Progress Monitoring.
Still with me? Ok, I remember my first year teaching kindergarten and in a grade level meeting my principal leaning across the table and said, "Hol, you're monitoring your kids...right?" Enter that panicked feeling and my heart started pounding. I grabbed my mentor teacher after the meeting and had her explain what the heck my principal was talking about. I mean I remember them mentioning this during student teaching and my education courses in college. But to actually put that into practice in the classroom? Oh boy.
After that, I realized the importance of what I wasn't doing. For a few years, I progressed monitored but never had a great way of keeping my data organized.
Two summers ago, I sat down and really organized my fluency binder. I'm sure everyone has a different way of keeping their fluency data together. Many of you might have a better way than I do {if you feel like sharing, let me know!!} but here is what mine looks like.
** Disclaimer, I did not show any of my close read sheets simply because I use about 4 different sets I have purchased off of TpT. There are so many great ones out there and I like having a variety to choose from depending on the student, season, or skill.
First, I keep my fluency progress monitoring materials in a separate binder from any other progress monitoring. All of my close reads are in sheet protectors. I used to just hole punch them and keep them in the binder. I found I was always cringing when the kids would crinkle the paper as they read. My OCD stepped in and I now have my close reads ready to use year after year without worrying about them being ruined.
I set up my binder so each kiddo has their own page for every month. They all have a cute seasonal printer friendly graphic in the corner. Sometimes I find myself coloring them in every once in a while. {Like in another meeting :) }
I print out sheets for the upcoming month during the last week of the current month. Their names or numbers can go on the top line. I keep track of their fluency from their homework and my classroom progress monitoring. You can keep track of the story they read, their words correct and words read and take their percentage from those numbers. RL stands for their reading level. { 92% and lower is a frustration level, 93%-97% is an instructional level, 98% and higher is an independent level}. RT stands for retell which gives me an idea as far as our DIBELS testing.
Once I finish progress monitoring for the month, I take all of their individual sheets and record each student's data for the entire month on a master sheet. I keep track of their monthly progress for our SLO goals. This counts towards one of my assessment categories and I have concrete data to back up my scores. This information is also useful during parent meetings and IEP, GIEP meetings as well.
I also use my master data sheets to compare the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Our final DIBEL assessments will be during the month of May. I like to have an idea of where my kids are the month before we test. The first line for each student was their data from September and the second line is from March. I take this binder with me when we have our grade level reading meetings.
Each month my parents get a progress monitoring report on their child's fluency. I remind both parents and students this is not a grade but simply an assessment tool to check their progress. Some parents don't fully understand how to check fluency at home and oftentimes do not have the same data as I get in the class. This is a great way to show parents where their child is for the month.
Each report has:
- a line for the student's name
- a line for how many words were read
- a line for how many words were read correctly
- a line for the child's reading percentage
- a line for their reading level
- an indicator for their reading level {I usually highlight or color in the arrow indicating which level their child is reading for the month.}
Sometimes I will look back and see which student started the year really struggling and I check to see if there is any progress a few months/weeks later. The master spread sheets are perfect for comparing this type of data.
I have used this data to help my reading team meet when it comes time to split our kids up for enrichment groups. I also use this information when I fill out RTI/RTII forms. Having concrete data to support my concerns is such a life saver!!
If you are interested in checking out more of this set, hop over to my TpT store and CLICK HERE.
I would love to hear what you do that is different! I am always looking for ways to improve my organizational skills:)
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