Assessments During Distance Learning

Amy Mounce, M.S., M.Ed.

Distance and hybrid learning have changed our children’s educational experience, including instructional approaches and progress monitoring methods.  Now more than ever parents and caregivers are partnering with children’s teachers to address the impact of these changes and how to support our students while working from home.  Although data collection has changed during distance learning, student’s learning can and should be regularly documented.  Waiting to determine students’ current academic levels and progress should not wait until students return to school buildings. 
            
As part of the IEP team, families need to gather data, both academic and behavioral, to assist with IEP and Section 504 plan development to monitor whether students’ skills are improving, maintaining, or regressing.  Data collection methods must be created and designed to measure specific skills and behaviors.  Using methods such as reading inventories, checklists, graphs and curriculum-based assessments (assessment of predetermined, specific skills), students’ academic levels can be collected and shared with a child’s school team regularly.  With planning and regular implementation, student’s progress or lack of progress during distance learning can be continuously monitored.
           
WEG is here to assist families in all aspects of progress monitoring. We help families develop progress monitoring methods to implement at home.  We create and administer informal and formal progress monitoring methods.