A general education teacher has 26 students, four of whom have IEPs. Each of those four has goals with data to collect. On the first Friday of the quarter, the special education teacher asks for "the data." The teacher says, truthfully, "I didn't know I was supposed to be collecting any."
That conversation is avoidable. This guide explains what the rule says about who must know what, and how to agree a small, clear data plan with a colleague who has a full room.
What the rule says
Section 300.323(d) requires each public agency to make sure the IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and any other service provider responsible for its implementation. It also requires that each of them be informed of their specific responsibilities under the IEP, along with the accommodations, modifications, and supports they must provide.
Data collection is one of those responsibilities when the IEP assigns it. If the goal is measured in the general education classroom, the person in that room is often best placed to see it. So the IEP, or a plan that follows it, should say who collects what.
Keep it very simple
The IES practice guide on classroom behavior says plainly that general education teachers attend to more than 20 students on average, so adding data collection can seem impractical. Its advice is to keep methods very simple. For a behavior that occurs several times a day, record occurrences over a few days. For a behavior that happens a few times a week, gather data over one or two weeks. It offers a chart of the daily schedule with a tally mark under the time and activity when the behavior occurs.
That is the standard to hold yourself to. If your request needs a clipboard, a stopwatch, and a form, expect it to be dropped by Thursday.
Who does what
| Task | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Choose the measure and write the sheet | Special education teacher | Knows the goal and the tool |
| Explain the goal in plain words | Special education teacher | The general education teacher may not have seen the IEP wording |
| Record the daily tally or single score | General education teacher, paraprofessional, or co-teacher | Is in the room |
| Collect probes that need training | Special education teacher or trained staff | Scoring takes care |
| Enter data and keep the graph | Special education teacher | One owner |
| Review the graph together | Both, on a set schedule | Closes the loop |
NCII's behavior guide names the problem this solves. Schools collect a lot of data but lack comprehensive systems and processes to inform data-based decision making. Its suggested solution is to establish processes for regular input of collected data, with roles and responsibilities assigned.
A one-page plan for the classroom
Give each general education teacher one page per student. It should fit on a half-sheet.
Use a code or initials on any sheet that lives in the classroom, as discussed in data privacy for IEP records.
Simple tools that work in a full room
- A tally card. One index card per student, with a tally mark each time the behavior happens. The IES guide's grid of times and activities is the same idea.
- A one-question exit slip. A score out of five on a daily task, collected in a folder.
- A weekly check. Once a week, record yes or no on a goal behavior at one planned time.
- A co-teacher's sample. During a co-taught lesson, the special education teacher takes the data while the general education teacher teaches.
For counts and times, see behavior frequency and duration data. If a paraprofessional will be recording, see paraprofessional data collection.
A schedule that spreads the load
The MTSS Center's article suggests spreading data collection across the week and reviewing data on a regular schedule, such as every two weeks, with one person flagging graphs before meetings. In a classroom, that can mean Monday for one student's tally, Wednesday for another's score, and Friday for the weekly check. No day has more than one or two tasks.
A sample week
Take four students with IEPs in one general education room, with invented tasks. On Monday, the teacher puts a tally under the reading block for Student A each time a call-out happens. On Tuesday, a paraprofessional gives Student B a five-question exit slip and files it. On Wednesday, the special education teacher co-teaches math and takes a one-minute computation probe for Student C. On Thursday, the teacher marks yes or no on Student D's goal during group work. On Friday, the special education teacher collects the cards and slips, enters the numbers, and updates the graphs.
No one has more than one task a day. The special education teacher carries the entry and graphing. The general education teacher carries a tally and a yes or no. It is not a lot, which is why it can last all year.
When the classroom and the sheet disagree
Sometimes the teacher says a student is doing much better and the tally says otherwise. Do not decide who is right. Ask what each is seeing. The tally may be catching a narrow behavior, while the teacher sees a broader change. Or the teacher may be remembering the good days. Look at the dates, compare, and if the measure no longer matches what matters, tell the team and consider whether the measure or the goal needs another look. Either way, you both learn something.
Close the loop
Teachers stop collecting data if they never hear what happened to it. Within two weeks of starting, show the general education teacher the graph, point to the line, and say what it showed. If the data changed a decision, say so. People keep doing work they can see mattering.
Ways this arrangement goes wrong
- Handing over the IEP without a plan. Section 300.323(d) asks that responsibilities be communicated, not just the document.
- Asking for too much. Start with one measure per student.
- Changing the measure without telling anyone. The teacher keeps recording the old one.
- Collecting and never sharing. The data die in a folder.
- Leaving names on loose sheets. Use codes.
For the whole week, see a weekly data routine for a caseload. Terms are in the glossary.
Time and disagreements
The sources do not say how much time a general education teacher must give to data collection, or how to resolve a disagreement about it. Local policy, the IEP, and your building leader decide. Where the plan is unclear, ask your case manager or special education director.