Data Collection and Progress Monitoring
There are several data collection tools that Zones leaders can use to assess, measure, and track progress within the Digital Curriculum. Each Concept includes a Check for Learning to gauge learners’ mastery of the concept’s learning targets. In addition, we suggest using these practices to measure progress while working through concepts:
- Listening for learners’ depth of understanding when participating in discussions or showing work
- Looking for insights displayed when completing activities or work
- Direct observation of skills being applied
- Listening for insights from learners and others who work closely with them
As a best practice, we also recommend that you gather data from different types of assessments, observations, and experiences with a learner to gain a full understanding of their regulation competencies and progress over time.
Learner Assessment Tools
| Assessment Tool | Type of Assessment | Quick Description |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation Self-Reflection | Pre/Mid/Post | Learner self-evaluation of regulation skills and competencies |
| Observing Regulation Competencies | Pre/Mid/Post | Informal assessment of a learner’s regulation skills and competencies by a familiar adult |
| Check for Learning (included in each Concept, see below) | Progress Monitoring | Leader assesses learner’s mastery of learning targets over the scope of the curriculum |
| Learning Target Rubric | Progress Monitoring | Organizes and tracks progress toward learning targets over the scope of the curriculum |
| Observation and Questioning (See below) | Informal |
Ongoing assessment of learner’s understanding throughout curriculum instruction |
| Tools for Assessing Regulation Competencies | Standardized and Informal | A resource list of assessment measures and checklists that explore different aspects of regulation |
Zones Climate and Implementation Assessment Tools
| Assessment Tool | Type of Assessment | Quick Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Zones Climate Rubric | Progress Monitoring | Self-evaluate Zones Climate Elements, set goals, and use as a walk-through observation strategy |
| Digital Curriculum Implementation & Fidelity Checklist | Fidelity Observation | Used to assess adherence to curriculum elements and quality of instruction and implementation |
You can informally assess learners by observing their level of engagement in the learning process. It’s important to do these ongoing checks throughout each concept. This allows you to see which learners need additional support and which learners have grasped the concept and are ready to move on.
Examples of opportunities for observation:
- Asking questions throughout instruction and activities to gauge understanding
- Response to co-regulation attempts by adults (For example, a staff may offer, “Let’s go check your Zone,” and the learner is willing; or a staff offers a learner their toolbox visuals, and learner selects one to try.)
- Listening to learners’ contributions in discussion or reading their journal entries (For example, consider learners’ ability to relate to concepts by providing personal examples and meaningfully applying concepts to their life. Make sure to note the accuracy of their responses and self-reporting compared to what is observed through their behavior. Often learners don’t give themselves enough credit and are overly hard on themselves.)
- Tracking observable learner data, such as time spent on task, time spent in the classroom, number of conflicts involving staff intervention, office referrals/suspensions, behavior prompts from staff, frequency of dysregulated disruptive behavior, duration of dysregulated behavior, etc.
- Reviewing completed activities and asking questions or giving prompts such as, “Tell me more about your body signals in the Yellow Zone.”
Each concept within the Digital Curriculum contains a printable Check for Learning, which is a short formative assessment to measure learners’ progress toward the Learning Targets. These assessments are meant to be quick, asking learners to fill in the blank, draw, label, or answer short questions. Within each Concept Guide, you will also find two ways to adapt the Check for Learning to best fit your learners and setting:
- 1:1 Task-based: Performance tasks that can be used to assess understanding in a one-on-one format, do not require learners to independently read or write/draw.
- Open-ended question prompts: Alternative questions that can be used as an “exit slip,” question of the day, or journal prompt to assess understanding.
Check for Learning assessments are not scored, rather they are designed to provide leaders with a quick and easy way to identify which learners may need additional support and reinforcement and which learners have grasped the concept and are ready to move on.
Learners’ completion of self-monitoring activities not only allows adults to gain insights into learners’ grasp and application of concepts, but also supports learners in assessing their own ability to apply what they are learning. Self-monitoring activities are integrated throughout the curriculum, such as in Concept 5, you will find the following Geared Activities that incorporate self-monitoring: Floating Through the Zones, Check-In/Check-Out, and Zones Across the Day. Later in the curriculum, learners self-monitor their regulation tools’ effectiveness in Concept 8 and their journey on the Zones Pathway in Concept 10.
