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Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review:
How Student Progress Monitoring Improves Instruction
Heather Coates
National University

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract
This literary review is based on the article How Student Progress Monitoring Improves
Instruction by Nancy Safer and Steve Fleischman. Safer and Fleischman discuss the importance
of student progress monitoring in education today and how it benefits students and educators.
Through student progress monitoring, the teacher is able to set specific goals they would like
each student to achieve and regularly check in on the accomplishment of the goals for the end of
the year. This review will go into detail about the pros and cons of student progress monitoring.

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW

One of the biggest buzz words in education is differentiation. Teachers must alter their
teaching and expectations based on each individual student. Student progress monitoring gives
teachers the ability to focus on each student by setting goals and monitoring progress towards the
goals.
Safer and Fleischman explain the impact that student progress monitoring can have on
the success of students. Through initial assessments the teacher is able to set goals for each
individual student to reach by the end of the year. The teacher then checks in on students
frequently if needed, or less frequently if larger goals have been set. This article discusses two
lower students who have difficult reading, the teacher assesses both students weekly as one
shows progress the teacher assesses less frequently; while the other shows no progress the
teacher refers the student to a reading specialist. The significance of this is differentiating
instruction and assessment so that each student is able to meet standards and goals set by the
state and by the teacher.
Progress monitoring can also assist students in meeting goals that have been set for them.
When teachers encourage their students to track their own progress, students are able to become
more motivated as they reach new and higher goals. This increases student success as the
students are able to reflect on their own work and see how far they have come since the
beginning of the school year. When students are able to track their progress they are able to chart
their actual success which can encourage them to keep working hard to improve their education.
One of the less appealing aspects of student progress monitoring is time. Many teachers
spend an incredible number of hours preparing for lessons, attending meetings, and ensuring the
success of their students; when is there time to meet individually and set goals for each student?
According to this article there are websites that can assist teachers in tracking student goals. As

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW

mentioned above, students are also able to track their own progress which is beneficial both for
the student and the teacher. Taking a little extra time to set and monitor student goals leads to
greater success and therefore often is worth the extra effort put in.
Ultimately student progress monitoring ensures the success of students. By setting short
and long term goals teachers are able to make parents and students aware of where the student
should be by the end of the school year. Tracking student goals allows for differentiation in the
classroom as a whole as the teacher is able to evaluate student progress, or lack thereof, and
decide how to proceed forward; this may be something such as altering assignments or even
instruction. Taking extra time to assess each student and monitor their progress benefits the
student and the teacher at the end of the year.

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW

References
Safer, N., & Fleischman, S. (2005, February). How Progress Monitoring Improves Instruction.
Educational Leadership, 62(5), 81-83. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?sid=5d4ef392-44ee4930-991cd964dd08baea%40sessionmgr4009&vid=0&hid=4107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl
2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=15969594&db=mih