Progress monitoring graphs: how to set one up and read it
In short
A progress monitoring graph plots one student's weekly scores on the same measure, with weeks across the bottom and scores up the side. Add a goal line from baseline to target. The graph shows at a glance whether the student is on track.
Why graph progress monitoring data at all?
Because a list of numbers hides the trend. Scores bounce from week to week, but on a graph your eye averages the bounce and sees the direction. Teachers who graph their data tend to change instruction sooner when it isn't working, and that's the whole point of monitoring.
Graphs also make data meetings shorter, because everyone at the table can see the same picture in ten seconds without reading a column of scores.
How do you set up the graph?
- Put weeks across the bottom, evenly spaced. Leave room for the whole goal period, often 10 to 36 weeks.
- Put the score up the side, such as words correct per minute. Start at zero.
- Use the same scale for every student working on the same measure, so graphs can be compared.
- Give three probes in the first week and plot the median as the baseline.
- Mark the goal at the target week and draw a straight line from baseline to goal.
- Plot each new score as a dot and connect the dots with a line.
What is a baseline and how do you get one?
The baseline is the student's starting score. One probe is shaky, because any single score can be off. Give three probes at the same level in one sitting or over a few days and use the middle score, the median.
For example, scores of 38, 45 and 41 words correct per minute give a baseline of 41.
What are phase change lines?
A phase change line is a vertical line on the graph marking a change in instruction. You might add minutes, change the program, or shrink the group. Write a short label at the top, like "group of 3, 40 min".
Don't connect the data across the line, because the points before and after belong to different plans. Keeping them separate lets you compare the slope of each phase and see whether the change helped.
Should you graph errors too?
Yes, for oral reading. Plot errors as a second series, in a different mark, on the same graph. A student whose words correct per minute rises while errors fall is gaining accuracy and speed together.
A student whose rate rises while errors also rise may be rushing. That calls for a different response than a student who is slow and accurate.
| Rate | Errors | Likely meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rising | Falling | Healthy growth |
| Rising | Rising | Rushing; slow down and check accuracy |
| Flat | Falling | Accuracy improving; speed may follow |
| Flat | Flat or rising | Plan is not working; review it |
How do you read the graph each week?
After you have six to eight points, compare the data with the goal line. Are most recent points above it, below it, or around it? Then apply a decision rule your team agrees on, such as the four-point rule.
Read the trend, not the last point. One bad Tuesday is noise, and so is one great Thursday. Four weeks of flat data, on the other hand, is a message you should act on at the next meeting.
Should students see their own graph?
Yes. Most students like seeing their line climb, and it gives you a concrete way to talk about effort and strategy.
- Teacher
- Here's your reading line. This dot is today. What do you notice?
- Student
- It's higher than the line.
- Teacher
- Right. You're ahead of the goal. Let's see if we can keep it there next week.
When a change in teaching is needed, the graph also frames it as a change in the plan, not a failure by the student.
What else belongs on the graph?
Write the student's name, the measure, the level of the probes and the goal at the top. Add marks along the bottom for days the student missed intervention. When a data team looks at a flat stretch, those marks often explain it in seconds and save a long argument about the program.
Note anything unusual on the date it happened: a move, a substitute teacher, a fire drill during testing. One line of context next to a strange score keeps the team from overreacting to it.
How do you handle a score that looks wrong?
Give a second probe the same day or the next day if a score is far out of line with the rest. If the retest looks normal, plot both and note why. Never delete a low score just because it's disappointing. If the drop is real, it's the most important point on the graph.
Should you graph on paper or on a computer?
Either works if it gets done every week. Paper graphs in a binder are fast to update during a session, and students like marking their own dot. Digital graphs are easier to share with teams and families, and they can draw trend lines for you. Pick the one you will actually keep up through March.