Data and evidence leaders work together to close gaps for students and educators.
Cambridge, Mass. (October 13, 2020)—The Strategic Data Project (SDP), an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, launched its twelfth cohort of SDP fellows, exemplary research and data leaders helping to transform education through the power of evidence. Through a two-year fellowship, from fall 2020 to summer 2022, each fellow will collaborate with stakeholders and leadership at their organizations—including school districts, state departments of education, and charter management organizations—to assess and grow organizational data use, develop analytic improvement plans, and generate new insights that will inform future decisions of education policy and practice.
The twelfth cohort includes 28 new SDP fellows representing major school districts such as Atlanta Public Schools, Douglas County Public Schools System, Cincinnati Public Schools and state education agencies including Iowa Department of Education, Texas Education Agency, and Rhode Island Department of Education. This year SDP also welcomes new and unique partners, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System and Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College.
“This new cohort of PK-12 fellows have yet to meet one another in person but are still building strong connections and gaining access to more regular training opportunities than ever before through 12-week virtual modules,” said SDP Director Miriam Greenberg. “Through these transitions to virtual modules we’re leveraging synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities and have been able to connect the community to deeper conversations with experts and leaders in the field around the coronavirus epidemic but also persistent, urgent issues around equity and anti-racism. As a result, we’ve created new experiences that deepen our fellows’ engagement with topics such as equity, ethics, and, of course, measurement.”
Cohort 12 fellows and their supervisors joined SDP in Fall 2020 for the first of several virtual workshops to learn from Harvard faculty, plan for their strategic data projects, and learn from one another. These new fellows join a network of 353 current and former fellows, who continue to advance data-driven educational improvement.
To continue in its mission, SDP has opened the application process for partner organizations and fellows for Cohort 13, which will run from fall 2021 to summer 2023. Education organizations may hire fellows who SDP has recruited and screened or enroll their own existing employees as fellows.
About SDP: The Strategic Data Project at Harvard University works with education agencies to find and train data leaders to uncover trends, measure solutions, and effectively communicate evidence to stakeholders. Our inspiring network of system leaders, fellows, and faculty come together to share how to best use data to make a difference in the lives of students. Learn more at sdp.cepr.harvard.edu or follow us on Twitter @HarvardSDP and #SDPfellow.
Contact: Lindsay Blauvelt, Publications Coordinator, sdp@gse.harvard.edu
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