Podcast: Students Don’t Qualify, But Still Struggle

Panelists:

Heather Millnick, MTSS Coordinator, Dogwood Elementary
Candia Sierra London, Program Specialist, Cajon Valley USD
Dr. Tim Gray, Data Coach, Anderson Community Schools

Episode Summary

In this episode of Data in Education, Jenelle and Jessica are joined by MTSS and student-support experts to explore how we catch and support the students who don’t qualify for services but clearly need something more.

The conversation focuses on:

Early red flags that identify students who are struggling but not qualifying for formal services
The dangers of waiting too long to intervene
How to support students in simple, sustainable ways that don’t overwhelm teachers
How to define and measure meaningful progress for overlooked students

This episode is especially relevant for educators and leaders who want a more holistic, human-centered view of student needs and who want data to feel supportive, actionable, and easy to use.

Actionable Guidance from Our Panelists

Heather Millnick

I can partner with families to understand their student.
I can partner with others on my campus to collaborate with our collective expertise.
I can identify patterns to make decisions.

Dr. Tim Gray

I can understand that what works for our 'low students' applies to 'high' and ALL students.
I can meet teachers where they are to provide strategies that are simple and easy to implement.
I can help teachers read complicated data sets.

Candia Sierra London

I can identify one pattern with a student.
I can conduct an empathy interview to understand students holistically

Candia also made available some free resources connected to our conversation:

Free Resource from Symplifyed

Weekly Behavior – Baseline & Tracking

How to access it:

Grab a free trial at symplifyapp.com
Log in to your account
Click the book icon in the top right corner of the screen to open the Resource Library
Find the resource co
nnected to this episode and start using it right away

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