Progress Monitoring is used to assess a student’s performance and the effectiveness of the instruction being given. The data collected by progress monitoring helps guide IEP team decisions about instruction and services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require schools to provide regular progress reports to parents of students with IEPs as often as progress is reported for all students.  The report should contain information about the student’s progress on each annual goal in the IEP and whether the student is likely to reach the goal within the IEP time frame. The method by which data is gathered is dependent on the skill being measured and it should align with both the PLOP and the goal.  

The basic steps to follow in order to monitor a child's progress toward achieving their IEP goals are:

• Determine the student's current level of performance.

• Identify goals that will take place over time.

• Measure the student's performance on a regular basis.

• Compare the expected progress to actual student performance.

• Consider changes to instruction or services when student progress toward goals is either not being made or the goal has been met

How often data should be collected depends on what is being measured, how often measurement will be meaningful, and at what rate progress is expected. The IEP team should discuss these factors and determine if daily, weekly, bi-monthly, or some other interval is most appropriate for each goal. The frequency that data is collected is related to how often measurable progress can be expected. It is also related to how long it will take to get enough data to provide meaningful information.

Iris Center Progress Monitoring Module

 National Center on Intensive Intervention

• Progress Monitoring Page

• Using Academic Progress Monitoring for Individualized Instructional Planning Module