Data Tracking Made Easy for the Traveling SLP!

Being a private SLP that travels to see children in their homes and schools definitely has it's perks. I love the one on one attention I can give each child. I also love being able to see them in their environment and really work on language experiences that are important to them. Plus, no car duty!

But like any good thing, there are also drawbacks. For example, today we are expecting a tropical storm and the roads are flooded. So I am home with a cup of coffee blogging... well I guess that's not such a bad day. But in all honesty, one thing that has been difficult for me is keeping good data records while being in a new place every hour. I really love when students can keep track of their own data. It gives them a sense of ownership and motivation towards their goals. When I was working in the schools I had data charts that the students worked on weekly displayed on the walls.  I can't really wallpaper my car with those. So after brainstorming ideas, I came up with mini goal tracking books!

 These goal books are small and kept together on a binder ring. But they pack all the punch of what I was missing from my classroom. On each data ring I have a graph for each individual goal I set for them as well as a written goal set by the student. The student set goal is probably my favorite page of the book. It gives me a really clear picture of why each child thinks that he/she is in speech and what is important to them to work on. Maybe it's working hard on their /r/ sound when they read out loud in class or maybe it's using good social skills at lunch. If it's important to them, it's important to me!

 The individual goal graphs have been a total timesaver when it comes time for re-evaluations. It's so convenient take out that particular student's goal book to report on goals. I have been guilty of falling into a rut of working on the same goals for a long time and neglecting others. Since each goal page has it's own page on the ring, it's very easy to see which goals still need to be addressed. Win, win!

Since these goal books are small, I have been able to keep them in a small container with a lid. That way they don't get messed up and don't take up much space while being stored in my car. 

You can download you own copy of these books in my TpT store, here!

Tuesday: Talk Data To Me!

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all found yesterday's post about organization helpful. Today is the day I know most of you have been waiting for... Data Day! I have posted a few different data sheets because there really isn't one sheet that will work for everyone. I have found that with my very young students, anecdotal data is sometimes the best! Because you can't always measure communication with pluses and minuses.

If you remember from my How Do You Keep Student Data post, I use binders to keep my student information and data organized. Inside the binder, I have dividers separating each student. I also have a student information chart (download below), data sheets, and some work samples to show progress. If the student really wants to keep their work, make a photo copy and keep it in the binder. I like keeping random work samples in the binders for a few reasons. It is great to have to show the teachers and parents at meetings. It is also great to have to remind ourselves (and the student) how much progress they really have made when you feel like they aren't reaching their goals. 

Student Information Sheet: This is like a snap shot of your student. It includes their information, IEP date, re-evaluation date, recent evaluation information, services they receive, etc. 

Student Data Sheet: students can keep track of their own goals. I have found this to be very motivating for my students. They are very aware of their goals and they are able to track their own progress.  **Bonus: Principals LOVE to see this!

Anecdotal Data Notes: I like using this when pluses and minuses just wont cut it! For example, this has really come in handy for me with preschoolers that have very limited vocabulary. I have noted words he/she uses during structured play. 

Data Sheet #1: This sheet is helpful for showing progress and growth with one specific goal.

Data Sheet #2: This is my go-to data sheet! This is the one most of you have emailed me for!

How do you find keeping data is best for you?

Data Sheets!

Happy Monday!! I have turned all 3 data sheets into google documents. See the links below to grab your copy! Google docs would not let me keep my super cute fonts when I uploaded the files, so feel free to make any changes to the documents. If someone knows how to keep the origional format, please share! :)

Data Sheet

Student Profile

Student Goal Sheet

I also have received a few questions about how I do things in my room:
1. What do you use the composition notebooks for?
I use the notebooks for many different things. One of my goals for this year was to limit the amount of copies that I made. I use the notebooks for kids to complete activities in. We have done anything from listing out target words, making collages with pictures of objects containing a target sound,  vocabulary activities, etc. This is a good little tool for them to take with them at the end of the year and use as practice over the Summer break.

2. When you have groups with multiple grade levels, how do you organize your notebook?
Honestly, I only have two groups with mixed age levels. Both are 3 second graders and 1 first grader. So I just put them in the second grade file. I did have them separate at the beginning of the year and it became a pain. These notebooks are for my reference so with this method I know where to find them.

I am glad everyone found this data posting so helpful! Please share the love about what works for you as far as data collecting!

How Do You Keep Student Data?

UPDATE!! I have received a lot of emails requesting data sheets. During Back 2 School Week, I posted updated data sheets. Find them here: http://kcummingsslp.blogspot.com/2012/07/tuesday-talk-data-to-me.html Thanks so much for checking out [simply speech.]

It's that time of year again to start looking at our students' data and progress. Not only is it important for IEP meetings and progress reports, but our records are also a big part of our evaluation. I wanted to share with you what I have found to be the best way I have found so far to keep track of student data.....

This year I decided to use data binders that are divided by grade level. So far this has been a great way to keep everything organized and get to the information you need quickly when necessary. Inside each binder, I have my speech/ language groups separated by dividers.
For each student, I have:

• A student information profile. This page has their name, IEP date, re-evaluation date, most recent testing scores and information about other programs they may be in as well (OT, PT, SLD, etc).
• Data sheets and/ or treatment logs. I find that for some groups, good old fashioned +/- data sheets work best, for others, anecdotal data logs works best. 
• If the students are old enough, they keep their own data as well. This is helpful for them to know what their goals are as well as a self motivation tool. (see below for a picture of the student data sheet I use)
• I also keep random work samples throughout the year to show progress (both for the parents and to remind myself and the students how far they have come!)

Here is a photo of the data sheet I use. I have tried many, many different forms and this one is my favorite. Simple and to the point. Let me know if you would like me to email you a copy of this one (I am not sure where it originated from)

Below is a photo of the anecdotal data sheet I use. I got this form from the Mommy Speech Therapy blog.

 

Here is a photo of my student friendly data sheet. I mainly use this with my artic kids. After each session, I calculate their percentage of correct productions and they graph their progress. The kids really buy into this and take pride in their work.

 Below is a picture of one of my student's data sheets. The yellow line is his goal (80% accuracy). It is helpful when they are starting a new target to see how close they get to their goal.

I hope you find this helpful.... please share any ways that you collect data!