Progress Monitoring Made Easy: How I Finally Stopped Drowning in Data

When I first started working as a school-based occupational therapist, the pressure to collect data was overwhelming. I knew how important progress monitoring was—not just for IEP compliance, but for actually knowing whether the interventions I was using were making a difference.

But the truth? I wasn’t prepared.

I had no real system in place. I was constantly throwing spaghetti at the wall, trying to figure out how to track growth in a way that was both meaningful and manageable. One week I’d overcompensate and spend hours calculating percentages and writing notes after work. The next, I’d find myself guesstimating student progress because I simply didn’t have time to keep up.

I felt unconfident. I felt disorganized. And I started to question if I was even good at my job.

From Frustration to Function: Building a Better System

Eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep up this unsustainable cycle, and I wasn’t alone. Nearly every school-based OT I have talked to has felt the same way: burdened by data collection that felt vague, inefficient, or just plain impossible to keep up with.

So I built the exact system I wish I had from the beginning: a monthly, printable progress monitoring packet that targets one specific IEP skill at a time. Each page is simple, streamlined, consistent, and designed to make tracking growth both objective and efficient.

The scoring system is relatively simple, but is has quite literally changed the way I practice! It involves a monthly activity for students to complete alongside a corresponding rubric that calculates a percentage for accuracy or performance—and the best part? It takes less than five minutes to complete. You get concrete data and a tangible work sample that you can be confident in! An added bonus? You also have monthly samples of student work ready to show parents, teachers, or the IEP team at a moment’s notice.

Why This System Works

• Skill-Specific: No more vague or generic data. Each page targets one clear goal so you can track actual growth, not guess at it.

• Efficient: Rubric-based scoring means you can quickly calculate percentages without sacrificing your lunch break (or your sanity).

• Data + Work Sample: Save student work each month as visual proof of progress. It’s powerful for team meetings and motivating for students.

• Confidence-Boosting: You’ll finally feel prepared when writing progress reports or entering data in your documentation system.

• Streamlined: The data you derive from this system will help you determine what skills/areas to target next!

  
  

What's Included So Far?

This GROWING Monthly Progress Monitoring Bundle currently includes tracking tools for:

• Fine motor precision

• Visual motor integration

• Pre-writing and letter formation

• Copying from the board

• Connect-the-dots visual/fine motor goals

• Cutting and scissor use

• Functional tasks like coloring and drawing simple figures

…and so much more to come.

Here's What Other OTs Are Saying...

★★★★★

“Wow! This will really streamline data collection for me this year." -Jessica R.

★★★★★

“So far this resource seem to be very helpful with tracking specific progress and making my documentation easier. I can't wait to continue this throughout the school year." -Chanda W.

Ready to Make Progress Monitoring Easier?

If you’re still in the spaghetti-throwing phase of progress monitoring, I’ve been there. You deserve tools that work with you, not against you. Grab the Monthly Progress Monitoring for IEP Goals GROWING Bundle today and finally feel on top of your data collection—without sacrificing your time, confidence, or peace of mind.

Don’t wait—buy once and get all future goals added to the bundle for free. The earlier you grab the bundle, the more value you’ll get over time!