My five-year-old nephew attends speech therapy every week. He’s been going for a couple of years now, but progress takes time. If you look at his data from when he started at age two to now, the growth is obvious—his speech has come so far. But week to week? The changes are subtle, almost imperceptible.
So what keeps him and his speech-language pathologist (SLP) motivated? The small data points. Their weekly conversations. The quick exit ticket he completes at the end of each session. The sheer excitement he has every time speech therapy day rolls around (it’s his favorite day of the week!). These small but consistent data points—shared between my nephew, his SLP, and my brother and sister-in-law—help shape his progress. They identify what’s working, what’s not, and where to make small shifts.
Now, imagine if we only looked at his progress once a year. If we only measured his outcomes annually, we’d miss the small, critical moments that propel his learning. We’d lose the opportunity to adjust strategies in real time, to pivot when needed.
This is why small data matters.
Often, when we think about “data,” it’s the big stuff—standardized test scores, grades, attendance trends, or even SEL surveys. And don’t get me wrong, those trends are important, but they’re not the whole story. Small data points are powerful because they remind us that change doesn’t just happen in big leaps—it’s built in the small moments. If we don’t take the time to reflect on those, we miss opportunities to adjust instruction and celebrate what’s going well. So, this is my reminder that although data meetings often focus on big, standardized lead measures, there is so much more complexity to the work we do, and we have an opportunity to reflect on that, adjust, and celebrate daily.
“Small data is what helps us refine, connect, and grow every day. It’s the small data that reminds us why we love this work.”
Big data can help you identify trends or gaps in your instruction and help us determine the impact of our instruction over time - but we can’t wait a year to determine if what we are doing makes a difference. We have to use the small data from assignments, conversations with students, and conversations with parents and caregivers to reflect in real-time:
- What’s working well, so we can keep doing it?
- What’s not working, and for whom?
- How can we use our expertise to make immediate shifts?
For example, if your big data shows a class-wide struggle with reading comprehension, use that to guide your planning. But then lean into small data to adjust, scaffold, and refine your approach.
Strategies for collecting and tracking small data
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Leverage Exit Tickets – A quick check-in at the end of a lesson can reveal what stuck and what didn’t. Tools like Google Forms, Padlet, or even sticky notes can make this process simple and actionable. To the right is one of my nephew's exit tickets - he completes this at the end of each session.
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Student Conversations – Brief, one-on-one conversations can uncover misconceptions, gauge confidence, and provide a pulse check on student understanding. You can connect with students during independent work time.
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Observation & Engagement Tracking – Pay attention to who’s raising their hand more, who’s avoiding tasks, and who’s staying behind to ask questions.
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Parent & Caregiver Feedback – That quick email or casual conversation at pickup? It’s data. Parents often have insights into how their child is experiencing learning at home.
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Peer & Self-Assessment – Encourage students to reflect on their own learning. Simple strategies like rubrics, reflection journals, or short videos allow students to articulate their growth and challenges in their own words.
However you choose to track small data is entirely up to you. Some educators prefer written journals, while others opt for digital tools. Here are a few suggestions:
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Use Google Forms, Notability, OneNote, or a simple notes app to record key takeaways from student interactions.
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To track participation trends, you can add notes manually or use a tech tool like Class Dojo for a more structured approach.
When we place importance on measuring small data (in addition to big data) —when we listen to students, track small wins, and adjust in real-time—we create learning environments where growth happens every day. Take the time to reflect, adjust, and celebrate those daily wins. Trust me, those are the moments that make the daily grind worth it.
For more strategies, listen to Episode 22 of The Education Table Podcast with Katie Novak.
