This case illustrates how the work of leaders and analysts in the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) and the agency’s partnership with the Strategic Data Project (SDP), a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, created momentum for statewide policy change.  By exploring Delaware leaders’ use of data and analytics to challenge assumptions and inform the development of better policies and practices, the case illustrates the importance of leadership, analytic and technical competency, and strategic partnerships when leading education reform.  The case specifically highlights the power of human capital analytics to diagnose the current status of Delaware’s educator pipeline, from preparation through development and retention, and how effectively communicating with these analyses built coalitions of support and drove a culture of data use at both the state and district level.
Download the case study [SDP website]

The Delaware Department of Education collaborated SDP to produce the SDP College-Going Diagnostic. The diagnostic analyses examine students’ high school performance, college enrollment, and college persistence patterns, and compares these patterns across a variety of student characteristics and academic experiences.

The Strategic Data Project (SDP) collaborated with the state of Delaware to illuminate patterns related to three critical areas of policy focus for the state: the recruitment, placement, and success of new and early career teachers; teacher impact on student learning; and teacher retention and the stability of the state’s teacher workforce.