ESPC Data Collection & Progress Monitoring 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Duration recording is most appropriate when the goal is to measure:
- How many times a student engages in a behavior
- How long a student engages in a behavior (Correct answer)
- How quickly a student responds after a prompt
- The intensity of a student's emotional reaction
Correct answer: How long a student engages in a behavior
Duration recording captures the total amount of time a student spends engaged in a target behavior from start to finish.
Question 2: Which data collection method involves writing a detailed, narrative description of behavior as it occurs in real time?
- Interval recording
- Latency recording
- Anecdotal recording (Correct answer)
- Momentary time sampling
Correct answer: Anecdotal recording
Anecdotal recording is a descriptive, narrative account of behavior written as events unfold, capturing context and detail.
Question 3: In 'whole interval' recording, a behavior is scored as occurring only if it:
- Occurs at any point during the interval
- Occurs at the exact moment the interval ends
- Continues throughout the entire interval (Correct answer)
- Occurs more than once during the interval
Correct answer: Continues throughout the entire interval
Whole interval recording requires the behavior to be present for the full duration of the interval to be counted as occurring.
Question 4: What is a 'probe' in the context of academic data collection for an IEP student?
- A full formal assessment administered by the school psychologist
- A brief, standardized sample of student performance used to monitor progress (Correct answer)
- A survey given to parents to assess home reading habits
- An observation checklist completed by the classroom teacher
Correct answer: A brief, standardized sample of student performance used to monitor progress
A probe is a short, consistent assessment sample administered regularly to track whether a student is making adequate progress toward IEP goals.
Question 5: For students receiving intensive (Tier 3) interventions, how frequently should progress monitoring data typically be collected?
- Once per semester
- Once per month
- At least weekly (Correct answer)
- Only at the beginning and end of the school year
Correct answer: At least weekly
Students at Tier 3 need at least weekly progress monitoring so that ineffective interventions can be quickly identified and adjusted.
Question 6: What does 'inter-rater reliability' mean in data collection?
- The consistency of a student's performance across different subject areas
- The degree to which two independent observers record the same data for the same behavior (Correct answer)
- The accuracy of a standardized test when administered multiple times
- The agreement between a student's self-report and teacher observation
Correct answer: The degree to which two independent observers record the same data for the same behavior
Inter-rater reliability measures whether two different observers collect consistent data, indicating that the measurement tool and process are objective and trustworthy.
Question 7: Latency recording measures the time between:
- The start and end of a single behavior episode
- Two consecutive occurrences of the same behavior
- A direction or prompt and the student's initial response (Correct answer)
- The beginning of class and the first behavioral incident
Correct answer: A direction or prompt and the student's initial response
Latency recording captures how long it takes a student to begin responding after a cue or instruction is given.
ESPC Data Collection & Progress Monitoring 2
Duration recording is most appropriate when the goal is to measure: