Data The 5 W’s of data collection Jennifer Schroeder, SESA Multiple Disability Specialist 2013/14

After this presentation, you will be able to: Identify what data is and what data is used for Identify when and where to collect data Identify who should collect data Identify why data should be collected Identify different methods of collecting data

What is data and what is data used for? data | ˈ dat ə ; ˈ d ā t ə |noun [treated as sing. or pl. ]facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis, information Data is used to: Show where the student is now Show where the student is going Help plan the steps needed to take the student from where they are now to where you want them to be

When and where should data be collected? Data should be collected on all IEP goals Data should be collected daily- this does not mean each goal needs to have data taken daily, rotate data sheets Data should be taken across settings and across staff

Who should collect data? Teachers Paraprofessionals Related services staff (O/T, P/T, SLP, Psych)

Why collect data? To show growth To show trends in student behavior For IEP progress reports and state testing To have an objective way to look at student academic levels, behavior, self-help skills, daily living skills, communication, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills

How to keep data Keeping data does not need to be time consuming or confusing Simple data sheets can be effective, if they are set up well Data can be taken with tally marks on a piece of paper all the way up to very formal data sheets

Sample Data Sheet Data sheet with activity plan Behavior tracking sheet Behavior tracking sheet 2 Tally mark data sheet Goal only data sheet

The procedure is a mini-lesson plan for the paraprofessional to follow. Students with 1:1 paraprofessionals, or close paraprofessional support are often not allowed to make mistakes. Putting in a correction procedure shows staff how to use mistakes to teach the student. Prompt levels and accuracy are recorded for IEP progress reports.

Definition of problem behaviors When and where did the behavior occur and how long did it last What was the behavior? Who was with the student?

Definitions should be specific so everyone understands them. Make it easy to track the data by just needing to circle or highlight what happened.

Place a tally mark or check mark throughout the day for a specific target goal or behavior.

Goal for the activity Circle Y or N for each trail up to 5 trials