In this episode, Heather sits down with Alex Grosso, a school-based BCBA working in a hybrid clinic-school model, to talk about what it really looks like to use student data to guide meaningful decisions. While Heather shares how this practice shows up in school-based special education—through informal assessments, daily observations, and teacher instinct—Alex offers insight into a very different world: one where insurance companies drive what gets approved and what doesn’t.

Together, they unpack how different systems shape what kind of data gets collected, how it's interpreted, and who it ultimately serves. They talk about the tension between capturing detailed, accurate information and keeping data collection doable for busy educators. Alex shares how his team builds plans that aim to fade out support while building teacher capacity—and why he sees progress as not just student growth, but adults working together better too.

This conversation goes beyond charts and checklists. It’s about figuring out what really works for students, in real time, with real constraints. And it’s a reminder that the best decisions are the ones backed by data and driven by care.

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