123. What If Progress Monitoring Took Less Than a Minute a Day?

Let’s talk data—but keep it simple. 💛

In this episode, I’m sharing three quick ways to track student progress without adding stress or paperwork to your day. No fancy spreadsheets required—just practical ideas you can actually use.

You’ll hear how to:

• Use simple checklists you can grab and go
• Snap quick photos for visual documentation
• Jot down observations you’re already noticing

Plus, I’ll show you how to fit data collection into your routine, not add it on top.

Because the best system? Is the one you’ll actually use.

If you try one of these ideas, I’d love to hear! Tag me @PositivelyLearning and let me know what’s working for you. You’ve got this!

If you're a busy special education teacher looking for tips, tricks, and resources to save you precious time, I've got you covered! I'm here to help you regain your confidence in the classroom and feel calm and collected as a special educator.

Tune in every Friday for practical tips, tools, and the support you need to to THRIVE in the classroom.

Grab your FREE Special Educators Cheat Sheets at positivelylearningblog.com/free-resource-library/

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I'd love to hear what's working for you! Send me a message on Instagram @positivelylearning

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we're digging into a topic that almost every
educator I know has acomplicated relationship with
tracking student progress.
Hey there, welcome back toSpecial Educators Resource Room.
I'm Jennifer from PositivelyLearning.
Now, before you hit the pausebutton and run the other way,
let me say this I promise thisepisode is not going to be about

(00:20):
color-coded spreadsheets orcomplex data apps.
It's quarter four and and we'regonna be keeping it real.
Hey, special educators, I'mJennifer from Positively
Learning.
Welcome to the SpecialEducators Resource Room.
If you're like me, you're alwayslooking for ways to save time

(00:40):
and streamline your work.
That's why this podcast wascreated to give you the systems
and solutions you need to getyour time back.
Tune in for tips, tricks andtools that will help you manage
your workload and make the mostof your time.
Whether you're brand new orexperienced, all are welcome in
the Special Educators ResourceRoom.

(01:01):
You're already doing a lot, sothis episode is not about adding
more to your workload.
It's about finding a simple,sustainable system that's going
to work for you.
It's going to give you clarity,especially when it's time for
IEP meetings or parent meetings.
So we're going to be talkingabout what data actually matters
, how you're going to track itin a way that fits in to your

(01:23):
existing day and, mostimportantly, how we're gonna do
it without creating more stressor feeling guilt.
So let's be honest Datatracking often feels like one
more thing that's stacked onto aday that's already overflowing.
But tracking student progressis not just about checking a
compliance box.
It's about helping you see thegrowth that we might otherwise

(01:44):
miss, and in special education,those small gains are gold.
So if you've ever gotten to theend of a quarter, you sat down
to write a progress report andrealized you were relying mostly
on instinct, you're not alone.
I think we've all been there.
But the good news is you don'tneed to completely overhaul your
entire system.
We're just going to shift howyou think about data.

(02:06):
Here's the mindset shift.
Data isn't about trackingeverything.
It's about tracking the rightthings in a way that's easy to
maintain.
So what works?
Let's talk about simple,functional and fast.
Let's break it down into threemethods that I have used and
I've worked with other teacherson, because when teachers say I
need to track progress withoutgetting completely buried asked.
Let's break it down into threemethods that I have used and
I've worked with other teacherson, because when teachers say I
need to track progress withoutgetting completely buried.

(02:29):
These are the go-tos.
Number one we're going to beusing a simple checklist.
We're going to start withsomething that takes less than
30 seconds to fill out.
So here's the structure.
You need the task or goal areaand then the level of
independence student workingindependently, needing a prompt
or unable to complete and thenyou need the date.

(02:51):
You can print a few copies foreach student, stick them on a
clipboard and grab them duringindependent work or small group
time.
If you're rotating tasks,weekly or bi-weekly, just keep
one checklist per set of tasks.
That way you're not guessinghow they did last week.
It's just right there.
If you want to get fancy, youcould always color code it by

(03:12):
week or by subject area, but,honestly, pencil check marks
work just as well.
Extra tip add a notes columnwith room for a single sentence.
That sentence could be usedvisual cue or rushed through or
asked for help once.
That's more than enough detailto give context later.

(03:33):
Number two easy, favorite way tocollect data Take a photo.
This one might be my favorite,especially if you're working
with early learners ornon-writers.
Anytime a student completes atask with a visible outcome,
whether they're sorting,matching, cutting life skills.
You can take a picture insteadof writing a full paragraph,

(03:54):
because photos are going to showthe accuracy, the neatness, the
independence level, especiallyif you're catching them mid-task
.
So create a data album on yourphone and create it by student
name or by date.
If you're catching themmid-task, so create a data album
on your phone and create it bystudent name or by date.
If you're allowed to usepersonal devices in your setting
, this is going to be incrediblyefficient.
If not, we can keep a digitalcamera or a tablet nearby.

(04:17):
Extra tip set a reminder inyour phone once a week to scroll
photos.
You're going to thank yourselfwhen it's time to write reports
and don't worry about takingpictures every time.
No-transcript, we're already upto the third tip.

(04:38):
That's how easy these are, andthis one really worked for me.
It's to keep a running notespage.
Now, this is a low effort, highreward method.
I had success just adding asticky note on the inside cover
of a student binder or in thesection of a teacher planner.
I like to put it right into alesson plan if you have one
nearby, or you could tape anindex card and put it on the

(05:00):
back of a task box.
So what you're going to writeis very simple Think, needed a
verbal cue to start.
Completed entire taskindependently first time,
frustrated halfway through,needed redirection.
This is the kind of stuffyou've mentally been noticing
anyway.
This just gives you a spot toput it and if it's already part
of your system, like on yourlesson plan page or your

(05:22):
clipboard or in a drawer, you'remore likely to do it.
Here's your extra tip Chooseone time of day Maybe it's
during transitions or maybe it'sright after students are
wrapping up independent workcenters and jot down two to
three observations.
Set a timer if needed.
Now a quick data story from myown experience.

(05:44):
Let me tell you about one of mystudents.
We'll call her Zara.
Zara was working on basicsequencing skills, so every
Thursday during her independentwork time she'd pull out the
same three-step card activityMaybe it's brushing teeth,
putting on socks, making cerealand every Thursday I'd think to
myself she's getting better atthis.
I'll remember how she did Fastforward to progress report time.

(06:07):
I had nothing, just a generalsense that she was probably
doing okay.
So I started keeping aclipboard right next to the
independent work area and Icreated a checklist with three
tasks and every time shecompleted one, I'd quickly note
independent one visual prompt.
That's it One, two, maybe threewords in my notes.

(06:31):
So when it came down to sitdown with the team, I had five
weeks of consistent data and Icould confidently say not only
what she was doing but how shewas doing it and how that
changed over time.
And the best part, it tookmaybe 45 seconds per week.
If that timeframe sounds good toyou, let's see where we can

(06:54):
begin.
So here's a few questions youcan reflect on.
What kind of data actuallyhelps you write progress reports
, not what you think you shouldbe collecting, but what do you
actually use and what do younaturally notice during the day?
Are you already mentallytracking engagement tracking,

(07:14):
task completion or prompt level?
And then, what's something thatyou can record in less than 30
seconds?
Whatever your answers are,that's where you're going to
begin.
We're going to be using yourstrengths to guide the system
and here's a bonus tip we'regoing to build data collection
into your routine.
In other words, we're going tostop treating data collection

(07:37):
like a separate task.
So instead we're going to lookfor places in your day where
you're already observing studentperformance.
Is this during independent worktime, during morning arrival
routines, while transitioning,you're looking for one time in
your schedule that feels calm orcalm-ish, and you're going to
keep your data tool there.
Maybe it's a clipboard, asticky notepad.

(07:59):
Whatever you're using, let itlive.
In that moment You're going tostart building muscle memory and
it's going to feel like secondnature instead of something that
you are chasing all week.
And finally let me say thisclearly because I know someone's
going to need to hear it we'regoing to let go of the guilt.
You're not behind, you're notdoing it wrong.
You're not a bad teacherbecause your data doesn't live

(08:21):
in a laminated binder withthemed dividers and a glitter
pen.
You're a good teacher becauseyou care about your students'
progress, and that starts withnoticing.
So give yourself permission tosimplify.
Progress monitoring doesn'thave to be perfect, it just has
to work for you.
Progress monitoring doesn'thave to be perfect, it just has

(08:44):
to work for you.
I hope this episode gave you notonly some ideas, but also a
little breathing room to createa data system that's going to
work for you in your real lifeclassroom.
And if the messaging in thisepisode resonates with you but
you're still looking for somemore information, let me know.
I'd love to continue theconversation.
If you try out any of theseideas, you can always send me a
message or tag me on social atPositively Learning.

(09:06):
I seriously geek out oversimple, powerful systems.
Thanks so much for being here.
Thanks for all that you do and,as always, I'll catch you next
time in the Special EducatorsResource Room dot com.

(09:36):
See you next week for morespecial education solutions.