Rate answers: how many correct responses can the student give per minute on a timed probe? It shows fluency, meaning speed and accuracy together, for skills other than oral reading, such as math facts or letter sounds.
84 templates in the library use rate (per minute), across 19 skills. Each prints the frequency & rate tracker.
When to use it
Math fact fluency, measured in digits correct per minute
Letter-sound or letter-name fluency
Typing speed as correct words per minute, or braille reading rate
Not for oral reading of passages, which uses oral reading fluency (WCPM), and not for skills the student cannot yet do accurately
How to record it
Use a probe of the same kind and difficulty each time, with more items than the student can finish.
Give the standard directions and start the timer, usually for one or two minutes.
Stop at the end of the time and mark correct and incorrect responses.
Count correct units, such as digits correct, and divide by minutes if the probe was longer than one.
Record the rate and errors, then graph it against the goal line.
Writing the criterion and mastery rule
Write the criterion as "at a rate of at least N" with the unit, such as digits correct per minute.
Name the probe type and time limit in the condition.
Set the target from the baseline median of three probes and a realistic weekly growth rate.
Use a mastery rule such as "in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes".
Common mistakes
Using rate before the student is accurate, which rewards guessing.
Changing the probe time or difficulty between sessions.
Using a timed measure when timing itself is the barrier and the goal is accuracy.
Using rate for oral reading instead of the oral reading fluency measure.
Goal examples measured this way
Numbers are illustrative. Set targets from the student's own baseline data.
Phonics & Decoding
Say letter sounds on a timed probe
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute probe of randomly ordered lowercase letters, the student will say the most common sound for each letter or letter combination in order independently at a rate of at least 40 correct letter sounds per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute timed drill of home-row letter patterns and short words on screen, the student will type the letters shown using the correct finger for each key independently at a rate of at least 45 letters correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute probe of mixed uppercase and lowercase letters printed in random order, the student will say the name of each letter in order, moving left to right across each row independently at a rate of at least 40 letters correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Write correct word sequences on timed story-starter probes
By the annual IEP review date, given an unpracticed story starter, 1 minute to plan, and 3 minutes to write, the student will write a continuation of the story independently at a rate of at least 9 correct word sequences per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.
By the annual IEP review date, given a 2-minute probe of mixed addition facts with sums to 20 (total divided by 2 for the per-minute rate), the student will write the answer to each addition fact independently at a rate of at least 20 digits correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly.
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute timed list of previously taught high-frequency words in random order, the student will read the words aloud in order independently at a rate of at least 40 words read correctly per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Each correct digit in an answer counts, so 56 counts as two digits. This gives partial credit and shows growth sooner than counting whole problems.
How often should rate probes be given?
Weekly is common. One or two short probes a week give enough points to see a trend within a month or two.
What if the student gets anxious on timed probes?
Talk with the student, practice the format without stakes, or choose an accuracy goal with a fixed item set instead. Rate is a tool, not a requirement.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn these goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.