Hi there everyone! Things have just settled down in my life and I have time to write another blog post..FINALLY!!! WAHOO! I want to share with you how we keep our classroom organized and running smoothly when it comes to data.
Keeping good data can very tricky. I have found that the key to taking good data is to take data that is meaningful, specific and will help you plan instruction as well as implement interventions if necessary. In our classroom we take data on EVERYTHING (or just about ;) We didn't always take this much data, but as we got more comfortable with the ABA process and the needs of our students, we soon realized that data was our friend! It helps us to determine if what we are doing is working, if we need to change something or keep it up! The data system in your classroom should be clear and organized so that it is easy to read and access. There is nothing I hate worse than looking for data sheets! That is why this past school year I went binder crazy....
...This is my bag before I went home for Spring Break.....
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| All of my student binders ready to go home for progress report writing! |
See I told you...It's a lot of binders... but I promise its TOTALLY worth it!
All of my students have TWO binders, one for their ABA programs (purple binders) and one for their other data sheets (I call these DATA Binders).
First I will explain our 'data binders'. Each of my students is assigned a color. This color corresponds with the name tags on their cubbies, the names and pieces of our classroom schedule, as well as their data binder. In this data binder we keep track of several things: Natural Environment Teaching, Recess, Inclusion, Social Skills, Math, Reading, Behavior (If necessary) and Life Skills.
Here is a stack of student data binders just waiting for progress report time!
I will take you on a little tour of a student data binder so that you get get a better idea of how we use them.
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| Student Data Binder |
In the very front of each data binder is a notebook and folder to match the students color. The notebook is used for writing any important notes, reminders, or highlights that may not have a place on a data sheet. The folder is used for storing behavior charts, token economy pieces or just holding important papers.
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| Inside Student Data Binder |
Each section of the data binder is clearly labeled for easy access
Now we get into the good stuff!!!
This is a sample NET (Natural Environment Teaching) Data Section. Each student has a monthly graph to track their progress as well as skills tracking sheets for each verbal operant that we are targeting in the NET. Each skills tracking sheet lists the skills that the student has mastered in IT sessions. When the skill is introduced in the NET we write that as the date introduced. Once the target skill has been mastered/generalized in the natural environment, we write the date of mastery in the date mastered column, select another target, and bump up the students graph one point.
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| NET Data |
Also in this section are the NET cold probe (or initial assessment) sheets. These sheets allow us to see which target skills have been selected for the student to work on in the Natural Environment and whether or not that student knew the target skill the first time it was presented that day. If the student responds correctly three days in a row the skill is considered mastered. It is then highlighted and recorded on the skills tracking sheet as mastered.
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| NET Cold Probe Sheet |
Moving on to recess data! I created this data sheet based on the VB-MAPP Scoring Supplement
(Amiris Dipuglia, MD, BCBA & Linda Franchock, BS SPLED; June 2009, Revised Feb 2014)
This data sheet is completed for both inside and outside recess. This data sheet helps us to easily determine a students placement within the VB-MAPP scoring supplement for Independent and Social Play. It also helps us to see frequency of problem behaviors as well as a space for other important notes.
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| Sample Recess Data Sheet |
Moving on to inclusion data! All of my students are included with regular education students for related arts classes (library, gym, music and art). I created this data sheet mostly because I cannot be 10 places at once. Typically, I do not have the chance to attend related arts with my students because they all go at different times in the day, so while they are out at specials with support staff, I am in the classroom with other students giving instruction. This data sheet helps me to see how well students are participating in their related arts classes and how frequently they need the support of our classroom staff. It also gives us antecedent behavior data so that we can identify causes of problem behavior during inclusion time.
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| Inclusion Data |
Social skills data. This data sheet is typically used for my students that attend a small social skills group. One of my teaching assistants (Miss Katie!!) leads the group while another staff takes data on one student each day. We track the activity that is taking place, whether the interaction was contrived by staff or unplanned, the individuals involved in the interaction, whether the interaction was individual or group and whether or not the student appropriately initiates or reciprocates social interaction with peers. This is a new data sheet this year. We may make some changes to the sheet for next year so it is a little more user friendly but for now it serves its purpose.
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| Social Skills Data |
Next up.... Reading and Math Data. Currently my students who are ready, receive an alternate reading and math curriculum. We use SRA Reading Mastery for our reading curriculum and SRA Connecting Math Concepts for our Math Curriculum. For Reading and Math I typically just take lesson mastery data. I will keep track of the day each lesson started and finished with a skills tracking sheet and graph that information daily.
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| Sample SRA Level K Reading Skills Tracking Sheet and Graph |
Occasionally, I will have students that struggle with a specific skill or lesson and we get 'stuck'. When this happens I like to take data on the lesson and exercises that are troublesome. I will keep track of the number of prompted and independent responses with either tallies or a clicker. I will also keep track of avoidance and problem behavior.
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| Sample Reading/Math Response Data Sheet |
And last but not least is Life Skills Data! This section contains the monthly data sheets from our life skills centers. For more info on our previous life skills centers and what data collection for these skills looks like check out some earlier posts:
Now on to ABA Binders!
Each of my students has a purple binder that is used to keep track of their individual ABA programs. These binders find their homes on student carts.... YEP they all have their own carts too...
...have a look!
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| Student Carts |
I'll post later about all of the goodies that go inside the carts... but thats for another time
So each kiddo has a purple binder that looks like this...
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| ABA program Binders |
In the front of each binder is the students weekly probe sheet. On this sheet we keep track of the students targets and mastery criteria. At the start of each school day we do what is called a 'cold probe' where we assess the students on their target skills and track their initial response with no prompting from staff. We mark each response with either a yes or no. After three consecutive yes marks we consider the skill mastered , it gets put into maintenance (easy skills) and we select a new target.
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| Inside of a student ABA Program Binder |
Within the binder we keep track of every open program running for the student that is present on the weekly probe sheet. Each operant has its own tab/section within the binder.
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| Operant Sections |
Within each operant there can be several programs open at once. For example within TACT there can be Tact Actions, Common Items, Parts and Features of Items, Body Parts and/or Noun Verb Combinations, just to name a few. These programs are organized similarly to the other data systems. We keep track of all skills on a skill tracking sheet with spaces for the date introduced and date mastered. We also graph each program every day based on the mastery of skills during the cold probe.
Here is a sample Tact Actions Skills Tracking Sheet. The skills marked with PO were 'probed out' meaning that when we completed our initial assessment the student already knew those items. All other skills that have been assessed are marked with a - to note that the student does not yet know them. The skills with no mark next to them mean that they have not yet been assessed at all.
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| Sample Tact Actions Skills Tracking Sheet |
No two program books are alike. Each binder is created to contain programs that the student needs, based on their initial VB-MAPP at the beginning of each school year.
.....Speaking of VB-MAPP Assessment.. those are also included in the binder!
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| VB-MAPP Scoring Supplement |
In the very back of the binder we keep all of the student weekly probe sheets. This way we have a record of every day each student was cold probed and what the results of that assessment were. By the end of the year we have a LOT of these (one for every week we are in school!)
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| Weekly Probe Sheets |
