What is progress monitoring aimed at measuring?

Progress monitoring is primarily aimed at measuring a student's progress in response to specific instruction. This method involves regularly assessing how well a student is doing in relation to the goals set by educational plans or interventions. By collecting data through various assessments, educators can determine whether a student is making adequate progress toward achieving their learning objectives.

This ongoing evaluation allows teachers to make informed decisions about instructional strategies, as they can identify which methods are effective and which might need adjustment. Progress monitoring is focused on the intersection of instruction and student performance, making it a critical component in personalized education plans and response to intervention (RTI) frameworks.

In contrast, student adherence to classroom rules, overall knowledge retention over the semester, and forces impacting student motivation might be important aspects of a student's educational experience, but they do not directly measure the effectiveness of specific instructional strategies or interventions. They do not provide the targeted feedback necessary to tailor instruction effectively, which is the core purpose of progress monitoring.