Data Lit

What policies and practices would make our elementary school libraries more effective? That’s the question that led Elc Estrera from Data, Research, and Accountability to begin collaborating with Kendra Allen and Susan Bock from Library Media Services. It resulted in some informative and intriguing research, which we review in this episode. Tune in to learn about our libraries and pick up some strategies for conducting research. 

This is a crossover episode with Work Smarter, Not Harder. Consider following their show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme music by Millbrook High School’s Tre’mond Ponton

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Is a student's understanding of civics best measured by a multiple-choice exam? In this episode of Data Lit, we examine this question by unpacking how we assess civic learning in educational spaces. Using a “Head, Heart, and Hands" framework for defining civics, we discuss how educators can use performance tasks, capstone projects, and rubrics to measure “unmeasurable" skills like civil discourse and community problem-solving. Tune in to learn how we can transform civic data from a simple score into a roadmap for active and informed citizenship.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Center for Assessment: Assessing Civic Learning

• Promoting K-12 Learning and Civic Engagement through Assessments

• DRA’s Assessment Literacy Course

• Validity and Reliability Video

• Cult of Pedagogy: Meet the Single-Point Rubric
  

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Theme music by Millbrook High School’s Tre’mond Ponton

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Why do identical assignments sometimes receive completely different grades? In this episode of Data Lit, we tackle the inequitable practice of mixing academic data with student compliance by drawing from the latest research in Culturally Responsive Assessment. From unconscious bias to unreliable scales, we explore how individual variation in teacher practices can skew student outcomes.  We also learn how applying the five Principles of Equity can transform teachers’ gradebooks into a valid data tool that truly reflects student learning. Our hope is that listeners glean some tidbits that can help move their gradebook away from a record of compliance and toward an accurate reflection of mastery.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts

• Educational Leadership - From Grading to Guiding

• Educational Leadership - Is That Grade Accurate?

• Educational Leadership - Five Inconvenient Truths About How We Grade

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

The theme song by Green Hope High School’s Lukas Brandon 

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Have you heard about the BIMAS and wondered why it matters for our schools? In this episode of Data Lit, we sit down with our district’s BIMAS Coordinator, Mary Whitehouse to understand the "why" and "how" behind the implementation, and then pivot to Gina Montague, Guidance Counselor at Bowling Road Elementary to see how that data translates into real-time support for students. Whether you’re looking at the big picture or the individual classroom, this episode will help you understand how our district uses behavior data to ensure no student falls through the cracks.

Research & resources from the episode:

• WakeConnect Page for the BIMAS-2 (for WCPSS employees)

• Putting Student Well-Being First: What we’ve learned from schools using the BIMAS [DRA Report]

• WCPSS’ public page on behavior screeners

• Edutopia’s Why Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Students
  

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Theme music by Millbrook High School’s Tre’mond Ponton

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

How does a district leader filter through countless data points to find what actually matters? In this episode of Data Lit, we’re joined by Area Superintendent Chris McCabe to discuss the intersection of leadership and data literacy. Mr. McCabe shares his personal journey in education and pulls back the curtain on how he identifies the most crucial data for school improvement. We also dive into a vital conversation on shifting the culture of accountability from a punitive "gotcha" to a powerful learning process for schools. Join us to learn about the future of data in our district and how leadership leverages this information “just a smidge” to support every school.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Visible Learning: 250+ Influences on Student Learning 

• December 2025 Educational Leadership Magazine: The Power of Less in Schools

• Victoria Bernhardt: Multiple Measures of Data

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

The theme song by Green Hope High School’s Lukas Brandon 

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

We’re sharing the gift of knowledge with our third annual Holiday Extravaganza! There's a twist to this year's festivities, as we compete against our sister-podcast Work Smarter Not Harder in a holiday data trivia contest hosted by our colleague Daniel Bunce. Play along as you listen to test your seasonal traditions knowledge against the participants from Data, Research, and Accountability!

Follow Work Smart Not Harder on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Contact Data Lit via our website or at [email protected]

Accountability reports are meant to drive school improvement, but too often they result in little more than anxiety and resentment. In this episode, we interview Lauren Curtis, Director of Progress Monitoring and Tiered Support, about how we can better support schools when it comes to this type of data. We discuss how vulnerability, shared responsibility, and incremental changes can help us bridge the divide that lies between accountability and action. 

Research & resources from the episode:

• Center for Assessment - Strengthening Ties Between Accountability and School Improvement  

• Dan Pink - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us 

• Douglas Reeves - The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results 

• John Hattie - The Power of Feedback
  

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Theme music by Millbrook High School’s Tre’mond Ponton

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Our accountability systems are meant to drive school improvement, but too often they leave educators feeling anxious and overwhelmed. This episode reviews five practical principles to marry high-level accountability data with local data and processes to spur real change. 

Research & resources from the episode:

• Center for Assessment: Strengthening Ties Between Accountability and School Improvement   

• Educational Leadership: Five Good Ways to Talk About Data

• Data Lit Episode: How to Talk about Data

• Data Considerations for School and Central Services Staff 

• Data Lit series on Satellite, Map, and Street Data

• Victoria Bernhardt: Multiple Measures of Data
  

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

The theme song by Green Hope High School’s Lukas Brandon 

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

We’re kicking off a new mini-series by going back to where it all began: Our discussion on the Purpose of Assessments. Join us as we explore how understanding why we measure can help us rethink how we improve.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Center for Assessment - Strengthening Ties Between Accountability and School Improvement   

• Edutopia - Assessment: Time to Put it in Context

• ASCD - Assessment as an Act of Love

• Achieve the Core - Sitting Beside the Learner
  

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Contact us via our website or at [email protected]

Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

In this concluding chapter of our series based on Culturally Responsive Assessments, we move from theory to sustainable practice. First, we shine a light on the core challenges preventing change, such as limited instructional materials, the struggle to maintain rigor while adapting culturally, and unconscious bias in teacher perceptions. Then, we give listeners some practical solutions straight from the book, outlining key best practices like targeted training and support, purposeful assessment design, better methods for evaluating student work, effective communication about student progress, and strategic use of assessment results. Tune in and get the tools you need to make this critical shift stick.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Contexts

• Data Lit’s Rubrics Series

• Data Lit’s Feedback Series

• Grant Wiggins’ Seven Elements of Effective Feedback

• John Hattie’s The Power of Feedback

WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Theme music by Millbrook High School’s Tre’mond Ponton

Contact us ⁠via our website⁠ or at [email protected]: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System