How Do I Measure Whether SEN Interventions Are Working?

Your child has been receiving SEN support for weeks or months. Reading interventions, behavior plans, speech therapy sessions. But how do you know if it’s actually working? This guide explains what progress to look for, how it’s measured, what your rights are around reviews, and when to ask for changes. Because “we’re doing interventions” isn’t enough – you need to see evidence of impact.

Part 1: Why Measuring Progress Matters

The Legal Requirement

The SEND Code of Practice is clear: “Progress towards meeting planned outcomes should be tracked and reviewed at least once a term.”

According to the graduated approach mandated by the Code, schools must:

• Set clear, measurable targets
• Monitor progress regularly
• Review outcomes at least termly
• Adjust support based on evidence

You’re entitled to know whether interventions are working. This isn’t optional.

Why Evidence Matters

According to research on progress monitoring, regular data collection helps:

• Assess student performance – where are they now?
• Quantify rate of improvement – are they improving fast enough?
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness – is this approach working?
• Make informed decisions – continue, change, or stop?

Research from Illuminate Education (2023) shows: “Without objective measures, behavior change may be too gradual to notice, or teams may continue ineffective interventions for too long.”

Part 2: What Types of Progress to Look For

Progress isn’t just about test scores. For children with SEN, you need to measure multiple areas.

Type 1: Academic Progress

What it means: Improvement in specific academic skills – reading, writing, maths, etc.

What to measure:

• Reading:
  • Words read correctly per minute (reading fluency)
  • Number of high-frequency words known
  • Ability to decode unfamiliar words
  • Reading comprehension scores
  • Book band/reading level
• Writing:
  • Number of words written in 5 minutes
  • Correct use of punctuation and capital letters
  • Spelling accuracy on target words
  • Ability to write sentences/paragraphs independently
• Maths:
  • Number facts known (e.g., times tables, number bonds)
  • Accuracy on target skills (addition, fractions, etc.)
  • Problem-solving ability
  • Speed of calculation

Example of good measurement:

Type 2: Behavioral Progress

What it means: Reduction in problem behaviors or increase in positive behaviors.

According to research on behavior intervention monitoring, you can track:

• Frequency: How often behavior occurs
  • Example: “Number of times Sam hits per day”
  • Baseline: 8 times/day to After 6 weeks: 2 times/day
• Duration: How long behavior lasts
  • Example: “Length of tantrums”
  • Baseline: Average 15 minutes to After 6 weeks: Average 5 minutes
• Intensity: How severe behavior is
  • Scale 1-5: 1=mild fussing, 5=violent/dangerous
  • Baseline: Average intensity 4 to After 6 weeks: Average intensity 2
• Positive replacement behaviors: What you WANT to see
  • Example: “Number of times uses calm-down strategies”
  • Baseline: 0 times/week to After 6 weeks: 4 times/week

Example of good measurement:

Type 3: Social and Emotional Progress

What it means: Improvement in social skills, emotional regulation, relationships, and wellbeing.

Research from Edutopia on social-emotional assessment (2016) and Child Indicators Research (2023) shows these areas matter:

• Social competence:
  • Initiating play/conversation with peers
  • Taking turns and sharing
  • Responding appropriately to social cues
  • Number of positive peer interactions
• Emotional regulation:
  • Ability to identify own emotions
  • Using calming strategies when upset
  • Recovery time after upset
  • Expressing feelings appropriately
• Self-awareness and confidence:
  • Willingness to try new things
  • Asking for help when needed
  • Positive self-statements
  • Participation in class discussions
• Relationships:
  • Quality of friendships
  • Comfort with adults
  • Conflict resolution

Example of good measurement:

Type 4: Independence and Life Skills

What it means: Ability to do things for themselves.

What to measure:

• Following multi-step instructions independently
• Organizing materials without prompts
• Completing tasks without adult support
• Self-care skills (if relevant – dressing, toileting, eating)
• Problem-solving when stuck

Example:

Make Every School Visit Count

Method 1: Baseline and Progress Monitoring

What it is: The gold standard for measuring intervention effectiveness.

According to Vanderbilt University research on progress monitoring:

Step 1: Collect baseline data – Measure the skill BEFORE intervention starts.

• Ideally take 3 measurements within a week to get reliable baseline
• Use median (middle score) of the three
• Example: Child reads 35, 40, 38 words per minute to Baseline = 38 wpm

Step 2: Set goal – Decide what you’re aiming for by end of intervention.

• Should be challenging but achievable
• Based on typical rates of progress
• Example: From 38 wpm to 70 wpm in 12 weeks (gain of 32 words)

Step 3: Monitor regularly – Measure the same skill weekly or bi-weekly.

• Use SAME method each time (for fair comparison)
• Record results
• Example: Week 1: 42 wpm, Week 2: 45 wpm, Week 3: 48 wpm…

Step 4: Graph the data – Visual representation shows trend.

• Draw line from baseline to goal (this is the “aim line” or “goal line”)
• Plot weekly scores
• If actual scores stay above aim line = excellent progress
• If actual scores follow aim line = on track
• If actual scores stay below aim line = not enough progress, need to change approach

Method 2: Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)

What it is: Quick, standardized probes that measure specific skills.

According to Understood.org’s guide on RTI progress monitoring, CBM includes:

• Reading fluency: 1-minute reading probe (count words read correctly)
• Maths: 2-minute probe of target skills (count problems correct)
• Spelling: 2-minute probe (count words spelled correctly)
• Writing: 3-minute writing sample (count words written)

Why CBM works:

• Quick (1-3 minutes) so can do frequently
• Standardized (same format each time)
• Sensitive to small changes
• Reliable and valid

Method 3: Work Samples and Observations

What it is: Collecting actual examples of child’s work over time.

For academic skills:

• Keep writing samples from beginning, middle, end of intervention
• Photograph maths work
• Record reading (can use phone)
• Compare over time – can you SEE improvement?

For behaviour:

• Daily behaviour charts (good day, difficult day)
• Incident logs (date, what happened, how long, what triggered it)
• Teacher/TA observations written in diary

Method 4: Standardized Assessments

What it is: Formal tests that compare child to peers.

Examples:

• Reading age assessments (York Assessment of Reading Comprehension, etc.)
• Spelling age tests
• Single word reading tests
• Standardized maths assessments

Limitations: Only done periodically (termly or yearly), less sensitive to small changes. Best used alongside regular progress monitoring.

Method 5: Rating Scales and Questionnaires

What it is: Teachers, parents, or child rate specific skills/behaviours on a scale.

Used for:

• Social-emotional skills
• Behaviour problems
• ADHD symptoms
• Anxiety/emotional wellbeing

Examples:

• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
• Boxall Profile (social and emotional development)
• ADHD rating scales

Done at beginning and end of intervention to show change.

Part 4: What Schools Should Be Doing (Your Rights)

The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review

The SEND Code of Practice mandates a four-stage cycle:

What You Should Receive

At the START of intervention:

• Written support plan with clear targets
• Baseline data (where child is starting from)
• Details of intervention (what, who, when, where, how often)
• Date of review meeting

During intervention:

• Regular updates (many schools send home weekly/fortnightly sheets)
• Progress data (ideally graphs or charts showing trend)
• Informal conversations with class teacher

At REVIEW meetings:

• Invitation to attend (you MUST be invited)
• Evidence of progress (data, work samples, observations)
• Opportunity to share your observations from home
• Discussion of what worked/didn’t work
• Clear decision about next steps
• Updated support plan if continuing

What Good Review Meetings Look Like

According to DfE research on SEN support (2021):

Part 5: How to Tell If It’s Working

Signs Intervention IS Working

Signs Intervention Might NOT Be Working

The “Rate of Progress” Question

This is crucial: According to research on intervention monitoring, for children with SEN who are behind:

“Average growth” isn’t enough. If a child is 2 years behind in reading and they make 1 year’s progress in 1 year, they’re still 2 years behind next year. They’re not catching up.

You need “accelerated growth” or “catch-up growth” – faster than typical rate to close the gap.

Example:

Part 6: Questions to Ask at Review Meetings

About Progress

1. “Can I see the data?” – Ask to see graphs, charts, work samples
2. “What was the baseline and where are we now?” – Specific numbers
3. “Is this the rate of progress we expected?” – On track for target?
4. “How does this compare to typical progress?” – Catching up or falling further behind?
5. “Has progress generalized to the classroom?” – Or only in intervention?

About the Intervention

1. “Has [child’s name] attended all the intervention sessions?” – Checking fidelity
2. “Who has been delivering it?” – Trained staff or inconsistent cover?
3. “Has it been delivered as planned?” – Frequency and duration as agreed?
4. “What evidence do we have that this approach works?” – Evidence-based?

About Next Steps

1. “Based on this data, what do you recommend?” – Continue, adjust, or change?
2. “What are the new targets?” – If continuing, need new SMART goals
3. “When will we review again?” – Book date now
4. “What can I do at home to support?” – Home-school consistency
5. “If this doesn’t work, what’s our backup plan?” – What’s next option?

If You’re Concerned

1. “I’m not seeing this progress at home – can we discuss why?”
2. “The data shows flat progress for 2 terms – shouldn’t we try something different?”
3. “How much longer will we continue this intervention if progress doesn’t improve?”
4. “Should we be considering additional specialist input?”
5. “Could we trial a different approach for the next half term?”

The Bottom Line

Measuring progress is not optional – it’s a legal requirement. You have the right to see evidence that interventions are working.

Good measurement has three parts: Baseline (where child starts), regular monitoring (weekly/bi-weekly data), and comparison over time (is there a trend?).

Progress isn’t just about test scores. Measure academic skills, behaviour, social-emotional development, and independence.

Average progress isn’t enough. Children who are behind need accelerated growth to catch up – the gap should be closing.

Data drives decisions. If intervention working to continue. If not working after 2 review cycles to change approach.

Start with one question: “Can I see the progress monitoring data?”

References: This article draws on the SEND Code of Practice (DfE 2015), DfE research on SEN support practices (2021), evidence on progress monitoring from the National Center on Intensive Intervention, research on intervention fidelity and effectiveness, and guidance from UK local authorities on the graduated approach.