You open a progress report and there is a graph. There are dots, two lines, and numbers along the bottom. Nobody has told you what any of it means.
This guide is written so a teacher can give it to a family, or a parent can read it alone. It explains what you are looking at, what to look for, and what to ask.
The parts of the graph
Understood's explainer on progress monitoring describes the usual layout. Here it is in plain words.
| Part | What it is | What to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| The side axis (vertical) | The skill being measured, such as words read in a minute | What skill is this, and in what units? |
| The bottom axis (horizontal) | Weeks of instruction or dates | How many weeks does this cover? |
| The first dot | The baseline, where the child started | What was the starting number, and when? |
| The goal line | The path to the goal, showing the average progress needed each week | Where should we be by this date? |
| The other dots | Scores from each check | Is there a regular check, and how often? |
| The trend line | A line through the dots showing the child's actual direction | Is it moving toward the goal line? |
Understood also says the goal line is sometimes called a benchmark or aim line.
The one comparison that matters
Look at the goal line and the trend line, or the dots, side by side. Understood tells parents what to look for.
- The trend line moves toward or along the goal line. The teaching is working, and the team will keep going.
- The trend line stays flat, or moves away. Not enough progress is being made, and the team may need to change the approach.
- The trend line reaches the goal line. The goal has been met. Monitoring should continue so the team can see whether the skill holds.
NCII's decision rules describe how teams make these comparisons. For instance, when the four most recent points all fall below the goal line, the team considers adapting the intervention. When they all fall above, the team considers raising the goal. When they are mixed, it keeps collecting data.
A worked example
Suppose the graph shows reading speed. The first dot is at 52 words per minute in September. The goal line runs up to 90 in May. By late October there are six dots: 52, 55, 54, 58, 61, 63. The goal line at that point sits near 60.
The dots are close to the line and the last two are a little above it. A reasonable reading is: on track so far. Compare that with a different child whose six dots are 52, 51, 53, 52, 54, 53, with the line at 60. Those dots sit under the line and stay flat. That is the picture where the team should be talking about a change.
What the graph cannot tell you
A graph shows one measure, taken the same way each time. It does not show:
- how your child feels about learning,
- whether the skill is showing up in class or at home,
- whether the measure is the right one for the goal,
- why a dot is high or low on a given day.
Understood adds that parents should think about more than the measured skill. For reading, comprehension matters as well as words per minute. If your child does well at home in ways the graph does not show, tell the teacher.
Five questions to ask
CPIR lists three questions: how progress will be measured, when it will be measured and reported to you, and how well your child must perform to meet the goal. Add two about the graph, and you have a short list.
- How is my child's progress measured, and how often?
- What was the starting score, and what is the goal?
- Where is my child compared with the goal line right now?
- If the line is flat or below, what will the team do, and when will we look again?
- Can I get a copy of the graph with each report?
None of these is confrontational. They are the same questions a good teacher asks.
What to expect in reply
A teacher should be able to answer in a sentence each. If the answer is "I'll have to check," that is fine. Ask when you will hear back. CPIR says that if a child is not making the expected progress, the school should determine why and take corrective action. A plan with a date is what you are looking for, not an apology.
Keep your own folder
Each time a report comes home, put the graph in a folder with the date. After two or three reports, lay them side by side. You can see how the line has moved, whether the goal has changed, and whether the measure is the same. If something changed, such as a new goal line or a new scale, ask why. The folder also makes meetings easier. Instead of trying to remember what the last report said, you can point to it.
For teachers: handing this to a family
If you hand a graph to a family, attach a one-line caption. For example: "The dotted line is where Maya needs to be each week. The dots are her scores. Right now she is a little above the line." Mark the baseline and the goal. Use the same scale each time. Add the date of any change in teaching, so the family can see the before and after. NCII's guide says a graph without a goal line does not help parents or teachers interpret progress, so include one every time.
For the full report layout, see reporting IEP progress to parents, and for the lines in more detail, see aimline and trendline explained.
Slips on both sides
- Reading one dot as the whole story. Look at the direction.
- Comparing graphs from different children. Different measures and goals, different scales.
- Hiding a flat line. Families respond better to an honest picture and a plan.
- Using jargon without a caption. Spell it out.
Terms are in the glossary.
Your child's graph is your child's
Your child's graph, goal, and plan are specific to your child. This guide explains how to read the picture and what to ask. It cannot tell you whether a particular goal is right or whether a change is needed. That is a conversation for your IEP team. You are a member of it.