Progress Monitoring How Schools Turn Data Into Action for Students with Disabilities

Schools rarely lack data. The harder problem is knowing what the information means, when it requires action, and how to document the reasoning that follows.
Reframing progress monitoring as an educational decision-making system rather than a compliance exercise, this book draws on the author's experience reviewing more than 1,100 due process hearings. It shows educators how to distinguish useful evidence from 'decorative data,' establish credible starting points, define reasonable expectations for growth, set individualized decision triggers, interpret grades and service records appropriately, examine implementation fidelity, and respond when a student's trajectory is not improving as expected.
The chapters connect the legal expectations of IDEA and Endrew F. to practical school routines without turning them into rigid formulas. Realistic case studies let readers test their judgment, while fifteen implementation-ready appendices provide audit tools, decision-rule examples, alignment checks, fidelity reviews, meeting protocols, parent-communication supports, and guidance on responsible AI use. The result is a practical framework for helping teams notice sooner, decide more clearly, and change course while there is still time to improve student outcomes.