Episode 68: Pop Quiz: What Should Every Student Know About Data and Computing?
What cData and computing shape nearly every aspect of modern life, yet K–12 education has struggled to keep pace. In this episode of Practical Significance, Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome Nick Horton (Amherst College) and Anna Bargagliotti (Loyola Marymount University) to discuss the National Academies report, Data and Computing in K–12 Foundational Competencies 2026. Together, they unpack the report’s seven foundational competencies designed to give students the knowledge and skills to navigate an increasingly data-rich and technology-driven world.
Horton and Bargagliotti share insights into the National Academies consensus study process; explain why teacher preparation is essential to successful implementation of the report’s recommendations; and discuss how schools, policymakers, and professional organizations can work together to create more coherent learning pathways in statistics, data science, and computing. They also examine the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in education, underscoring the need for continued research to develop sound practices around its opportunities, limitations, and ethical use.
What does success look like five years from now? Tune in as our guests tackle that question and more in this can’t-miss conversation about the future of K–12 education. And you won’t want to miss Ron’s Top 10: “The Top Ten Signs I Was in Grad School Too Long.”
Read the National Academies report, Data and Computing in K–12 Foundational Competencies 2026. You can download the PDF for free.
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