We’re back for Season Six! After five seasons of deep dives into assessment and data literacy, we’re taking a moment to look back at the journey. Join us as we share the most impactful lessons we have learned - from insightful conversations with educational experts and district staff and students to uncovering research and best practices that can truly inform our work. This is more than a look back; it’s a springboard for what’s to come. Get ready for a new season packed with fresh perspectives and actionable insights!

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

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

In our season finale of Data Lit, we take a look back at some of the standout moments by highlighting key topics such as data literacy guidance, 4Cs strategies from students' perspectives, and the global landscape of standardized testing. You’ll enjoy clips from our favorite episodes, featuring insights from influential guest speakers, including the district superintendent and school-based testing coordinators. Join us for this reflective and insightful conclusion to an impactful season.

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney

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

Research shows that the way assessments are administered plays a crucial role in ensuring their validity and reliability. In this episode, we sit down with three district Testing Coordinators—Lorrie Sardiello from Northwoods ES, Susan Cherry from Oberlin MS, and Joshua Gurkin from Apex HS—to unpack their role in the assessment cycle. We explore how they support test administration, empower both students and teachers, and contribute to building assessment literacy across their schools. Whether you're a new Testing Coordinator or a teacher considering stepping into this role, you’ll find practical insights and advice to help you get started and make an impact.
WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here.

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

In this episode of Data Lit, we dive into the world of standardized testing, exploring how four countries—South Africa, Finland, Australia, and Singapore—develop and implement their assessments. We unpack the historical context, the educational philosophies behind their approaches, and the role that assessments play in shaping each system. Join us as we compare international perspectives and reflect on how standardized testing evolves in different cultural and political contexts.

Research & resources from the episode:

• Student Assessment in Eight Countries  (Ed Leadership, 2000)

• What Standardized Tests Look Like in 10 Places Around the World (Business Insider, 2018)

• Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

• National Standardized Assessments in South Africa by T. Chilenga-Butao et al (2021)

• National Center on Education and the Economy: Singapore 

• National Center on Education and the Economy: Finland
  

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Spring is here - a season of flowers, bunnies, and big decisions for high school seniors as they declare their college plans. In this episode of Data Lit, we sit down with Tim Carroll, Director of Special Projects for WCPSS’ Data, Research, and Accountability department, to explore how enrollment and degree-completion data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) can reveal important trends about student persistence, transfers, and post-secondary success. Join us as we reflect on our own college aspirations, uncover key patterns in where our graduates are headed, and even test your knowledge on the top colleges they’re choosing. Plus, we’ll share a few data-informed tips to support students in their post-secondary journeys!

Research & resources from the episode:

• College Outcomes of WCPSS Graduates, 2006-2023 (for WCPSS employees)  

• College Navigator

• College Scorecard

• College Board: BigFuture

• College for North Carolina

• WCPSS employees: Sign up for office hours to discuss college outcomes data with Tim Carroll
  

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

Performance assessments can be a productive way for students to show their growth in the 4Cs (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication). To dig deeper into this assessment method, we’re re-airing our discussion on performance assessments from November of 2020. Before and after that segment, we connect these ideas to what students told us throughout our 4Cs series. 

Research & resources from the episode:

• Jay McTighe: What is a performance task?

• Grant Wiggins: Seven keys to effective feedback

• Educational Leadership: Good feedback is targeted, specific, timely

• DRA Video on the cognitive science principle of Interleaving

• Stiggins, R.J. Arter, J.A., Chappuis, J. & Chappuis, S. (2006). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right-Using it Well. Portland, OR: ETS

• Wren, D. G., & Garies, C. R. (201 9). Assessing deeper learning: Developing, implementing, and scoring performance tasks (1st ed.). Lanham, MD :Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

In this final episode of our series on integrating the 4Cs, we turn to the experts—our students. Through their own words, they remind us that learning is social, that authenticity matters, and that engagement is key. Their advice challenges us as educators to always create learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom where collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity come to life in meaningful ways. Tune in for a powerful reflection on what students need most from their teachers.

Research & resources from the episode:

• ASCD: Making School Worth Kids’ Time

• National Geographic - Your Kids Want to be Social

• Center for Assessment - Teaching & Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Focus on Student Agency

• World Economic Forum: Future of Jobs Report 

• Kids Speak on Engagement

• DRA Video on the Amygdala

• Researching Social-Emotional Learning: An interview with Dr. Hamilton-Simmons from Counseling & Student Services

• 4Cs K-12 Continuum  

• 4Cs Single-Point Rubrics 
  

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

In this episode, we explore how the 4Cs—critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication—can be nurtured outside the classroom. Featuring clips from students presenting their GIS mapping projects, we highlight moments where they have applied these skills to their research on real-world problems. We also discuss how extracurricular activities and out-of-classroom experiences play a vital role in building these competencies. Tune in to see how learning goes beyond the classroom walls to prepare our students for the future.

Research & resources from the episode:

• WakeConnect Spotlight on Geospatial Analytics

• 4Cs K-12 Continuum  

• 4Cs Single-Point Rubrics  

• Data Lit’s Assessment Methods Series 

• Data Lit’s Rubrics Series
  

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System

In this episode, we listen to real student voices as they share how their teachers bring the 4Cs—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity—into everyday lessons across different subjects. Join us as we react to their insights, discuss the impact of these skills on student engagement, and explore how fostering the 4Cs can make learning more meaningful and exciting. Tune in to hear why integrating these essential skills isn’t just good teaching—it can be a game-changer for student interest and success!

Research & resources from the episode:

• 4Cs K-12 Continuum  

• 4Cs Single-Point Rubrics  

• Jay McTighe’s Performance Task Blog Series 

• Data Lit’s Assessment Types Series

• Data Lit’s Assessment Methods Series

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’sWill McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department forthe Wake County Public School System

WCPSS’ mission is to “provide a relevant and engaging education and will graduate students who are collaborative, creative, effective communicators and critical thinkers.” This episode introduces our exploration of why these 4Cs are so essential to preparing our students to lead productive lives in a complex and changing world. We define each of the 4Cs, discuss potential challenges to measuring them, and finally offer a solution to the challenges which we will explore in subsequent episodes. 

Research & resources from the episode:

 A Critical Review of Assessments of Creativity in Education 

ASCD: Making School Worth Kids’ Time

World Economic Forum: Our education system is losing relevance. Here's how to unleash its potential

Torrens University: What are the 4Cs of 21st-century learning skills?

NCDPI Portrait of a Graduate

NCDPI’s 4 million Skills for the Future Grant

4Cs K-12 Continuum  

4Cs Single-Point Rubrics

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

Hosts: Mellisa Smith and Spencer Ziegler

Theme music: Lost by Leesville Road High School’s Will McAlarney
Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System