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This is the plain-language version. Same content, written for a quick read.
Of all the data types paras take, prompt-level data is the one tied most directly to teaching. It tells you whether the student is becoming more independent over time or whether they're still leaning on the same level of help. Without prompt-level data, you can't fade prompts honestly; without fading, you don't get independence. Brief 04.02 covers prompting hierarchies; this brief covers how to write down what level of help worked, how to read the trends, and what to do when fading isn't happening.
Prompt-level data is also where dishonesty creeps in most often. "Independent" gets marked when the para said the answer first. "Verbal direct" gets marked when there was actually hand-over-hand. The reasons are usually well-meant (wanting the student to look like they're winning, wanting the program to look like it's working) but the cost is real: a student who isn't really independent gets called independent and the help fades on paper while staying the same in real life.
The rule. Honest prompt-level data is one of the most valuable things paras create. Independence isn't a state you describe; it's a state you build. The data is the map of how that building is going.
Brief 04.02 covers prompt hierarchies in depth. The most-to-least chain used in many programs:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Full Physical (FP) | Hand-over-hand; you do the skill with the student |
| Partial Physical (PP) | You guide the elbow, wrist, or part of the action; student finishes |
| Modeling (M) | You show; student copies |
| Gestural (G) | You point or signal without speaking |
| Verbal Direct (VD) | Specific spoken direction: "Pick up the pencil" |
| Verbal Indirect (VI) | Open question: "What do you do next?" |
| Independent (I) | Student does it without any help |
Other systems use slightly different scales: least-to-most, time delay, graduated guidance, errorless learning. Whatever the program uses, the rule of writing down the real level of help is the same.
One caveat about the physical levels: FP and PP are a team decision, and they mostly belong to motor and self-help skills. For communication responses, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, picture exchange, current practice stays away from hand-over-hand: model on the device and wait instead. When physical help really is needed, hand-under-hand keeps the student in control of what gets said. Follow the speech-language pathologist's (SLP) prompting plan.
Most prompt-level systems write down one prompt level per chance ("trial"). For a multi-step skill, you write down per step, per trial. The data sheet is basically a grid:
| Trial # | Step | Prompt level used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get toothbrush | PP |
| 1 | Put on paste | FP |
| 1 | Brush front teeth | M |
| 1 | Brush molars | FP |
| 1 | Rinse | PP |
| 2 | Get toothbrush | G |
| 2 | Put on paste | PP |
| 2 | Brush front teeth | M |
| 2 | Brush molars | PP |
| 2 | Rinse | VD |
This kind of record lets the team see exactly which steps are being mastered (toothbrush, down to G or I) and which still need physical help (molars, rinsing).
This is the main integrity question with prompt-level data. The pull is to write down the level you meant to give, not the level you actually gave. The data only works if it catches what really happened.
#### Writing "independent" when you said the answer first
If you said "What's the next step?" and the student answered, that's verbal indirect. If you said "What's the next step? Toothpaste?" You said the answer; that's verbal direct, not independent.
#### Writing the planned prompt, not the real one
Plan was modeling. Student didn't get it. You ended up doing partial physical. Write down partial physical.
#### Skipping prompts not on the plan
"He needs hand-over-hand for this step but the data sheet only goes down to verbal direct." Then the data sheet is wrong; either write down FP another way or change the sheet. Don't fake a higher level of independence than really happened.
#### Counting cooperation as skill
If a student does the step because they want to please you, but doesn't really know the skill, that's not independent: it's compliance. The skill needs to work beyond the one person.
#### Subtle prompts you don't notice
Eye gaze toward the right answer. Slight head nods. Setting up materials so the answer is obvious. These are all prompts. "Independent" means no help, including cues you give without thinking.
If in doubt, record one level higher. When you're not sure whether a response was independent or whether you nudged it, write down the more-helpful level. Better to under-claim independence than over-claim it. The data will be more conservative, it will lean toward showing more help and less independence, but more honest.
Over weeks, prompt levels should go down (less help needed) on most skills being taught. Visual summary tools that paras and teachers can use:
Same prompt level for weeks with no drop. This is data telling the team to look at the program again:
Prompt levels going up, student needing more help than before, is real and usually not a problem with the student. Possible reasons:
Most programs spell out "mastered" with specific rules: usually independent across several trials in a row, several sessions, several settings. Common rules:
Mastery rules should be in the program description; if not, ask the supervising teacher or BCBA.
A skill that works only in the spot where it was taught isn't really mastered. Generalization data tracks whether the skill shows up:
If a student can wash hands only with you, only at the same sink, only after the same prompt, the skill isn't useful. Real independence means the skill survives the ups and downs of normal life.
Brief 04.02 (prompting hierarchies) and 04.03 (planned prompt fading) cover the moves in depth. The data side:
Most common way. Start at the level that makes sure the student wins (often FP), then drop the prompt level on purpose when the student is winning at the current level for several trials in a row. Data drives the timing of the drop.
Wait a little longer each time before giving the prompt to give the student room to respond on their own. Data catches the wait time at which the student responded.
Stop errors by prompting at a high level at first, then fading. Data shows the prompt level used and whether errors happened. This one fits some goals and not others: brand-new skills with nothing to build on, students who have been practicing the wrong thing, students who shut down after a mistake, and choices that are easily mixed up. Brief 04.06 has the full list.
Prompt-level data is usually designed by the supervising teacher or BCBA, taken by paras, and looked at by the team.
When teaching skills to students who speak more than one language, prompt-level data has specific things to think about:
Brief 08.06 covers WIDA proficiency levels; team up with the EL coordinator and SLP when designing prompt-level systems for students who speak more than one language.
Prompt-level data often shows up right in IEP goals as the measure:
This ties prompt-level data right to legal IEP progress reporting. The honesty stakes are higher: a goal marked met based on inflated independence claims is a real problem at IEP review.
| Try this | Watch out for |
|---|---|
| Write down the prompt level that actually got the response | Write down the level you meant or hoped for |
| When in doubt, record the more-helpful prompt level (be conservative, record more help, not less) | Round up to make the student look more independent |
| Write down per trial in real time, not from memory | Build the data at end of session |
| Notice subtle prompts you might be giving (gaze, set-up) | Assume "no help" just because you didn't say or touch anything |
| Spell out mastery and fading rules in the program | Run without clear rules for moving on |
| Probe generalization across staff, settings, materials | Stop once it works in one spot |
| Bring stagnation to the team: something needs to change | Keep going forever at the same level hoping it'll click |
| Calibrate with other paras when data goes in different directions | Each para go their own way and make data that doesn't match |
| Use the data to drive program choices | Use gut feelings instead of data |
| Tie prompt-level data to IEP goals when it fits | Treat IEP and teaching data as separate worlds |
Looking back at your data, you see you've been marking "independent" on a step where you usually point at the materials. You point so fast and so quietly that you didn't think of it as a prompt.
Honest fix. From now on, that's gestural, not independent. Bring it to the supervising teacher: "I want to flag that I've been writing these trials down as independent but I think I was actually giving a quick gestural prompt. Going forward I'll write down G; we may want to look at the past data with that in mind." Going back and fixing old data is hard and usually not worth it, but fixing going forward matters a lot.
Your student has been at modeling for tooth-brushing for six weeks. The prompt level isn't dropping.
Bring the data to the supervising teacher and BCBA. Possible interventions: try a different fading way (time delay), break the skill into smaller steps and target the stuck ones, check whether the reinforcement is still strong, check if there's a motor or sensory block (the OT may help). Six weeks at the same level is a signal. Don't let it become twelve.
Your data shows the student needing FP for the rinse step. The other para's data shows G is enough. You can't both be right.
Calibrate. Sit with the BCBA or supervising teacher. Watch each other run the trial. Talk about what counts as a gestural prompt. Often the difference comes from one of you giving a quick subtle prompt the other doesn't see. Take a few sessions of double-data: both watch, then compare. Keep going until inter-observer agreement, how often two people watching the same trial write down the same thing, reaches 80%+. This matters most when the data is feeding IEP goals.
Your student handles the morning routine on his own with you. With the gen-ed teacher, he's back to needing partial physical.
This is a generalization problem. The skill works with you but hasn't carried over. Generalization plan: have the gen-ed teacher run trials too; teach across staff on purpose; spot what's different (your relationship, your prompting style, the setting). Brief 04.08 covers generalization in depth.
After winter break, your student needs more prompts than before the break.
Write it down. It's normal after long breaks. Run shorter teaching sessions, expect to step back up for a bit to higher prompt levels, and start fading again as the student gets going. This is normal and usually clears up fast. Bring it to the team if it doesn't get better within a couple of weeks.
The data sheet has FP, PP, M, G, VD, I as the levels. But your student responds best to a different prompt (visual modeling using a picture sequence) that's not on the sheet.
Bring it up. The data sheet should match the prompts really being used. Either add the prompt to the sheet, change the program, or use a different data system. Cramming real teaching into a sheet that doesn't show it makes misleading data.
Prompt-level data is the engine of independence. It tells you whether the student is moving forward or stuck. It catches your unconscious helping. It feeds the IEP goal reports. It guides teaching choices. Done well, it makes you a thoughtful teacher: always tuning help to what the student needs. Done sloppy or dishonest, it can make a stalled program look like it's working until everyone finds out, painfully, that it isn't.
The skill of prompt-level data is partly technical (how to write it down, how to spell it out) and partly disciplined (the will to be honest about your own help). The technical part can be taught; the disciplined part is where great paras stand out.
Bottom line. Write down the prompt level that actually got the response. Real time, every trial, per step. Be honest about subtle prompts. When you're not sure, record the more-helpful level. Watch trends. Fading is the goal. Stagnation means change something. Probe generalization. Calibrate with other paras. Tie to IEP goals when it fits. Bring concerns to the team.
Prompt-Level Data
Prompt-Level Data
Paraprofessional Best Practice Library
Brief 06.03
Prompt-Level Data
The most important data type for fading and the path to independence
For paraprofessionals teaching skills and tracking growth
Why this brief
Of all the data types paras collect, prompt-level data is the most directly tied to teaching. It tells you whether the student is becoming more independent over time or whether they're still relying on the same level of help. Without prompt-level data, you can't fade prompts honestly; without fading, you don't get independence. Brief 04.02 covers prompting hierarchies; this brief covers how to record what level of help worked, how to interpret the trends, and what to do when fading isn't happening.
Prompt-level data is also where dishonesty creeps in most often. "Independent" gets marked when the para said the answer first. "Verbal direct" gets marked when there was actually hand-over-hand. The reasons are usually well-meaning (wanting the student to look like they're succeeding, wanting the program to look like it's working) but the cost is real: a student who isn't actually independent gets called independent and the help fades on paper while staying the same in reality.
Who this brief is for
Paras teaching discrete skills (academic, communication, self-help, social, vocational)
Paras working in self-contained, ABA-influenced, or DTT-style settings
Paras working under BIPs that include skill-building components
Supervising teachers and BCBAs designing prompt-level data systems
Prompt hierarchies: quick recap
Brief 04.02 covers the prompt hierarchies in depth. The most-to-least continuum used in many programs:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Full Physical (FP) | Hand-over-hand; you do the skill with the student |
| Partial Physical (PP) | You guide the elbow, wrist, or part of the action; student finishes |
| Modeling (M) | You demonstrate; student copies |
| Gestural (G) | You point or signal without speaking |
| Verbal Direct (VD) | Specific spoken direction: 'Pick up the pencil' |
| Verbal Indirect (VI) | Open question: 'What do you do next?' |
| Independent (I) | Student does it without any help |
Other systems use slightly different scales: least-to-most, time delay, graduated guidance, errorless learning. Whatever the program uses, the principle of recording the actual level of help is the same.
One caveat on the physical levels: FP and PP are a team decision, and they mostly belong to motor and self-help skills. For communication responses, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, picture exchange, current practice avoids hand-over-hand: model on the device and wait instead. Where physical support is genuinely needed, hand-under-hand keeps the student in control of what gets said. Follow the speech-language pathologist's (SLP) prompting plan.
Recording prompt-level data
Per trial recording
Most prompt-level systems record one prompt level per opportunity ("trial"). For a multi-step skill, you record per step, per trial. The data sheet is essentially a grid:
| Trial \# | Step | Prompt level used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get toothbrush | PP |
| 1 | Apply paste | FP |
| 1 | Brush front teeth | M |
| 1 | Brush molars | FP |
| 1 | Rinse | PP |
| 2 | Get toothbrush | G |
| 2 | Apply paste | PP |
| 2 | Brush front teeth | M |
| 2 | Brush molars | PP |
| 2 | Rinse | VD |
This kind of record lets the team see exactly which steps are being mastered (toothbrush, getting it down to G or I) and which are still requiring physical support (molars, rinsing).
Frequency of recording
Every trial during teaching: the standard approach
Probe data, periodic, less frequent (once a week, monthly), checks generalization
Both: daily teaching trials with periodic probe data
Where to record
Paper data sheets: most common; reliable, visible, easy
Apps and digital tools: Catalyst, BehaviorSnap, others; can be more efficient at scale
Whiteboards or quick-jot systems for in-the-moment, transferred later
When to record
In real time, immediately after each trial, period
Not from memory at end of session: accuracy collapses
Note context if anything unusual happened (substitute, illness, missed sleep)
Honesty about the dose of help
This is the central integrity issue with prompt-level data. The temptation is to record the level you intended, not the level you actually delivered. The data only works if it captures what really happened.
Specifically watch for
Recording "independent" when you said the answer first
If you said "What's the next step?" and the student answered, that's verbal indirect. If you said "What's the next step? Toothpaste?": you said the answer; that's verbal direct, not independent.
Recording the planned prompt, not the actual
Plan was modeling. Student didn't get it. You ended up doing partial physical. Record partial physical.
Skipping prompts not planned for
"He needs hand-over-hand for this step but the data sheet only goes down to verbal direct." Then the data sheet is wrong; either record FP separately or modify the sheet. Don't artificially mark a higher independence than was achieved.
Counting cooperation as skill
If a student does the step because they want to please you, but doesn't actually know the skill, that's not independent. It's compliance. The skill needs to generalize beyond the specific person.
Subtle prompts you don't notice
Eye gaze toward the right answer. Slight head nods. Positioning materials so the answer is obvious. These are all prompts. "Independent" requires no help, including unconscious cues from you.
Why honesty matters
Wrong-direction fading: if the data says independent, the next session drops the prompt, but the student still needed it, so they fail
Wrong celebration: family is told the student is independent on the skill, then surprised when they can't do it at home
Wrong IEP decisions: goals get marked met that haven't been met
Wrong programmatic next steps: the team moves to a new skill before the current one is solid
Self-deception: paras start to believe their own data, which insulates from feedback that things aren't going well
Reading prompt-level trends
Healthy fading
Over weeks, prompt levels should descend (less help needed) on most skills being taught. Visual summary tools that paras and teachers can use:
Bar graphs showing percentage of trials at each prompt level over time
Line graphs showing the modal (most common) prompt level by week
Step-by-step grids showing which steps have moved down which levels
Stagnation
Same prompt level for weeks with no descent. This is data signaling that the team needs to revisit the program:
Is the skill at the wrong level (too hard)?
Is the prompt fading approach being used (most-to-least requires deliberate dropping)?
Is reinforcement strong enough?
Are practice opportunities frequent enough?
Is there a sensory or motor barrier no one's identified?
Regression
Prompt levels going up (student needing more help than before) is real and usually not a problem with the student. Possible causes:
Illness, fatigue, family stress
New staff or substitute
Setting changes
New step or material introduced
Holidays or breaks reducing practice
Skill not yet generalized: works in one place, not in another
Mastered → independent
Most programs define "mastered" with specific criteria: typically independent across multiple consecutive trials, multiple sessions, multiple settings. Common criteria:
80% independent across 3 consecutive sessions
90% independent across 5 trials
Generalized across at least 2 staff and 2 settings
Mastery criteria should be in the program description; if not, ask the supervising teacher or BCBA.
Generalization data
A skill that works only in the specific context where it was taught isn't really mastered. Generalization data tracks whether the skill shows up:
With different staff (you, the other para, the gen-ed teacher, family)
In different settings (classroom, lunch, bathroom, home)
With different materials (different pencils, different toothbrushes)
With different verbal cues ("Brush your teeth" vs. "Time for hygiene")
After breaks (does it return after a weekend? a holiday?)
Recording generalization
Probes during the teaching phase: once a week, run a generalization probe in a new context
Maintenance checks after mastery: re-test periodically
Cross-staff and cross-setting fidelity checks
Why generalization matters
If a student can wash hands only with you, only at the same sink, only after the same prompt, the skill isn't useful. Real independence means the skill survives the variability of normal life.
Fading prompts deliberately
Brief 04.02 (prompting hierarchies) and 04.03 (planned, prompt fading) cover the techniques in depth. The data side:
Most-to-least with planned drops
Most common approach. Start at the level that ensures success (often FP), then drop the prompt level deliberately when the student is succeeding at the current level for several trials in a row. Data drives the timing of the drop.
Time delay
Wait progressively longer before delivering the prompt to give the student room to respond independently. Data captures the wait time at which the student responded.
Errorless learning
Prevent errors by prompting at a high level initially, then fading. Data shows the prompt level used and whether errors occurred. Errorless learning is indicated for particular goals rather than as a default: new acquisition with no existing approximation, a history of error rehearsal, errors that are emotionally dysregulating, and easily confused discriminations. Brief 04.06 carries the full set of indications.
Common fading mistakes captured by data
Fading too fast: student fails, prompt level has to go back up
Fading too slow: student becomes prompt-dependent and the data plateaus
Inconsistent fading across staff: student gets different prompt levels from different paras
Skipping levels: going from FP to G in one session usually doesn't work
Working with the team
Prompt-level data is generally designed by the supervising teacher or BCBA, collected by paras, and analyzed by the team.
Para's role
Collect honestly and consistently
Bring the data to weekly check-ins
Note unusual context (illness, substitute, etc.)
Flag concerns about the data system or what it's showing
Team's role
Design data system that fits the skill and student
Set mastery and fading criteria
Review data regularly: at least weekly during active teaching
Adjust program based on data, not impressions
Calibrate paras when inter-observer agreement drifts
Common conversations
"The data shows we should fade: should we?"
"The data is flat: what should we change?"
"The student is doing well in trial but not generalizing: what's our generalization plan?"
"My data and the other para's data don't match: let's calibrate"
Considerations for ELL students
When teaching skills to multilingual learners, prompt-level data has specific considerations:
Is the verbal prompt in the language the student understands? A verbal direct in English to a student at WIDA Level 1 may not function as a verbal prompt at all
Is the visual or modeled prompt clear enough across language? Visual prompts are often more accessible across languages
Is the skill being taught in the right context for generalization across both school and home languages?
Distinguish between "can't do the skill" and "didn't understand the language of the prompt"
Brief 08.06 covers WIDA proficiency levels; coordinate with the EL coordinator and SLP when designing prompt-level systems for multilingual learners.
Prompt levels in IEPs
Prompt-level data often appears directly in IEP goals as the measure:
"Isaiah will brush his teeth with no more than gestural prompts on 4 of 5 trials across 3 consecutive sessions"
"Aisha will identify community signs with verbal indirect prompts at 80% accuracy across 3 sessions"
"Aaron will request preferred items using independent picture exchange on 8 of 10 opportunities"
This makes prompt-level data tied directly to legal IEP progress reporting. The honesty stakes are higher: a goal marked met based on inflated independence claims is a real problem at IEP review.
Pitfalls
| Try this | Watch out for |
|---|---|
| Record the prompt level that actually delivered the response | Record the level you intended or hoped for |
| When in doubt, record the more-helpful prompt level (be conservative) | Round up to make the student look more independent |
| Record per trial in real time, not from memory | Reconstruct the data at end of session |
| Notice subtle prompts you might be giving (gaze, positioning) | Assume 'no help' just because you didn't say or touch anything |
| Define mastery and fading criteria in the program | Operate without explicit criteria for moving |
| Probe generalization across staff, settings, materials | Stop at fluency in one context |
| Bring stagnation to the team: something needs to change | Continue forever at the same level hoping it'll click |
| Calibrate inter-observer agreement when paras' data diverges | Each para go their own way and produce inconsistent data |
| Use the data to drive program decisions | Use impressions and 'feel' instead of data |
| Tie prompt-level data to IEP goals when appropriate | Treat IEP and teaching data as separate worlds |
Scenarios
Scenario 1: Discovering you've been over-claiming independence
Reviewing your data, you realize you've been marking 'independent' on a step where you usually point at the materials. You point so quickly and quietly that you didn't think of it as a prompt.
Honest correction. From now on, that's gestural, not independent. Bring it to the supervising teacher: "I want to flag that I've been recording these trials as independent but I think I was actually giving a quick gestural prompt. Going forward I'll record G; we may want to look at the past data with that lens." Backdated correction is hard and usually impractical, but going-forward correction is essential.
Scenario 2: A skill that won't fade
Your student has been at modeling for tooth-brushing for six weeks. The prompt level isn't dropping.
Bring the data to the supervising teacher and BCBA. Possible interventions: try a different fading strategy (time delay), break the skill into smaller steps and target the stuck ones specifically, check whether reinforcement is still potent, check if there's a motor or sensory barrier (the OT may help). Six weeks at the same level is a signal. Don't let it go to twelve.
Scenario 3: Inter-observer disagreement
Your data shows the student needing FP for the rinse step. The other para's data shows G is enough. You can't both be right.
Calibrate. Sit with the BCBA or supervising teacher. Watch each other run the trial. Discuss what counts as a gestural prompt. Often the disagreement comes from one of you giving a quick subtle prompt the other doesn't notice. Take a few sessions of double-data: both observe, then compare. Continue until agreement reaches 80%+. This is especially important when the data is feeding IEP goals.
Scenario 4: Student succeeds with you but not the gen-ed teacher
Your student handles the morning routine independently with you. With the gen-ed teacher, he's back to needing partial physical.
This is a generalization issue. The skill works with you but hasn't generalized. Generalization plan: have the gen-ed teacher run trials too; teach explicitly across staff; identify what's different (your relationship, your prompting style, the setting). Brief 04.08 covers generalization in depth.
Scenario 5: A regression after a break
After winter break, your student needs more prompts than before the break.
Document the regression. It's expected after long breaks. Run shorter teaching sessions, expect to step back up briefly to higher prompt levels, and resume fading as the student re-engages. This is normal and usually resolves quickly. Bring it to the team if it doesn't recover within a couple of weeks.
Scenario 6: Data sheet that doesn't fit the skill
The data sheet has FP, PP, M, G, VD, I as the levels. But your student responds best to a different prompt (visual modeling using a picture sequence) that's not on the sheet.
Bring it up. The data sheet should reflect the prompts actually being used. Either add the prompt to the sheet, modify the program, or use a different data system. Squeezing real teaching into a sheet that doesn't represent it produces misleading data.
Closing thought
Prompt-level data is the engine of independence. It tells you whether the student is moving forward or stuck. It catches your unconscious helping. It feeds the IEP goal reports. It guides instructional decisions. Done well, it makes you a thoughtful teacher: constantly calibrating help to what the student needs. Done sloppily or dishonestly, it can make a stalled program look like it's working until everyone discovers, painfully, that it isn't.
The skill of prompt-level data is partly technical (how to record, how to define) and partly disciplinary (the willingness to be honest about your own help). The technical part is teachable; the disciplinary part is where excellent paras stand out.
Related briefs
04.02 Prompting Hierarchies
04.07 Promoting Independence
04.08 Generalization and Maintenance
06.01 Data Types Overview
12.06 Working with the BCBA (in expert review, not published yet)
13.01 FERPA and Confidentiality
Reading is useful, but recall is where it sticks. Three short scenarios, low-stakes, no scoring. About 3 minutes. You can stop any time.
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