Data collection is part of the job of an educator, especially as a special educator. To make your life of data collection easier, I compiled a list of my must-haves to share with you!
My Must-Haves
IEP Goal Bins
Before you can begin taking data, you need to be sure that you have IEP goals, behavior goals, social goals, etc., prepared. Once you have your goals in place, gather all materials needed to teach this goal, i.e.: data sheets, manipulatives, highlighters, letter/number cards. You’ll want to keep these materials together in an easy-to-access place. My go-to organization tip for this is creating IEP Goal Bins. You can read more about creating IEP Goal Bins here!
Color-Coded Folders
One organizational strategy that I like to use and rely heavily on is color-coding my students. You’ll notice in the next few must-have items, I will color-code them to specific students. I like to use color-coded tabbed folders and a hanging file folder to store data collection materials.
In the color-coded tabbed folders, I keep assessments and progress monitoring data sheets for the day or week. In the hanging file folder, I keep originals of data collection sheets, IEPs, data to graph/analyze, and any other information that is important to the student. This stays close to my desk, while the folders stay with the IEP bins for easy access. You’ll notice that I don’t place the students’ names on the colors or tabs which helps with confidentiality of the students.
Clipboards
Data collection is much easier when you can carry it with you! Students who are included in general education or when you travel to recess or lunch with your students, you will still be collecting data. If data is collected on the go, I will hang it next to the door so staff is able to grab it as they head out the door. I hang toileting data outside of the bathroom for easy access. Clipboards allow you to have access to several data sheets at a time. In the past I have had color-coded clipboards for each students: yellow, red, green, etc., but now I use black clipboards and color-code them with my next must-have!
Sticker Dots
I use these sticker dots for everything! Because they match the colors that I assign to the students, it is easy to apply these to things that belong to the students. You can put these on worksheets the students complete for easier progress monitoring data collection. You can also add these to clipboards (like the photo above: yellow dot on black clipboard) on the front and back for easy student identification.
Data Collection Sheets
Once you have all of your materials gathered, you’ll need a way to track your data collection. Enter Simple Data Sheets! In the photo above you’ll notice a circle at the top of each data collection sheet. For your organization, you can add student initials here, student color, or the colored sticker dots that I just wrote about! The Simple Data Sheets encompass a myriad of topics, such as:
- Goal Data Sheets
- Toileting Data Sheets
- Behavior Tally Sheets
- Behavior Data Sheets
- Toothbrushing Data Sheets
- Lunch Data Sheets
- Community Data Sheets
Here’s a resource to assist you in utilizing these data sheets!
Erasable Pens and Highlighters
Have you tried Pilot Frixion erasable pens and highlighters? They are a data collection game changer! I used to keep whiteout tape on hand because of all of the mistakes I would make collecting data, but with these, I don’t need the whiteout! They come in many different styles: click pens, cap pens, fine-liner markers, markers, and highlighters. My favorites are the cap pens, highlighters, and fine-liners! While these are amazing for data collection, they do have two drawbacks:
- The ink will not show up when copied.
- Solve this by taking a photo and printing it if a hard copy is needed.
- The ink will disappear in heat (friction causes heat, which is how the ink erases).
- Don’t keep data in a hot car!
- Solve this by placing the paper in the freezer, and the ink should reappear.
Timers and Stopwatches
Timers and stopwatches can be crucial for behavior data collection. My favorite timer is the Time Timer. If you purchase the Educator Edition, you will get access to a desktop app and an app for your phone. Totally worth it! I also have a clock that doubles as a timer which helps with whole-class transitions. I also utilize the timer on the Promethean Board in my classroom for whole-class transitions and a bigger visual for my students. For stopwatches, I use the stopwatch on my phone so it’s easy to access. If I’m using a stopwatch for a whole-class activity, I will pull it up on my Promethean Board.
Clicker Counters
If you are collecting data on frequency or amount of occurrences, you might utilize a tally system. Tallies are great when you have the paper right next to you, but that’s not always the case. However, clicker counters can help you with this! You can click every time the targeted behavior occurs, and enter the total number at the end of the interval or at the end of the day. At times I will use multiple clickers at one time. When this happens, I will place a soft-sided velcro on one button and a hard-sided velcro on the second button to differentiate without looking! You can get colored clicker counters or all one color and use your colored sticker dots to color-code your clickers for your students!
Graphs
Graphing your data is so important. You need to graph your data to find patterns in behaviors, or if there are any plateaus or spikes in the progress of goals. Seeing and analyzing your data will drive your lessons and teaching methods. Find what works best for you! You may prefer to enter your data electronically and have a graphing program populate the graph and data for you. However, you may prefer to graph your data by hand. Either way, be sure to graph that data and find those patterns! Learn more about analyzing your data here!
Staff Training
Finally, and what I believe is the most important must-have for data collection, is staff training! You have a ton of hats to wear as an educator. Sometimes you need to rely on the staff in your classroom to help with some of the workload. Training your staff on how to collect data on your students is a HUGE help. It helps your staff feel like they are part of the education of the student, which in turn makes you and your staff work more closely as a team. You can find helpful staff training resources in the SSE Paraprofessional Binder!
Check out these blogs for more information on Data Collection!
- Data Tracking with Google Forms
- How to Organize Data for IEPs
- How I Take Data in My Classroom
- The Special Educator’s Guide to Data Collection
- Let’s Talk Data
What are some of your must-haves for data collection? Share below! I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!
