Work Smarter, Not Harder

WCPSS Program Accountability
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This podcast series is for those in education or other fields engaged in program development, implementation, and self-monitoring. We invite you to hear from our district leaders who share their experience with monitoring their efforts. This podcast series will help you better understand the benefits of self-monitoring, help you focus your efforts, align strategies and goals, and be a good steward of public or private funds. This podcast is brought to you by the Program Accountability Team in Wake County Public School System’s Data, Research and Accountability Department.

Episodes

  1. REWIND Episode 4: Measuring Your Goals

    JAN 19

    REWIND Episode 4: Measuring Your Goals

    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

    16 min
  2. 2025 Holiday Extravaganza!

    12/15/2025

    2025 Holiday Extravaganza!

    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.

    25 min
  3. REWIND Episode 3: Finding Evidence of the Need

    11/10/2025

    REWIND Episode 3: Finding Evidence of the Need

    “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

    15 min
  4. REWIND Episode 2: Navigating with Logic Models

    10/13/2025

    REWIND Episode 2: Navigating with Logic Models

    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

    16 min
  5. REWIND Episode 1: The Why - Monitoring the Success of Your Efforts

    09/15/2025

    REWIND Episode 1: The Why - Monitoring the Success of Your Efforts

    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

    17 min
  6. Rewind Season Trailer

    SEASON 2, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Rewind Season Trailer

    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.

    2 min

  7. 09/21/2023

    Episode 5: Communicating Your Results

    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.

    21 min

  8. 05/10/2022

    Episode 4: Measuring Your Goals

    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.

    24 min

  9. 10/06/2021

    Episode 3: Using Data to Find a Need

    “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!

    15 min

  10. 07/23/2021

    Episode 2: Navigating with Logic Models

    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!

    27 min

  11. 06/28/2021

    Episode 1: The Why

    In this episode, we asked our guest, an experienced educator 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.  If you are interested in how it feels to balance the two challenges and want to know why monitoring your efforts is important, we invite you to listen to this podcast, The Why.

    16 min

  12. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Episode 0: Work Smarter Not Harder Trailer

    This is an introduction to the Work Smarter Not Harder Podcast Series. This podcast is brought to you by the Program Accountability Team in Wake County Public School System’s Data, Research and Accountability Department. Podcast Music by: Stella Paeplow Resources: Monitoring the Success of Your Efforts Learning Central Course (WCPSS staff)

    2 min

Trailers

About

This podcast series is for those in education or other fields engaged in program development, implementation, and self-monitoring. We invite you to hear from our district leaders who share their experience with monitoring their efforts. This podcast series will help you better understand the benefits of self-monitoring, help you focus your efforts, align strategies and goals, and be a good steward of public or private funds. This podcast is brought to you by the Program Accountability Team in Wake County Public School System’s Data, Research and Accountability Department.

Information

  • Creator
    WCPSS Program Accountability
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © WCPSS Program Accountability
  • Show Website
    Work Smarter, Not Harder