Data collection and data tracking (i.e., creating a table or visual display to analyze student progress monitoring data) are critical components of writing quality individualized education program (IEP) goals for students with disabilities. Failure to ensure adequate procedures can manifest into a substantive violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004). Unfortunately, teachers often encounter barriers to these procedures which can result in missed opportunities for representing students’ progress, misaligned data collection procedures, or use of inappropriate methods (Swain et al., 2022). This article uses a vignette to support special educators across five recommendations for mapping academically-focused annual goals with assessment procedures for data collection and data tracking, including: (a) prioritize the goal around a specific skill need, (b) consider a continuum of appropriate assessment methods and measures, (c) ensure an appropriate level of rigor, (d) ensure data tracking sheets match the goal, and (e) identify a plan for collecting data to communicate progress to parents.
Poch et al. (2026) studied this question.