Summary of "105 - Technology and Data Analysis - Session 3 - Lesson 3"

Overview

Use technology to organize, analyze, and act on both academic assessment data and behavior data. Existing assessment platforms, spreadsheets, and simple digital forms make it easier to identify instructional priorities, group students for targeted instruction, monitor progress, and document behavior incidents and interventions.

The video explains workflows and practical tips so teachers can quickly spot patterns, communicate with families, and make data-driven decisions about interventions.

Main ideas / lessons

Separate data use into two areas: academics and behavior. Both should be supported with technology.
Start with vendor/online assessment platforms (many provide automatic reporting and grouping). Supplement with spreadsheets or forms when the curriculum lacks digital reporting.
Use class-level and individual reports to identify specific skills to target (examples: final sound identification, phonemic segmenting, blends).
Create instructional groups based on assessment results; label each group’s instructional focus and progress-monitoring plan.
For behavior, use quick digital forms or simple point charts to record incidents and daily performance; convert to percentages and graphs to show trends and communicate with families.
Regular monitoring reveals growth, declining trends, and when to change interventions.

Academic data workflow

Use built-in online assessment/reporting tools where available.
- These save time and often include progress-monitoring resources and grouping features.
- Review class composite and subtest-level reports to find skills weak across the group.
- Review individual student reports to compare results across administrations and identify specific needs.
Interpret results to plan instruction.
- Identify skills needing reteaching (e.g., final sound identification, segmenting, blends).
- Anticipate score drops when introducing new, harder concepts (like blends); plan incremental practice.
Create small instructional groups.
- Export or copy assessment data into a spreadsheet or use the platform’s grouping feature.
- Label each group with targeted skill(s) and the progress-monitoring measure.
- Provide targeted lessons (manipulatives, slowed-paced instruction, etc.) for students who need practice.
Use spreadsheets when no digital reports exist.
- Enter student responses or scores and assign point values per question.
- Set up formulas to calculate totals and percentages automatically.
- Apply color-coding/conditional formatting to highlight strengths and weaknesses across items and students.
- Use these visual cues to determine which skills to reteach and how to form groups.

Behavior data workflow

Track incidents and daily behavior with a simple digital form (Google Forms or similar) or a structured paper chart.
- Useful form fields: student name (use a drop-down), date, time, incident description, duration, when it ended, strategies used, what worked/what didn’t, and whether parents were contacted.
- Complete the form immediately after incidents to maintain accuracy.
Use point systems or daily charts for ongoing monitoring.
- Define total possible points and a benchmark (example: earning at least 70% of points = meeting the behavioral goal).
- Record points earned each period/day and calculate percentages automatically.
- Plot results on a visual graph to show progress over time.
Use behavior graphs to:
- Demonstrate growth to parents.
- Detect declines in behavior so you can adjust interventions.

Other practical tips

Programs like FastBridge may include lessons and progress-monitoring tools you can use after identifying needs.
If you subscribe to program-specific online versions (e.g., Heggerty), use them instead of maintaining separate spreadsheets to save time.
Visual, color-coded displays make it easier to prioritize instruction quickly.
Immediate recording (via form or quick chart) reduces time spent later transcribing handwritten notes.

Tools and programs referenced

Heggerty (phonemic awareness curriculum; online assessments/reporting)
FastBridge (assessment platform with grouping, subtests, and lesson/progress-monitoring resources)
ESGI (assessment platform for whole-class and individual reports)
Excel / Google Sheets (custom scoring, color-coding, grouping, and graphs)
Google Forms (or similar) for behavior incident logging
Paper point charts / visual graphs (low-tech behavior monitoring)
Manipulatives (instructional support for teaching phonemic skills)