Data collection for IEPs is important throughout the school year. When your school is short staffed, not only does it make teaching more challenging, but it also makes it more difficult to collect data.
Here are some ways to manage data collection when short-staffed in the special ed classroom. As always, some of the ideas may not work in your educational setting, so choose the ones that will work best for you.
Strategies for When You’re Short-Staffed
The strategies below are not full-proof. Nor will they give you the amount of documentation and teaching that would ideally happen in a fully-staffed classroom. They are, however, quick fixes that may work depending on your classroom population.
Make Use of Technology
When possible, use technology to help you gather information about your students’ progress. Apps and websites that have data tracking can be especially helpful as they allow students to work independently but provide you with the results of their work. iPads and tablets are especially helpful in these situations as students can be positioned anywhere in the classroom that makes sense.
- These apps have been teacher-tested in the special ed classroom with success. Maybe your students will do well with them also.
Cut Down on Academics
When your classroom is short staffed, there are times when you simply have to cut down on academics. While this does not mean that you are not teaching at all, it does mean that the amount of new material that you share with students is truncated based on the amount of time and resources you have available.
If you need time to do data collection during the day, cutting down on academics gives you space to be able to meet with students and get the information that you need. Putting on an educational video while you are doing progress monitoring with students 1-1 can be a huge lifesaver.
Use IEP Work Bins
IEP Work Bins are specifically designed to give students practice on their IEP goals. When you need to do progress monitoring, even if you are short staffed, sometimes you can have students demonstrate mastery of the skills in the box. This allows for very targeted data collection and gives students the practice they need.
Watch this free training on what to include in IEP work bins and how to set them up.
- PRO TIP: Save money and make your own DIY bins to use as work bins. Learn more in this free training.
Call on Administration
While it is not ideal, calling on the administration for support when your classroom is short staffed can sometimes be advantageous. Not only does it give you the support you need, but it also gives your administrators firsthand looks at how your classroom is functioning with fewer staff.
Since administrators have their own work to do and cannot spend all day every day in the special ed classroom, they will likely be more motivated to help find the support that you need.
Track Student Service Minutes
If you need to skip academics for the day, it’s important to take this service time data in the event that compensatory education minutes are needed for the students.
Safety First
While data collection and academicsย should be the priority, the reality of the situation is that your safety and the safety of your students have to come first when you are short-staffed. If that means that no progress monitoring can take place because you need to make sure everyone is safe, then data collection will just have to wait. Prioritizing safety is never a wrong choice.
- PRO TIP: The best advice I ever received as a special education teacher in a life skills unit was this: “As long as the students are fed, feel loved, and get home on the right bus at the end of the day – that’s a successful day.” That advice has stuck with me over the years, and it’s okay if that’s what success for you looks like on short-staffed days too.
Being short staffed is not ideal and is not something thatย should affect you and your students. Unfortunately, the lack of staff impacts special ed teachers and their students first.
Do the best that you can and know that your safety and sanity are more important than any data collection needed. Remember to lean on your other IEP team members to help you with taking data as well. Special education is a team sport.
Advocacy isnโt just about speaking upโitโs about knowing what to say, how to say it, and having the confidence to back it up. The Intentional IEP gives you that foundation with trusted training, meaningful IEP goals, and streamlined data collection tools. When youโre supported, you can support students even better.