247. How to track data in class counseling lessons

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! This May, we’re diving into a series all about data—simple, practical ways to collect and use it at the end of the year or while planning for the year ahead.

In this episode, we're kicking things off with a focus on Tier 1 services: classroom lessons. As I sat down to record, I realized I’ve already shared a lot about this inside my course, Stress-Free School Counseling. So today, I’m sharing a helpful clip from the course that walks you through easy-to-use data tools that track student progress during class lessons.

Want more support with classroom data collection? Check out the full course at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/classlessons

Don’t Miss My FREE Live Training on May 13 & 14!
This training will be all about how to use school counseling data to improve your program and advocate for your role. I’ll be sharing practical strategies to help you confidently measure student success and communicate your results with admin. You’ll receive:

• A free data collection tool

• A PD certificate
  Reserve your spot now at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/data
  
  

Quick & Easy Tier 1 Data Tools:

1. Ticket Out the Door
Have students answer a quick question as they leave the classroom. This is very low prep and doesn’t take long!

• Open-ended questions

• Draw a shape

• Circle a letter
  
  

2. Thumbs up / middle / down
This zero-prep tool offers a quick snapshot of student understanding and lesson engagement. Remember, this isn’t for display—it’s just for your reflection and improvement.

3. Kahoot
Use this interactive game-based tool to collect real-time student data.

• Fun and competitive format
  You can customize your own quizzes

• Tracks correct/incorrect answers
  While it’s more prep-intensive, it’s a great way to engage students and check for understanding.
  
  

4. Self-Assessments
Use pre- and post-lesson questions to assess your lesson’s effectiveness.

• Limit to 5 questions

• Can be done on paper or digitally (Google Forms is great for this)

• Includes timestamps and exportable data
  These are low- to medium-prep but incredibly helpful for tracking progress over time.
  
  

Don’t forget: Next week is the FREE live training on how to use data to strengthen your counseling program and advocate for your role. Multiple time slots are available. Save your seat at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/data

Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of our May data series.

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Training: How to Use School Counseling Data to Improve your Program and Advocate for your Role

• Self-Assessments Bundle

• Stress Free Class Lessons Course

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