Step-By-Step Guide to Understanding Data
Step 1: Ignore the story. Find the numbers.
When you read any IEP page, your job is to circle anything that’s a:
- % (accuracy)
- #/out of # (correct out of total)
- Frequency (times per day/week)
- Duration (minutes)
- Rate (words per minute)If you don’t see numbers, it’s not data. It’s opinion.
Step 2: Find the baseline (the starting score)
Look for “Present Levels / PLAAFP” or “Current performance.”Baseline should sound like:
- “Reads 32 WPM with 70% accuracy”
- “Completes 2/5 steps independently”
- “On-task 4 minutes with prompts”
🚩 Red flag: “struggles,” “needs support,” “is behind,” “has difficulty” with no numbers.
Step 3: Find the goal and make sure it matches the baseline
Go to the goals page and check:
- Is the goal about the same skill as the baseline?Example:
- Baseline: 70% accuracy → Goal: 80% accuracy ✅
- Baseline: behavior data → Goal: reading fluency ❌ (not aligned)
If the goal doesn’t match the baseline, they’re guessing.
Step 4: Do the “measurable goal” test (4 questions)
A legal, trackable goal answers:
- What exactly will they do?
- How well? (percent/score)
- How often? (3 trials, 3 consecutive data points, weekly checks)
- How measured? (work samples, probe, rubric, chart)
If any one is missing, it’s a weak goal.
Step 5: Find how progress is being measured (the method)
Look for words like:
- “weekly data collection”
- “teacher-made probes”
- “curriculum-based measures”
- “work samples”
- “observation with frequency count”
🚩 Red flag: “progress will be monitored” with no “how.”
Step 6: Check the progress reports for the trend (up, flat, down)
Ask: over the last 6–9 weeks, is it:
- Up = progress
- Flat = not working
- Down = urgent problem
If it’s flat/down, the team should be changing something:
- more minutes
- smaller group
- different method/materials
- added supports
No change + flat data = they’re coasting.
Step 7: Check services (minutes, group size, location)
Go to the services page and confirm:
- Minutes (ex: 30 min/week)
- Frequency (ex: 2x/week)
- Group size (1:1, 1:3, etc.)
- Setting (push-in, pull-out, gen ed)
Then ask: do these services clearly connect to the goal you just read?If not, services are not targeted.
Step 8: Behavior data has 3 required types (pick at least one)
If behavior is an issue, data should include:
- Frequency: how many times
- Duration: how long
- Intensity: how severe (scale)
🚩 Red flag: “defiant” “noncompliant” “refuses” with no counts.
If behavior impacts learning and there’s no FBA, that’s a big problem.
Step 9: Use this “IEP Data Score” (quick check)
Give the IEP 1 point for each:
- ✅ Clear baseline with numbers
- ✅ Goals match baseline
- ✅ Goals measurable (all 4 parts)
- ✅ Data collection method listed
- ✅ Progress trend shown over time
- ✅ Services clearly tied to goals
0–2: weak IEP3–4: needs fixes5–6: strong foundation
Step 10: Exactly what to say in the meeting (copy/paste)
- “Can you show me the baseline data that supports this goal?”
- “How often is data collected, and where is it documented?”
- “What does the trend show over the last 6–9 weeks?”
- “If progress is flat, what instructional changes were made?”
- “How do the service minutes connect to the goal data?”
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Step-By-Step Guide to Understanding Data
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