Using AI for Progress Monitoring in Special Education

Progress monitoring in special education is more than just a paperwork hoop each grading period – it is crucial to ensure students with IEPs are making adequate progress toward their goals, allowing for timely adjustments to their educational program and instruction if needed. But when you’re deep into the school year and juggling a large caseload, analyzing student data can feel like one more overwhelming task.

We’ve got a time-saving tip: combine your exported Kit data with an AI tool like ChatGPT to help identify trends, summarize performance, and even guide your instructional planning. Here’s how:

Step 1: Gather Your Data 

If you’ve been using Kit to collect goal data, great news—you’re already halfway there! Simply export your data from the Instruction tab. You can filter by student and start and end date you want to focus on, then download a CSV file to work with. 

If you are storing your data in other places, like paper data sheets (what?! We’ll come back to this later…), you’ll need one of the following:

• • A summary of the student’s therapy/instructional data, including goal areas, session frequency, and performance over time

  • Notes from your therapy/instructional sessions

Be sure to redact student data before uploading reports into your preferred AI tool.

Step 2: Prepare Your AI Tool

Once you’ve gathered your data, open ChatGPT (or your preferred AI tool) and upload the information into the platform you are using. Ensure the document is legible and in a format the AI can read and analyze paste in a sample like this:

“Here is goal data for one of my students. Can you identify any trends or progress over time, and summarize what this data shows?” Pro Tip: Make your prompts as specific and detailed as possible to get the most comprehensive and ready-to-use progress monitoring summaries and visual displays. If AI doesn’t give you exactly what you want, provide the specific changes or additions you’d like to meet your needs.)

For example, you can also ask ChatGPT to:

• • Identify whether the student is making adequate progress

  • Suggest language for a progress report

  • Flag any inconsistencies or regressions

  • Recommend instructional next steps

Step 3: Use the Analysis to Inform Your Work

Once you’ve received your AI-generated summary, you can copy/paste the insights directly into your IEP progress report, or use them to support present levels, justify changes to service minutes, or inform lesson planning.

It’s not just about saving time (though it definitely does that). It’s about making sure the hard work you’ve put into data collection actually pays off.

Other Considerations When Using AI

Before using AI tools to assist with student data, it is essential to verify your organization’s privacy policies regarding student data. Follow these steps to ensure compliance and maintain confidentiality:

1. Check Your Organization’s AI Policy
   • • • Some organizations have purchased specific AI tools with privacy agreements in place, allowing for the inclusion of student information.
       • Confirm whether your organization has approved AI tools for use with confidential data.
2. Automated Redaction Tools (Check Organization Approval First!)
   • • • Some online vendors offer automatic redaction services to remove private student information from documents.
       • If considering this option, ensure that your organization permits its use and that the vendor complies with privacy standards.
3. Manual Redaction Option (Best for Full Control Over Privacy)
   • • If automated tools are not an option, you can manually redact student data before using AI.
     • Steps for manual redaction:
       • Copy and paste the information into a Word/Google document.
       • Use the Find and Replace function to locate and replace identifiable student details (e.g., name, DOB).
       • Replace student names with placeholders, such as “REDACTEDSTUDENTNAME”, so that only non-identifiable information remains.

Paper vs. Digital Data Collection

You can see how much easier exporting and analyzing data when you use a digital platform like Kit for Teams. Ditch the paper, so you enter, organize and access your data quickly, even across multiple students and sessions.

Final Recommendations for Using AI

AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t a replacement for your professional judgment – they’re a support system to help you work smarter. With just a few minutes of effort, you can transform your data from a spreadsheet into actionable insights, but keep in mind these final thoughts:

1. 1. Test Your Prompt: Start with a small sample of instructional data to evaluate whether the AI-generated summary meets your expectations for clarity, detail, and relevance. For example, use data from one or two sessions to test the prompt before applying it to a full progress report.
   2. Iterate and Customize: If the AI output is unclear or incomplete, refine the prompt by adding specific instructions or examples. For example, revise your prompt to include: “Include a narrative summary of strengths and challenges, and provide 2-3 reasons for any lack of progress.” Adjust wording to emphasize particular needs, such as the inclusion of specific data patterns or recommendations.
   3. Future Adjustments: Reflect on the AI-generated summary to identify areas for improvement in your prompts. For example, if you notice the summary lacks sufficient detail about intervention effectiveness, revise your future prompts to include: “Describe which interventions were most effective and why.”

AI excels in data analysis, enabling educators to identify patterns and trends in student performance. AI can help interpret trends and suggest interventions based on session data. It offers insights into student progress based on data analysis, supporting special educators in making data-driven decisions. This ability to identify patterns can help IEP teams understand the effectiveness of instructional strategies and tailor their approaches accordingly. By leveraging AI with structured question prompts, you can transform the data you’ve collected into actionable insights that enhance your practice and improve student outcomes.

Not using Kit yet? Start your free 14-day trial here and make data collection and progress monitoring easier than ever.