Prior to Program Exit
Candidate Effect on Student Learning:
EDS 518 Case study of two or three students that includes progress monitoring assessment data
and implementation of a research-validated instructional program.
1.
Description of the assessment and its use in the program. The case study assignment in EDS
518 (Supervised Internship) is designed to evaluate our candidates’ ability to implement a
research validated instructional practice and to collect assessment data for a period of 8-10
weeks. The assignment asks candidates to select two or three students who are having
difficulty in the same area (e.g., fluency). They are to select a research validated practice and
review and summarize findings from 6 research studies on that topic (for a paper for EDS
512- Leadership and program management for elementary and middle school students which
they take concurrently). Then they are to design an intervention based on the research and
after collecting at least three data points of baseline data, implement the intervention for 8-10
weeks, collecting probe data on an ongoing basis. This assignment builds upon the
assessment foundation that students obtained from taking the assessment course the first
semester. Candidates are evaluated on five elements of the case study: Using assessment data
to identify learning needs, demonstrating an understanding of measurement theory,
conducting informal data collection, interpreting results, and selecting and implementing a
research validated instructional program. The following scoring is used: 1=Needs
improvement, 2=Meets the standard and 3=Exceeds the standard. To meet the standard on
this assessment, candidates must meet the standard on all five elements.
2. Alignment with CEC standards. The case study that involves progress monitoring addresses
CEC standards 4 and 8. In terms of standard 8, candidates must use assessment data to
identify learning needs and to develop an individualized program. They must demonstrate
their understanding of measurement theory by selecting they appropriate type of data to
collect and discussing their rationale for that selection. They collect the data and analyze it
and interpret the result, discussing the effects on student learning. Relative to standard 4, they
must select and implement a research validated strategy that matches the needs of the
students based on their IEPs.
EDS 518: Progress Monitoring Case Study Project Description
Today’s Special Educator must be skillful in monitoring students’ progress while
implementing research-based interventions. A Special Educator must be able to
collect data, analyze it, and subsequently make instructional decisions for
students. In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to hone your skills in
identifying students’ areas of need, collecting data on their progress, and
implementing carefully considered interventions.
Directions:
 As you begin your student internship experience and review students’ IEPs,
identify 2-3 students who share similar academic or behavioral needs.
These students will participate in your progress monitoring case study.
(Standard 8)
 Once you have identified your students, determine how you will collect
data on their skill level. Will you be measuring frequency, duration, latency,
rate of accuracy, or number of events? (CEC Standard 8)
 Determine the CBM that best fits your students. This could be a writing,
reading, or mathematical measure. It could also be a counting of behaviors
such as calling out or raising hands. (Websites:
www.interventioncentral.org; http://www.rti4success.org and Vaughn and
Bos (2009), EDS 510) (CEC Standard 8)
 Bring a 1-page summary of the above 3 bullet points to your first EDS 512
class. You will have an opportunity to share ideas and get feedback before
proceeding with this project.
 You will be collecting at least 12 data points on this behavior spanning over
8-10 weeks of student internship. The data collection will proceed as
follows: 1) Give students the CBM you have developed (or borrowed) or
observe and record students’ behaviors for 2-3 data points prior to
intervention (baseline), 2) Next begin research-based intervention and
collect 6-8 data points during this phase; and 3) Fade out your intervention
and collect 2 data points without the intervention in place (return to
baseline and generalization). (CEC Standard 4 and 8)
For example, your students are struggling with reading fluency. You develop a
data collection sheet that shows the date, level of passage, and words/minute
read. During your first week of the project, you give students a running record 2-3
times. You record the number of words per minute read correctly (baseline). Next,
you begin using repeated readings as an intervention. During the time you are
working on repeated readings, you continue to conduct running records on
passages not used in training, and by calculating the number of words per minute.
Lastly, you stop using running records in class, but collect two more data points
from running records.
 You will use this data to create a graph with baseline and
intervention phases marked. We discussed in class how graphs are an
easy way to communicate information to parents and other school
professionals. Guidelines on how to construct a graph will be given.
(CEC Standard 8)
 Lastly, you will write a 1-2 page summary of what happened during
your progress monitoring case study. You should discuss the impact
of the intervention, changes that had to occur, and/or how you
would intervene with this skill next time. (CEC Standard 8)
Submission of this assignment includes:
1. EDS 512 one page brainstorm/summary
2. Data collection sheets for all data points
3. Graph of each student’s progress
4. 1-2 page summary
*****See weekly schedule for EDS 518 for project due date***********
Assignment Element
with CEC Standards
Exceeds the standard (3)
Meets the standard (2)
Needs Improvement (1)
Uses results of assessment
information on IEPs to identify
learning needs and to develop an
appropriate data collection system
for progress monitoring that uses
technology.
Uses results of assessment information
on IEPs to identify learning needs and to
develop an appropriate data collection
system for progress monitoring.
Assessment information from
students’ IEPs are not closely
linked to proposed data collection
system for progress monitoring.
Understands
measurement theory
Discusses type of data they will
collect and provides a very
sophisticated discussion of why they
chose that type over other types.
Discusses type of data they will collect
(e.g., frequency, rate) and provides a
solid rationale for their choice.
Discussion of type of data they
will collect or their rationale is
weak or inaccurate.
Conducts informal
assessment of data
Completed more than 10 weeks of
data with sufficient data collected
per week. The student objective is
fully described in measurable terms
including: the behavior, the context
for the behavior, and the criteria for
mastery.
Completed 8-10 weeks of data with
sufficient data collected per week. The
student objective contains 2 out of 3
elements.
Completed fewer than 8 weeks or
an insufficient amount of data are
collected each week. The
objective contains 1 or 2
elements.
Interprets results
The student clearly describes the
results from their data collection
using performance level or rate of
growth. They link the change in
The student clearly describes the results
from their data collection. They link the
change in behavior to intervention in
The student provides an unclear
synopsis of the results. Does not
link change in behavior to
Assessment
Standard 8
Uses assessment data to
identify learning needs
and to develop individual
program
Instructional Strategies
Standard 4
behavior to intervention(s) in the
classroom. If assessing social
behaviors, the student links the
student behavior to an antecedent
and a function. If academic
behaviors, the student should
discuss a potential plan for
maintaining these skills.
the classroom.
academic or behavioral support.
Selects and implements a research
validated instructional program that
matches the needs identified on the
student’s IEP; attempts to
incorporate technology in
instruction.
Selects and implements a research
validated instructional program that
meets the needs of the student based
on his/her IEP.
Selects an instructional program
that lacks efficacy data.