Progress Monitoring and Goal Writing

Using CBMs to write RtI goals

What’s the importance?

Research has demonstrated that when teachers use formative evaluation [progress monitoring] for instructional decision-making purposes:

– students achieve more– teacher decision making improves– students tend to be more aware of their performance

(e.g., see Fuchs, Deno, Mirkin, 1984; L. S. Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, & Ferguson, 1992; L. S. Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, & Stecker, 1991; Stecker, Fuchs, & Fuchs, 2005)

Progress Monitoring Tools

• Used to monitor progress from one year to the next

• Sensitive to effects of an intervention• Can be used regardless of curriculum (e.g.

Harcourt, Scott Foresman)• Useful to inform teaching• Quick to administer & easy to score• Provides instant data to graph

Previous Goal-Setting Strategies:

• Use “data” from standardized achievement tests like WIAT-II, WJ-III ACH

• Use data from Mastery Tests (e.g. chapter tests)

• Refer to state standards• Use a sample goal-bank• Suggestions on classroom observation of

skills (subjective)

Pitfalls of Previous Strategies

• Standardized Tests (WIAT-II, WJ-ACH):– Lack of alternate forms

– Less sensitive to short-term gains

• Mastery tests do not reflect maintenance or generalization of skills over the course of the school year

• Little guidance in selecting goals from state standards/ goal-banks:– No consistent evaluation tool to measure goals written from standards or goal

banks!

Pitfalls, continued…

• Creation of Bad Goals/Objectives:– “Student will perform spelling skills at 3rd grade level.”– “Student will master basic math facts with 80%

accuracy.”– “Student will read 1 story per week.”– “Student will read aloud with 80% accuracy and 80%

comprehension.” • Little research supports that these types of goals relate to

improved educational outcomes. • Difficult to consistently measure over time. • Tendency to write un-ambitious goals in hopes that student

will show “some” progress over the year.

To improve our goal writing:

• Remember: goals are statements about the power or impact of our instructional programs.

• Goals need to be clearly defined. • Identify specific skills deficits through CBM

measures.• Target a few, but important goals and objectives.• Ensure goals are measurable and linked to validated

progress monitoring approaches.

CBM to write RTI goals

• CBM scores are easily translated into goals for RTI intervention.

• Using CBM to write goals lets us accurately compare performance later in the year because:– Test administration of CBM is consistent (and

quick!)– Scoring procedures are consistent– Difficulty level of test is always consistent

RTI: Who needs a goal?

• Students below the 25th%ile are considered “At-Risk.”

– Use AIMSweb site to schedule PM.

Components of our Goals

• Current/Present Level of Performance – What the student is currently able to do in the targeted

area.

• Intervention Goal– Growth anticipated for specific time period– Should be ambitious– Must be specific– Must be measurable

Growth Rates (Rate of Improvement/ ROI)

• How much growth students make in a week’s time. (ROI for students whose scores are entered into AIMSweb)

• Formula to determine how much growth you would like to see in a specific amount of time.

*Goal = ________________________________ + Current Performance Level(___________________ X ____________________)# weeks until goal reviewed Ambitious Growth Rate

Ambitious Goals

• Using the Realistic Rate of Improvement (ROI) is not ambitious:– Based on progress made by students in general ed. classroom who

are NOT receiving additional intervention.– Point of RTI is to help kids catch up– Realistic ROI will never be help students catch up because they will

be learning at the same pace as students receiving no intervention; students receiving intervention need to learn at a faster pace.

Setting the Goal Level

• Determine an appropriate goal!

– Be ambitious! Select the level that you want to see the student achieve within a specific amount of time.

– Research has shown that ambitious goals can lead to better student achievement:

– How ambitious you are should depend on:– How often you can feasibly provide services– How confident you are in the power of your instructional

programs and resources– Age of the student

Selecting Length of Time

• Determine how much time to allow until the goal can be feasibly reached.

• RTI goals written to reflect length of intervention:– Depends on how long interventionist needs to effectively

teach skill.– Individualized based on student need.– Recommend nine weeks