Have you thought about the types of data you need to collect to monitor the effectiveness of the program you coordinate? In this REWIND episode, our colleagues talk with Dr. MariaRosa Rangel from the Office of Equity Affairs about her data story. She shares how using data helped improve the quality of support offered through the Family Academy and how it was used to measure progress toward key program goals.

Self-monitoring resource playlist: link 

Blank Logic Model

Paeplow, C., & Cooke, D. (2022, May 10). Measuring your goals (No. 43) [Audio podcast episode]. In Work Smarter, Not Harder. Wake County Public School System - Data, Research, & Accountability Department. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-measuring-your-goals/id1571404975?i=1000560339474 

Podcast Host: Drs. Brittany Alligood & Scott Holcomb, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

 Producer: Daniel Bunce, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

Podcast Music by Sasha Wilson, WCPSS student at Millbrook High School

We’re sharing the gift of knowledge with our first-ever Holiday Extravaganza! In this episode, we compete against our sister-podcast Data Lit in a holiday data trivia contest hosted by our producer, Daniel Bunce. Play along as you listen to test your seasonal traditions knowledge against the participants from Data, Research, and Accountability!

Follow Data Lit on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

“Why are we doing this?”

It’s easy to pick a program and run with it—but if you really want to make an impact, it’s more effective to pause, look at the data, and identify what’s truly needed. In this REWIND episode, our colleagues chat with Velinda Prince about how she uses data to guide decisions and find the best ways to support students and staff. Drawing on her extensive experience with data in Special Education, Velinda offers thoughtful insights we’re excited to revisit in this conversation.

Blog Link: https://rebrand.ly/FOURcast-Blog

Self-monitoring resource playlist: link 

 FOURcasts: https://rebrand.ly/FOURcasts

Paeplow, C., & Rhea, A. (2021, October 6). Using data to find a need (No. 3) [Audio podcast episode]. In Work Smarter, Not Harder. Wake County Public School System - Data, Research, & Accountability Department. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-navigating-with-logic-models/id1571404975?i=1000529818216

Podcast Host: Drs. Brittany Alligood & Scott Holcomb, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

 Producer: Daniel Bunce, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

Podcast Music by Sasha Wilson, WCPSS student at Millbrook High School

Are you an educator involved in monitoring your own work or launching a new initiative? Looking for a planning tool to save time and effort? This episode is for you! In this REWIND conversation, our colleagues sit down with Sherri Miller to explore the value of logic models from the perspective of staff participating in the monitoring process. Listen in as we reflect on how Sherri found the logic model to be an effective organizational tool for displaying connections between program strategies and goal attainment.

Self-monitoring resource playlist: link 

Blank logic model: link

Paeplow, C., & Jackl, A. (2021, July 23). Navigating with logic models (No. 2) [Audio podcast episode]. In Work Smarter, Not Harder. Wake County Public School System - Data, Research, & Accountability Department. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-navigating-with-logic-models/id1571404975?i=1000529818216 

Podcast Host: Drs. Brittany Alligood & Scott Holcomb, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

 Producer: Daniel Bunce, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

 Podcast Music by Sasha Wilson, WCPSS student at Millbrook High School

In this REWIND episode, our colleagues were joined by Granvel Johnson to share his first experience with the self-monitoring process.  As a long-time program coordinator but as a first-time participant in the self-monitoring process, he had to coordinate his program and monitor his efforts simultaneously. As the newest members of the DRA Program Accountability department, we’re coming in with fresh perspectives to look back at how Granvel’s journey revealed the “why” behind the self-monitoring process.

Self-monitoring resource playlist: link 

Why self-monitoring video (January 2024?): link

Paeplow, C., & Bulgakov-Cooke, D. (2021, June 21). The why (No. 1) [Audio podcast episode]. In Work Smarter, Not Harder. Wake County Public School System - Data, Research, & Accountability Department. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1-the-why/id1571404975?i=1000527118517 

Podcast Host: Drs. Brittany Alligood & Scott Holcomb, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

Producer: Daniel Bunce, WCPSS Data, Research, and Accountability Department

Podcast Music by Sasha Wilson, WCPSS student at Millbrook High School

After a 2-year hiatus, the Work Smarter, Not Harder podcast is back as we look back at our previous episodes with the Rewind episodes. In this season, hosts Brittany Alligood and Scott Holcomb from Wake County Public Schools’ Data, Research, and Accountability department revisit Season 1 to highlight lessons learned about program self-monitoring. As new members of the program accountability team, Brittany and Scott guide listeners through key conversations with educators and staff who navigated the self-monitoring process — sharing how they identified program needs, tracked implementation, and measured impact.

From first-time participants like Granvel Johnson of the Office of Equity Affairs to experienced practitioners, the series unpacks why monitoring matters and how it supports stronger outcomes for students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. Listeners will hear practical insights into using data not just to document efforts, but to make programs more effective.

Beginning this fall, join the REWIND series to explore what worked, what was learned, and how monitoring can help every program succeed.

Podcast Music by Sasha Wilson, WCPSS student at Millbrook High School.

How do you share your program results? An experienced WCPSS educator talks about the importance of establishing clear communication with stakeholders when sharing your program results. She uses presentations and interactive visuals to make sure her data are meaningful, relevant, and current. She shares strategies of how to keep the audience in mind such as telling your data story and addressing the audience's questions on the spot.

Have you thought about the types of data you need to collect that will help you monitor the effectiveness of the program you coordinate? A member of the Equity Affairs team, Dr. MariaRosa Rangel, shares her data story. In doing so, she discusses how her data help her improve the quality of the support she offers through her Family Academy and measure the progress and attainment of her program goals.

“Why are we doing this?”

It is easy enough to pick a program and implement it but if you really want to make an impact, determining needs and systematically examining problems is a much better way to go about it! We speak with Velinda Prince about her process of using data to determine what to do to help students and staff and why. Velinda’s experience in using data in the Special Education department is extensive and we’re excited to share the chat we had with her with all of you.

Enjoy!

Are you an educator who is involved in monitoring your own efforts or are rolling out a new educational initiative? Do you need a planning tool that would save you time and effort?  If so, this episode is for you! We invited a talented educator and a successful program coordinator Sherri Miller to share her experience creating and using Logic Models when coordinating educational programs.  Enjoy!