Glossary · Fluency and assessment
What is a rate of improvement?
Definition
Rate of improvement is how much a student's score grows per week, found from the slope of their progress-monitoring scores over time.
It answers the question “Is the gap closing?” A student far behind needs to grow faster than typical peers to catch up. Growing at the same rate keeps the gap the same size.
It's usually calculated as the slope of a trend line through at least six to eight data points. Fewer points can mislead, because one good or bad day moves the line a lot.
Teams compare a student's rate with the rate typical students show, and with the rate needed to reach the goal. If the student's rate is below the needed rate, the plan should change. This is one of the main pieces of evidence in RTI and MTSS decisions.
In a lesson
Over ten weeks a student's scores rise from 32 to 52 words correct per minute, a rate of about 2 words a week. Typical peers grow about 1 a week, so the gap is closing.
Why does this matter for the record?
Report rate of improvement with the number of data points it's based on. Six points is a minimum for a decision.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.