Elementary School Graphing and Data Goals

• Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.2

• The most informal way to assess this is to put some items in front of a student and ask which is taller/shorter, which is bigger/smaller, which is more/less. Change up the objects and keep track of which students can do. You can target the goal to the language that is most challenging for the student.
• You can also use worksheets specifically designed for this– we have one in our Level 1 assessment packet, and there are plenty out there!

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In terms of mathematical concepts, Mei can choose which of two groups of items to five has more or less, which of two shapes is bigger or smaller, and which of two objects is taller or shorter.

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• Given objects which differ in height, length, size, or number, Name will correctly identify which is taller/shorter, bigger/smaller, and which has more or less with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher observations and records. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.2

• Change whether the student is looking at real objects or pictures of objects
• Narrow how the student needs to be able to compare the objects– for example, make it just “more or less”
• Change the accuracy the student needs

• Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4

• Most of the free worksheets that are out there for this standard are pretty challenging– like if your student is close enough to attempt the worksheets, then they don’t need a goal in it level. SuperTeacher has some good ones, but the free ones are grades 2 and up. The first one here is okay. I would assess this one with real objects. Get out counters and have the student count how many there are of each color. Then make a simple graph together of the counters and see if the student can match what they see on the graph to the real counters. 
• The other way to use this goal is to focus on the more/less. There is a good standard for this in kinder but none in first. For that, you would just ask the student more/less with objects and with any pictograph and base the goal on that.

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Leon can tell you which group of objects has more or less with up to 10 objects. He needs support with representations of objects. When he sees objects on a page, like in a pictograph, he gets confused and will answer more/less questions with 50% accuracy. 

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• Given a simple pictograph with two categories, Name will answer questions about how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4

• Change the number of categories on the pictograph
• Change what the student is asked to do. The student might need to just answer questions about how many or just questions about more/less.
• Have the student make the graph instead of answering questions about an already created graph.

• Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10

• You can focus on either creating or reading graphs for this goal. There are some good simple graphs out there. This site has a few free ones that work well. This one is also okay as is this one.
• Note that the put-together, take-apart, and compare language in this goal means, as far as we care for IEP goals, add, subtract, and more/less.

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Given a bar graph with two categories and quantities up to 20, Juan can identify which category has the most and which has the least, but needs teacher support to find the difference between categories or to combine categories.

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• Given a graph with two categories and quantities up to 20, Name will solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph, identifying which category has the most, which has the least, how much more the bigger category has, and how much there would be if the two categories were combined on three of four trials as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10

• Change the number of categories on the graph.
• Change how big the quantities are on the graph.
• Change what the student is asked to do, like just having them identify how much are in each category.

• Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3

• You can focus on either creating or reading graphs for this goal. There are some good simple graphs out there. This site has a few free ones that work well. This one is also okay as is this one. You need to ask questions about how many more and how many less one category has in another to get a good baseline for the goal.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Given a bar graph with three categories, Lina can identify how much how many items are in each category for items up to 20 provided each number is labelled on the y-axis. She needs support to compare the categories.

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• Given a graph with three categories, a clearly labelled y-axis that shows every other number, and quantities up to 30, Name will solve one-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs, on three of four trials as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3

• Make it harder by saying “one- and two-step”
• Change the scale of the y-axis. Should it show every number, every other, or is every 5 okay?
• Change the quantities in the graph or the number of categories.

• Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions by using information presented in line plots. For example, from a line plot find and interpret the difference in length between the longest and shortest specimens in an insect collection. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.B.4

• This standard has a lot packed into it! For this goal, we are going to focus on the first part, which is about creating line plots. This worksheet is free and pretty good for getting a general sense of whether the student can interpret a line plot. This one is much harder, but it is directly aligned with the standard. In general, you need to figure out if the student can read or create line plots. Then you can move into ones with fractions. There are a lot of good worksheet options here too. 

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

D’eandre can look at a teacher created line plot and state which item occurs the most times and which occurs the least. He needs significant teacher support to combine values, to create line plots, and to understand line plots with fractional values.

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• Given a set of object sizes to the half of a unit, like a half foot or half inch, Name will make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit, creating a line plot that accurately represents all of the object sizes on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations   CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.B.4

• Change what the student needs to be able to do with the data, like create the line plot or answer questions about the most and least common sizes using the line plot.
• Change the units for the length to the nearest whole unit or nearest quarter unit.

• Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.G.A.2

• There are a lot of great resources for assessing a student’s ability to identify ordered pairs and to plot points on a coordinate plane. This one looks both at students’ ability to both plot points and to identify plotted points. This site and this site also have decent free worksheets.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Susan can interpret bar graphs, but needs significant teacher support to plot and interpret points on a coordinate plane.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• Given ten ordered pairs, Name will represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.G.A.2
• Given ten plotted points, Name will  interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation, identifying the ordered pairs for points with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.G.A.2

• This is a fairly low modification goal– you can increase or decrease the number of problems the student has to complete– but other than that the two main options are listed above.