How paras collect accurate IEP data
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Paras collect accurate IEP data by using the teacher's data sheet, knowing exactly what counts as a correct response, recording each response right after it happens, and noting any help given. They total the session the same way every time and hand the sheet to the teacher that day. A quick check where teacher and para score the same session keeps the data honest.
IEP data decides whether a goal stays, changes or ends, so it has to be data a teacher can trust. Paras often take much of it, because they are with the student when the skill happens. The teacher designs the measure and the data sheet. The para records what the student did, in the same way every time.
The IEP states how progress on each goal will be measured and when it is reported to parents.[2] Progress monitoring works only when the same short measure is repeated the same way over time.[1] A para who scores a little differently each day breaks that chain without meaning to.
This guide is for paras and for the teachers who train them. For the wider role, see paraprofessional roles and responsibilities.
What you need before you start
- The goal, in plain words. Not the whole IEP, just the goal and what counts as correct.
- The data sheet the teacher chose. The free data sheets cover each type, from trial-by-trial to interval recording.
- The definition of a correct response. Written down, so two people would score it the same way.
- The prompt code. How to mark a response the student made with help.
- A pen and a clipboard, or a phone, in reach. Data written from memory after school is a guess.
The steps, and how long each takes
| Step | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Read the goal and definition | Know what counts as correct, and what does not | 5 minutes, once per goal |
| 2. Set up the sheet | Write the date, time, setting and your initials | 1 minute per session |
| 3. Present each trial or watch for the behavior | Follow the teacher's plan exactly | Depends on the goal; often 5 to 10 minutes |
| 4. Record right away | Mark each response as it happens | A few seconds per response |
| 5. Note any help | Use the prompt code for each prompted response | A few seconds per response |
| 6. Total the session | Count correct responses and write the score | 1 minute |
| 7. Add a short note | Anything unusual: a fire drill, illness, a new seat | 1 minute |
| 8. Hand it to the teacher | Same day, in the agreed spot | 1 minute |
Most of a session is the teaching itself. The recording adds 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 1: Know what counts as correct
Ask the teacher for the operational definition. For a sight word goal, that might be "reads the word aloud correctly within 3 seconds, without help." A word read after 6 seconds is incorrect, even if it is right. Without that detail, two people score the same session differently.
Step 4: Record each response right away
Mark each trial as it happens: + for correct, a minus sign for incorrect, P for prompted. Do not wait until the end of the session. After 10 trials, most people remember the last 3 and guess the rest.
Step 5: Mark the help you gave
A response with help is not the same as a response without it. If the goal says "independently," a prompted response counts as incorrect for the goal, even though the student got the answer. Record the prompt anyway. It tells the teacher how close the student is. The prompt hierarchy entry lists the usual prompt levels.
Step 6: Total the session the same way every time
Count the correct, independent responses and divide by the total trials. Write it as both a fraction and a percent: "6/10, 60%." The teacher graphs that number.
Worked example: one student, one week
Leo is a fictional 2nd grader. His goal: given 10 flash cards from his sight word list, Leo will read 8 of 10 words correctly within 3 seconds each, without help, in 3 sessions in a row. His baseline in September was 4 of 10.
Ms. Kim, the para, runs 10 trials every morning, using the trial-by-trial data sheet.
Monday's trials: + + − + P + − + + −
That is 6 correct without help, 3 incorrect and 1 prompted, out of 10. The prompted trial counts as incorrect for the goal. Score: 6/10, 60%.
| Day | Correct, no help | Prompted | Incorrect | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6/10, 60% |
| Tuesday | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5/10, 50% |
| Wednesday | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7/10, 70% |
| Thursday | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7/10, 70% |
| Friday | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6/10, 60% |
On Tuesday, Ms. Kim adds a note: "Fire drill at 9:10; finished trials after." That note explains the dip.
The agreement check. On Wednesday, the teacher scores the same 10 trials at the same time. They agree on 9 of the 10 trials. They disagreed on one word Leo read in about 3 seconds. They agree to time with a count in their heads, "one-one-thousand," and the teacher adds that to the definition. Agreement of 9 of 10 trials (90%) is a solid result for a new data collector.
What the teacher does with it. The teacher graphs the week: 60, 50, 70, 70, 60. Leo is up from his baseline of 4 of 10 but not at 8 of 10 yet. The teacher keeps the plan, adds 2 new words he keeps missing to a practice set, and checks again next week. Deciding whether he met the goal is the teacher's job, based on the data.
Common mistakes, and better versions
- Weak: Filling in the sheet at 3 pm from memory. Better: Marking each trial as it happens, even with a tally on a sticky note.
- Weak: Counting a prompted answer as correct. Better: Marking it P and counting it as incorrect for an "independent" goal.
- Weak: Giving extra trials on a good day. Better: Running the same number of trials every session, so scores can be compared.
- Weak: Skipping a session and writing nothing. Better: Writing "absent" or "no session: assembly." A blank looks like lost data.
- Weak: Changing the task to help the student succeed. Better: Following the plan, and telling the teacher if it seems too hard.
- Weak: Leaving the sheet in your bag. Better: Handing it in the same day, in the spot the teacher picked.
Other kinds of IEP data paras take
Not every goal is scored in trials. The teacher will choose the method that fits:
- Frequency: count each time a behavior happens during a set period, on the frequency data sheet. See frequency recording.
- Intervals: mark whether a behavior happened in each short block of time, on the interval recording data sheet.
- Task analysis: score each step of a routine, such as hand washing, on the task analysis data sheet.
The same rules apply to all of them: know the definition, record right away, note help, and hand it in the same day.
Recording on a phone
Some teams record on paper and some on a phone. With IEP Atlas Pro, a teacher can share a data-entry link that a para opens on a phone with no account. It shows only the students' first names or initials and the goal names the teacher chose. The para records each response and taps "Send to teacher," and each entry is marked as collected by the para until the teacher reviews it.
Paper or phone, the case manager decides which goals the para collects, as part of the case manager checklist routine at the start of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Should paraprofessionals collect IEP data?
Yes, when the teacher has trained them and given them a data sheet and a clear definition of each goal. The para records the responses, and the teacher reviews the data and decides on progress.
Does a prompted response count as correct?
Not for a goal that says the student will do the skill independently. Mark it as prompted so the teacher can see how much help was needed, and count it as incorrect when you total the score.
How often should a teacher check a para's data?
Review the sheets daily or weekly, and do an agreement check, where both score the same session, in the first week and then about once a month. Fix any differences in the definition right away.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Free IEP data sheets
- Data sheet in the IEP glossary
- Paraprofessional in the IEP glossary
- Trial-by-trial data in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity trial data sheet
Related guides
- Paraprofessional roles and responsibilities
- IEP case manager checklist for the school year
- The IEP case manager's handbook: responsibilities, calendar and tools
- Sharing IEP data collection with paraprofessionals
- Behavior data sheet for paraprofessionals: template and example
- Paraprofessional reading intervention: running the lesson the teacher planned
Sources
- Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.