there in our district there has been a resistance from teachers when it comes to collecting data. Ruble et al. (2018) notes that it is important to understand teachers perceptions of the barriers related to data collection to be able to better support the widespread practice in everyday classrooms. As a district, we meet often to support our teachers with ideas on how to collect data and make it meaningful for them and the students. When the IEP team comes together, the data is what supports the goals and objectives that are put in place for the individual student. In my district, each special education teacher collects data on every student with an IEP. Once the data is collected, the teachers must analyze the data to see if there has been growth towards the goals and objectives. Several years ago the district put together a way for all teachers to collect data so it would be consistent throughout the county. The data is collected by taking work samples or observations of the student’s work that is related to the individual goal. We use a certain form for the teachers to fill out where they analyze the data, make notes such as if the work was independent or with support also whether prompts were needed to complete the task. Another way we collect data is we have students keep a portfolio of their work. When the IEP team meets, the student brings their portfolio and presents their work to show whether they see growth or discuss whether they need more supports in certain areas. This has been beneficial to both teachers and students as it provides answers to whether the plan they have in place is helping the students meet their goals or if they need to reconvene and come up with other ideas to help students be successful. Riggleman (2020) explains that the benefits of data-driven efforts include timely instructional changes, better goals and objectives, and improved educational performance. It is our hope as special educators that we ensure a positive learning environment for our students and through data collection and analysis have proven to be effective in our county.
References:
Ruble, L. A., McGrew, J. H., Wong, W. H., & Missall, K. N. (2018). Special education teachers’ perceptions and intentions toward data collection. Journal of Early Intervention, 40(2), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815118771391
Riggleman, S. (2020). Using Data Collection Applications in Early Childhood Settings to Support Behavior Change. Journal of Special Education Technology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643420942763
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