HIGH-LEVERAGE PRACTICES IN Life Skills and Transition Programs

Seize the Data:
Utilizing Assessment Data in Action

Episode Description

In this episode, Heather and Marla explore High Leverage Practice #6 and how student assessment data is used to guide instructional decisions in special education. Marla shares how data collection is not a one-time task, but an ongoing, collaborative process that evolves as students’ needs change.

The conversation highlights the role of multidisciplinary teams in analyzing behavioral, academic, and functional data to ensure instruction and supports are aligned with each student’s goals. Rather than following rigid systems or checklists, the team continuously revisits data to determine what is working, what needs adjustment, and how to move students forward. The episode also addresses the challenges of interpreting data across different perspectives and the importance of professional trust, reflection, and flexibility. Listeners will walk away with a clear understanding that effective data use is dynamic, student-centered, and most powerful when grounded in collaboration and continuous improvement.

Key Points and Takeaways

  • Formative Assessment's Role: An ongoing process crucial for refining teaching strategies and achieving better student outcomes.
  • Collaborative Teamwork: Effective educational practices require input from a multidisciplinary team, combining diverse expertise to support student success.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: The use of platforms like Swiss and tools like IEP goals checklist helps in systematically tracking student progress and instructional impact.
  • Continuous Improvement: The importance of regularly revisiting and adapting strategies to meet evolving student needs was emphasized.
  • Holistic Education Approach: Success in special education relies not only on teaching skills but also on understanding and addressing behavioral goals.
Podcast Guest

Marla Watts-Pacheco, MS, BCBA

Marla Watts-Pacheco is a qualified behavioral health professional and behavior consultant specializing in family engagement, developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and organizational behavior management. She has been a behavior analyst, behavior specialist, and ABA therapist in clinic, school, and in-home settings. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys time with her family and exploring new places with her husband. Marla is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with her Bachelors in Behavioral Science and Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis.
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High-Leverage Practice #6:
Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes.
After special education teachers develop instructional goals, they evaluate and make ongoing adjustments to students’ instructional programs. Once instruction and other supports are designed and implemented, special education teachers have the skill to manage and engage in ongoing data collection using curriculum-based measures, informal classroom assessments, observations of student academic performance and behavior, self-assessment of classroom instruction, and discussions with key stakeholders (i.e., students, families, other professionals). Teachers study their practice to improve student learning, validate reasoned hypotheses about salient instructional features, and enhance instructional decision making. Effective teachers retain, reuse, and extend practices that improve student learning and adjust or discard those that do not.
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We have these curriculums that I've grown to know about, but it's always, like, an ongoing thing. It's not just something that we do once, like one time, and we're set. It's something that we have to keep doing

Marla Watts-Pacheco

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Host: Heather Volchko

Guest: Marla Watts-Pacheco

This week, we're talking about High Leverage Practice #6: Using student assessment data, analyzing instructional practices, and making necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes. So I know Marla, in your current role, you are constantly taking in information from all kinds of different places, all kinds of different people. So, for you and your practice, what does this look like?

Yes, that's a very good question. And it's kind of our ongoing process because we're always trying to refine what we can do better. But for me, as a behavior analyst in our center-based program, we use a variety of things. And I can't take the credit for it all because it really is a team effort, working alongside other multidisciplinary members and staff. But for me, as more for like behavior, I look at the data. And that's something that I think I'm really setting the tone for, since like last school year when we started. And what we use right now, and again I'm speaking more for behavior, is we use SWIS. And that we look at data and referrals that we're getting in the schools. However, we've had to tweak that so many times because it's a center-based program, so it's not really fit for our population. So with that, I've had to work hand in hand with our teacher consultants, or our curriculum consultants, really trying to see, like, okay, with the data that we're gathering here, how can we modify it so that it’s going to best fit for that student and really capture them as a whole.

So I speak more behaviorally. And then we have our other members who help with the academics and curriculum. And that I can't really speak exactly like what they use, but we use our CETA, and we also use our Essentials for Living, we also use our current state standard practices of what our students need to be learning, and things like that, as well as other classroom assessments that they use. But for me, SWIS is the biggest one. We are hoping to transition to I-SWIS because that's more for the population that we work with. And with that, you're able to really house like their IEP goals, their behavior goals, and a lot of other cool things that just make it work better. And it's just all housed in one setting. I think this year we've done a really good job of also creating data checklists for our IEP Goals.

And that again, is what I have done this past year, working closely with our teacher consultant on how we can make our staff take data and what's easy for them. I think another thing is that when we talk about data collection and things like that, that's something that's still quite new for educators. And not so much like they know what data is, but ‘what data am I taking, and what's the purpose of it, and what does that look like?’ And I think as a behavior analyst, and you know this, Heather, we are trained in that heavily, and I think that's just like another learning curve for our staff of how does that look like and when does it need to be done? How is it done with fidelity? And things like that.

Yeah, I think in some of the upcoming High-Leverage Practices, there are a lot of people who have some different experiences with data collection. But I'm curious, I mean, you just rattled off so many different acronyms, platforms, tools. It's beautiful that you have all these things, but this High-Leverage Practice is really focused on, ‘so how do I make sense of all of that?’ Like, how do I take all of that information and then know ‘what do I do with it?’ So I know that your team has so much data from all these different tools and resources. How do you then come to the table together and process through, ‘so what does this kid need? How do we actually align that to get to where that kid needs to go?’

I can say from my personal experience that I've had a great team to work with. Because it really takes a village to help and support our population. And I went to school for one thing, and then our other members went to school for another thing. And when you're trying to marry all of our thoughts together and really pinpoint what the needs of the student are, and what's going to set them up for success, which looks different for every student, we really come together. And when we share our ideas, and when we look at this, we're not wrong, but we really have to zoom out to see what is it that's going to be best practice in the classroom for this student. And then what are their goals in the future?

As I mentioned before, we have different members in our team. Our teacher consultant is kind of looking, depending on the grade level that we're working with, like, for example, if it's a post-secondary student, what are their transitional goals? And what behaviors are they seeing during those transitional goals, or what behaviors are getting in the way? And then we have our curriculum consultant as well as our teacher consultant look at what would be the best way to teach our students these skills that they are going to need when they do step out of our building. So it really is a team effort. And we don't have a checklist, per se, where we do step one, done. We do step two, it's done. It's not clean like that. And I'm sure, Heather, you know that. It's different, and it's always evolving.

And so when I think of this question of, ‘well, what does it look like? What do you guys do?’ It's an ongoing conversation. And one of the things that we really do strive for is ‘what does this look like for this student?’ Because what we might recommend for this one student, it's definitely going to look different for this other student. And then we also take into consideration what parents have to say and what's feasible for them, while also considering that we want to stay in compliance with what we're trying to teach in our school. So I think it's just a variety of things. It's not like a clean recipe. But I will say that I think you really have to have staff who are willing to share those ideas and know their students very well, and kind of go from there.

I love how much you're talking about this being an ongoing, interactive process. That it's not “so we collect all this data, and we sit down, and we have this conversation, and then that conversation drives forever and ever amen.” It's like, “we're constantly looking at, considering, analyzing, interpreting, and then acting on what that is,” and whatever direction that's coming from, it doesn't really matter. It's that we're constantly having something at our fingertips that we can look at objectively to figure out, is this working? Is it not working? Is it in alignment with where we were trying to go, and are we moving in that direction? But it's just constant. We're continuously going back. Is it working? Is it not? What can we try? Okay, now is it working? Is it not? Now, what can we try? It's constant, but I love that it's collaborative and it's continuous. That it's not just this one time. Okay, there's an eligibility. And so now we move on in a direction. This is continually updating all of our practices. I mean, the whole way through graduation.

Correct. But when we speak of that or when we talk about that, I think of, like, our typical assessments that we use, like our VB-MAPP, our verbal behavior assessment. We use the ABLLs, we use the EFLs, we use the Vineland, and all of those things. And of course, you go and look at a student or a client, you assess them, you determine what kind of skills they are lacking or what current skills they do have, and you just build from there.

Now, in the school world, there's a whole different- I mean, I think you guys even have courses on this, right, Heather? Like, on curricula and things like that. And I didn't have that. And so I think this is where you really have to divide and conquer. And again, I have nothing but positivity with the team that I have, where it doesn’t feel like it's just one person doing it all. It really is a team effort, as you said. But again, I think the key thing here is that you are working with those partners and those families and other professionals to really ensure the success for those students. And then zooming out to see what's best for the student to learn and what are things that we can do right now to achieve that.

And like you said, too, yes, we do these assessments. We have these curricula that I've grown to know about, but it's always, like, an ongoing thing. It's not just something that we do once, like one time, and we're set. It's something that we have to keep doing. And I think we have a pretty good process where we are meeting, perhaps an IEP for a student, or we have a process before we review a behavior plan. And working closely with others, you share what you've investigated or encountered in this process. And then again, you try to come together and meet in the middle of, okay, this is what we can do.

And again, it's just so awesome. It's so beautiful. At the same time, I'm thinking about it right now. It just feels great to know that you have a team that authentically and genuinely cares because they really want to see our students' success. And I've grown to really love the population I work with. And so you want to do right by the student and serve the families correctly. And yeah, it's an awesome thing. And again, like, I cannot take credit for it all.

Listeners can't see this,but I can see you're just glowing. Like you're just smiling and happy and like just genuinely warm about the teaming that you get to live within and that you get to see so many different strengths all come to the table on behalf of and in collaboration with a student and their family for their future success. That is an absolutely beautiful thing when it happens. And I love how every single one of your people is doing what they can do in their own corners to champion that future success of the kid.

I'm really curious, though. Have you seen scenarios where maybe that's not always the case? Like, where a professional may just bring like, ‘this is my information, and then this is what I think.’ And so it's not necessarily like in an interactive, collaborative manner or maybe it's only just ‘I just look at this data and I just make my decision and then that sticks for the next like five years or something’ or even, I mean, I've come into situations where it's like ‘that data doesn't even actually say what conclusions you're making out of that. Like, let's back that up.’ 

Yes. And of course, like we've had those moments too. And I think this kind of happened when I started last year as a new BCBA coming into a center-based program and reviewing all their data and everything, and then perhaps another member having a different opinion about a student. And thankfully, we have not gotten to a point where that's been let's just say it's been a negative experience, or like it really has torn us apart, and it really has divided the team. I think there have been some very healthy questions and challenges that I think have only made us as a team to look at this and come together even stronger.

And when that did happen, when we had some different approaches or thoughts and opinions, each of us gave our explanation of why. And again, they weren't bad, Heather, they were good, legitimate concerns, but you really need to put yourself, your personal thoughts away, and know that this is about the student and not about you. You really have to set those things to the side and then go with what you have. And okay, how can we make it better so that we can all be on the same page?

So, yes, collaborating and hearing other people just share their ideas, or maybe like try things out and then see if that's going to work or not. Again, it all depends on the situation, but it does happen where we do have different opinions and thoughts and data. And it's again, sometimes it's like, ‘well, did you even take the data correctly? Because I would have taken it like this.’ And again, I think we've been very fortunate where we can be like, ‘okay, I see your concerns. Let me try it the way you're telling me now, and then we can meet up again and see what we got and then we go from there.’ But I think it really is just having to trust each other and just assume positive intentions and then work as a team. And again, really just kind of like minimize your personal thoughts, and just know that this is about the student and not about you.

Yeah. Well, if there's anything that sounds like it's coming through loud and clear for this is that this High-Leverage Practice is never just done, it's continually happening. And it's really best done in a genuine collaborative environment where lots of different thoughts are at the table, lots of different tools and resources are available to be used in those conversations, and they're just continually used over time.

So thank you so much for sharing your expertise in this. And I know from your own professional background, you're more comfortable in some areas than others, but I love that you're able to also see what everybody else is bringing to the table and communicate that on their behalf as well. So thank you so much for having this conversation with me today.

Thank you, Heather, so much.

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We really have to tune out to see what is it that's going to be best practice in the classroom for this student. And then what are their goals in the future?

Marla Watts-Pacheco

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Special education teachers play a crucial role in tailoring instructional and behavioral practices to meet the diverse needs of their students. Even though many of these practices are supported by research or widely accepted as effective, a key insight is that no single approach will work for every student. Instead, special education teachers rely on a nuanced understanding of each student’s progress to guide their instructional choices.

This involves a dynamic process of formative assessment. Formative assessment isn't just about testing students; it's a comprehensive method of gathering feedback during instruction to refine and improve teaching strategies. Essentially, it's a loop of collecting data—ranging from curriculum-based measures and informal classroom assessments to observations and self-assessments. This data is then used to gauge how well instructional methods are working, guiding teachers to make necessary adjustments.


The process starts with gathering a variety of data from reliable sources. Teachers then interpret this information to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. If the data reveals that current methods aren't meeting students' needs, they develop alternative strategies and modify their approach accordingly. This cycle of collecting data, interpreting results, and refining instruction continues, creating a continuous feedback loop aimed at enhancing student achievement.


In practice, formative assessment helps teachers make informed decisions about how to use instructional time, provide additional support for students who are struggling, adjust teaching methods, and adapt the curriculum based on the strengths and weaknesses revealed through data analysis. By engaging in this iterative process, special education teachers can better support their students and drive their progress toward success.


High-Leverage Practice 6 (HLP 6) is built on the foundation established by the first five High-Leverage Practices. To truly excel in HLP 6, special educators must be adept at utilizing a broad range of student data to make informed decisions about instructional adjustments. This capability is critical for enhancing student outcomes. However, it’s important to recognize that this isn’t a task that can be accomplished in isolation. Effective collaboration with colleagues and families is essential.


Special educators need to draw on a diverse array of data sources and have a robust toolkit of evidence-based and other instructional practices at their disposal. This approach ensures they can adapt to meet the varied needs of their students. HLP 6 is deeply intertwined with the practices from both the Social/Emotional/Behavioral and Instruction domains. Capturing data on the effectiveness of different instructional strategies and making decisions based on that data is a fundamental aspect of the special educator's role. In essence, HLP 6 reflects the ongoing, collaborative process of refining instructional methods to support student success.


Effective teachers who use student data to guide their instructional decisions start by establishing where each student currently stands, employing a range of assessments to gauge their performance. With this baseline in hand, they set ambitious long-term goals for student achievement. To reach these goals, they carefully select and implement interventions, ensuring their instruction is delivered with high fidelity.


As students progress, these teachers continuously monitor their advancement toward these goals, evaluating whether the current strategies and interventions are effective. If the data suggest that changes are needed, they are prepared to adjust their instructional practices, interventions, or services accordingly.


Furthermore, these teachers use visual tools like graphs to make student progress—or the lack of it—clearly visible and easily communicable to stakeholders, team members, and families. Their approach is characterized by patience, systematic effort, and a persistent search for what truly works for each individual student. This relentless focus on finding effective strategies ensures they are always striving to enhance their students' educational experiences.


For school leaders aiming to support their teachers effectively, a key strategy is to guide educators in interpreting data from diverse sources. This helps teachers make informed decisions about how to adjust their instruction and services. It’s also crucial to offer feedback and coaching on how faithfully teachers are implementing selected instructional strategies and interventions.


Establishing consistent schedules and procedures for collecting, scoring, graphing, and analyzing data is essential. This routine reinforces the importance of data-based decision-making in the classroom. Additionally, creating well-organized systems for assessment and intervention materials ensures that everything teachers need is readily accessible.


Training support staff to assist with data-based routines can further enhance the decision-making process. Finally, providing opportunities for teachers to collaborate, share data, and engage in collective problem-solving fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making within the school. By implementing these strategies, school leaders can significantly strengthen their teachers' ability to use data effectively to improve student outcomes.


While the Institute of Education Sciences may categorize research support for formative assessment and continuous improvement cycles as “low,” it’s important to recognize that a wealth of individual studies advocate for using assessment data within a data-based decision-making framework to enhance instruction. This approach proves particularly valuable when working with students who have unique educational needs. Despite the broader research assessment, these targeted studies highlight the practical benefits of leveraging data to refine and improve teaching strategies for better outcomes.

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