How to Make Graphs for Student Progress

Most major spreadsheet programs are capable of creating line graphs from data sets.

Measuring student progress over time helps you track how well your students are grasping the topics you cover, verify whether they are showing improvement over time and notice students who are having trouble before too much time passes. The most appropriate type of graph for showing progress over time is a line graph. Use a data set that reflects a standardized mark of student performance, such as grades on assignments, to keep the measurements meaningful.

Things You'll Need

• Student performance data
• Spreadsheet software

Instructions

1. Write the names of the students in the first column of the spreadsheet, leaving one empty cell at the top of the column.

2. Write the dates of the assignments or performance assessments across the first row of the spreadsheet, leaving the first row blank.

3. Fill in the values that indicate student performance for each assessment in the cell that is below the date of the assessment and in the same row as the student's name. Each row should contain all the scores for one student, and each column should contain all the scores for one assessment.

4. Select all the cells that contain names, dates or data points, starting with the empty upper-left cell. Click the command button or menu option to create a graph. In both Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice Calc, open the Insert menu and click Chart.

5. Follow the directions in the windows that your spreadsheet software guides you through. Choose a line graph as the chart format. Define that the data series are in the rows, not columns. If desired, title the graph "Student Progress" and label the x-axis "Date" and the y-axis "Student Name." Some programs will give additional options, which will not substantively affect the usefulness of the resulting graph. Click "OK" or "Finish" on the final window to create the graph.