Summary of "105 - Technology and Data Analysis - Session 3 - Lesson 5"

Purpose

Explain options and workflows for progress monitoring students after using screeners to establish baseline skills. Emphasis is on using digital tools to save time, visualize growth (trend lines), guide intervention decisions, and produce parent-friendly reports.

Recommended frequency

Progress-monitor more frequently for students with greater need — typically every 2 weeks up to once a month (final cadence is a school decision).

High-level workflow

Use screeners at the start (or periodically) to determine student baselines and identify skills gaps.
Choose a progress-monitoring tool that fits your context (Google Sheets/Forms, ESGI, Heggerty, FastBridge, Bridges Intervention, IXL, Prodigy).
Create/assign short, focused checks (nonsense-words, phonemic tasks, skill quizzes, etc.) tied to the targeted skill.
Enter or collect results digitally so the tool/chart shows a trend line.
Review trends regularly to decide whether to continue the current intervention, change the program, increase minutes/frequency, or hold a review meeting with stakeholders.
Print or export reports for conferences/parents and to document progress toward end-of-year goals.

Tools and how to use them

Digital spreadsheet/form approach (Google Forms / Google Sheets / Microsoft Forms)

Set up one sheet where each row = one student and columns = dates/assessments.
Use a template (example: Primary Gal’s nonsense-word WPM tracker) or create your own.
Enter scores and let the sheet generate automatic graphs/trend lines on a separate sheet.
Use individual student graphs for parent meetings or progress reviews.
Best for simple, customizable checks (oral fluency, WPM, nonsense words).

ESGI

Use ESGI to both assess and progress-monitor specific skills.
Create or reuse an assessment focused on the skill you want to monitor.
Input periodic results to view trend lines and determine intervention effectiveness.

Heggerty (phonemic awareness program)

Use Heggerty’s built-in progress-monitoring options for K–2 skills (e.g., final sounds).
Pull students who didn’t pass a screener item and use Heggerty probes to monitor growth.
Enter results into your tracker (e.g., Google Sheets) to visualize progress.

FastBridge

Administered three times/year (screeners) with subtests that suggest skill targets and lessons.
Use the Adept/subtest recommendations to create intervention groups (e.g., nonsense-words group).
FastBridge supports inputting repeated probes, produces trend-line charts (dots), and offers printable reports.
Use results to decide on switching groups/programs or convening intervention meetings when trend lines decline.

Bridges to Intervention (program-specific monitoring)

Program cycle ~ five lessons per module; the 5th lesson is a built-in progress-monitoring check.
Provides student practice sheets and scoring spreadsheets (Excel) that:
- Highlight proficiency levels (proficient / some practice / struggling).
- Allow adding plus/minus markers for mastery growth.
Includes both independent checks and one-on-one interview-style probes for multiple data points.
Applicable for math interventions as well.

IXL (subscription) and Prodigy (free)

Create targeted assignments/quizzes tied to a skill (example: comparing numbers 0–50).
Steps: create quiz/assignment → assign to students → collect auto-graded results → use results as progress-monitoring data.
Benefits: saves time (auto-grading), easy assignment distribution, quick visual results to inform next steps.

Decision-making based on data

Monitor trend lines, not just single scores. Look for consistent growth, plateaus, or declines.
If a trend line shows insufficient growth, consider:
- Trying a different intervention/program.
- Increasing the minutes or frequency of intervention.
- Changing group composition.
- Holding a meeting (team/parents) to review strategies and next steps.
Use program-provided lessons/resources (FastBridge trainings, Heggerty probes, Bridges lessons) to plan targeted instruction.

Other points

The presenter prefers digital tracking (Sheets/Forms/IXL/Prodigy) over paper for efficiency and visual tracking.
Session goal: give teachers an understanding of available screener/assessment types and concrete ways to collect and analyze data so groups and interventions align with student needs and end-of-year goals.

Reflection prompt: Identify one tool you’re excited to use and how you’ll implement it in your classroom.

Speakers / sources featured

Presenter (unnamed) — main speaker delivering the session
Programs / tools mentioned:
- Google Forms / Google Sheets / Microsoft Forms
- Primary Gal (creator of the referenced Google Sheets nonsense-word tracker template)
- ESGI
- Heggerty (appears as “hegerty” in the transcript)
- FastBridge (and its Adept/subtest resources)
- Bridges to Intervention (referred to as “Bridge(s) to intervention”)
- IXL
- Prodigy
Non-speaking: [Music] (opening/closing music)

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