Why is it important to use a consistent progress monitoring system or grade level across the entire year?

In this video, Dr. Lynn Fuchs, Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University and Senior Advisor to the National Center on Intensive Intervention, shares advice about selecting and using progress monitoring measures to support intensive intervention.

Question: Why is it important to use a consistent progress monitoring system or grade level across the entire year?

Answer: So my first piece of advice is to avoid changing progress monitoring systems or progress monitoring grade levels within the same academic year. This causes unnecessary work and it makes it hard for teachers to evaluate progress over time. To avoid changing progress monitoring systems or grade levels, use a progress monitoring system that indexes broad forms of competence in the academic area, not a single skill. This means using curriculum-sampling, progress monitoring systems that systematically sample the full set of skills, and strategies encompassed in the grade-level curriculum. And it could mean using performance indicators that relate well to the full set of skills and strategies at that grade level. Also, make sure the beginning-of-year baseline scores are high enough to support improvement in a targeted grade level otherwise move down a grade level for progress monitoring and that the scores are low enough to leave room for improvement across the school year otherwise move up a grade level for progress monitoring.