Student-Level Problem Solving
When we look at student data, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why having a structured process for analyzing data and using it to inform instruction is so important! By following this 4-step process, educators can work together to understand student needs better and make clear, targeted decisions that support learning for all.
We’ve outlined the steps below, but take a look at this helpful worksheet template that can guide this process.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
We start by clearly identifying the gap between the student’s current performance and where they are expected to be. Screening data, classroom assessments, and teacher observations help us define the problem. Family input is also key at this stage. A clear problem statement helps the team focus on the right instructional next steps.
A sample problem statement might be: “Emily is currently reading with 80% accuracy on ORF screening, while the benchmark for this time of year is 96%.”
Step 2: Analyzing the Problem
Next, we dig deeper to understand why the problem is happening. Using diagnostic data, we consider factors related to instruction, resources, environment, and the learner. These factors are listed in order of how easy they are to change, helping us focus first on instructional solutions. By identifying the root cause, we can create a problem hypothesis and select the right instructional approach to support the student.
For Emily, that might involve doing a phonics or spelling diagnostic to understand her phonics knowledge, or looking at a Nonsense Word Fluency screener to check her decoding skills. A problem hypothesis might state that “Emily is struggling with text-level accuracy because she lacks accuracy with decoding. Her NWF-CLS and NWF-WWR scores are well below benchmark, suggesting she needs more phonics instruction and decoding practice.”
Step 3: Developing the Plan
With the problem clearly defined and the cause identified, the team creates a targeted plan for support. This includes what skills will be taught, who will provide support, and how often. We also set a specific goal and decide how to monitor both instruction fidelity and student progress.
For Emily, a plan might include additional small group instruction targeting decoding (short vowels, blends and digraphs) provided by the classroom teacher during soft entry three times per week. Emily’s progress can be monitored weekly with a Nonsense Word Fluency probe, with the goal of her reaching 54 correct letter sounds in 4 weeks.
Step 4: Implementing and Evaluating the Plan
The final step is to implement the plan and track progress over time. We use fidelity data to ensure the plan is being delivered as intended, and progress monitoring data to check if the student is responding to instruction. With these data we can make decisions about whether we need to change focus, intensify instruction, or if we can scale back support. This handy checklist includes areas to consider when adjusting instruction for students.
