Expert Instruction Podcast
Coach
Data-based decision making
Data
School-Wide
Targeted
October 21, 2025

Ep. 53: Using Data to Improve Student Support

Learn how one high school team learned the value of Tier 1 systems and data to get students the support they need sooner.

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All this month we’re looking at the ways we can use data to guide our decisions on how to get students the additional support they need sooner. There are some common decision rules your team can follow, but what does that look like in practice? Our guests today will share their experience.

Joining us in conversation are Dr. Lisa Friesen from North Kansas City Schools and Jamie Ferguson from Oak Park High School, both in Kansas City, MO.

  • Lisa has been with North Kansas City Schools for 22 years. She is a former elementary and high school special education teacher and currently serves as a District Instructional Coordinator for MTSS, organizing and supporting academic and behavior interventions and systems K-12.
  • Jamie has been part of the North Kansas City School District for the past 16 years. She spent 11 years at Linden West Elementary co-leading Tier 1 interventions and served on the Tier 2 and Tier 3 support teams. At Oak Park High School, Jamie focuses her time on academic intervention and student success through programs like Missouri Options and Check-In/Check-Out.  

Listen in as they share how they learned the value of Tier 1 systems to support their efforts at the Tier 2 level and how getting students the support they need involves both personal relationships and consistent data.

For more information on the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:

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Megan Cave

About

Megan Cave

Megan Cave is a member of the PBISApps Marketing and Communication team. She is the writer behind the user manuals, scripted video tutorials, and news articles for PBISApps. She also writes a monthly article for Teach by Design and contributes to its accompanying Expert Instruction podcast episode. Megan has completed four half marathons – three of which happened unintentionally – and in all likelihood, will run another in the future.

About

Danielle Triplett

Danielle Triplett, M.Ed., is a Senior Research Assistant and member of the PBISApps training team. Danielle is a passionate educator and researcher dedicated to serving her community and advocating for the best interests of children and adolescents. Her areas of research and academic pursuits focus on improving educational equity, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, using data for decision-making, multi-tiered systems of support for behavior and mental health, and educational coaching. Prior to joining the University of Oregon, Danielle served as a district PBIS coach and a middle school language arts teacher. Outside the office, you can find her snowboarding, baking chocolate chip cookies, and daydreaming about interior design.