Strategic Data Project

Since 2008, the Strategic Data Project (SDP) has partnered with school districts, charter school networks, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to bring high-quality research methods and data analysis to bear on strategic management and policy decisions. Its mission is to transform the use of data in education to improve student achievement. SDP believes that if we bring together the right people, assemble the right data, and perform the right analysis, we can help leaders make better decisions—ultimately improving student achievement significantly. To make this happen, SDP pursues three strategies:

  1. Strengthen Analytic Capacity
    Place and support data strategists in partner organizations who will influence policy at the local, state, and national levels
  2. Uncover New Insights through Applied Research
    Create policy- and management-relevant analyses for districts and states
  3. Support Network Growth and Improved Decision-Making
    Transform the way data is used in the education sector through broad dissemination of analytic tools, methods, and best practices

Learn more at the Strategic Data Project website.

See also: Postsecondary Access & Success, School Improvement & Redesign, Teacher Effectiveness, Project, ACS International, Achievement First, Albuquerque Public Schools (NM), Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Archdiocese of Washington (DC), Aspire Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools (GA), Baltimore County Public Schools (MD), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boston Public Schools (MA), Breakthrough Schools (OH), Broward County Public Schools (FL), CAP Tulsa, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California State University Center for Teacher Quality, Camden City Public Schools (NJ), Charleston County School District (SC), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (NC), Chicago Public Schools, CityBridge Education, Clark County School District (NV)/The Public Education Foundation, Cleveland Metropolitan School District (OH), College Readiness Indicator Systems (CRIS), Colorado Department of Education/ Colorado Legacy Foundation, Cowen Institute, Tulane University, Delaware Department of Education, Denver Public Schools (CO), Derby Public Schools (KS), District of Columbia Public Schools, Duval County Public Schools (FL), EdReports.org, Education Northwest (OR), Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, Elizabeth Public Schools (NJ), Fayette County Public Schools (KY), Fort Wayne Community Schools (IN), Fort Worth Independent School District (TX), Fortune School of Education, Fresno Unified School District (CA), Fulton County Schools (GA), GreatSchools, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GA), Hawaii Department of Education, Highlander Institute, Hobbs Municipal Schools (NM), Houston Independent School District (TX), Howard County Public School System (MD), Huntsville City Schools (AL), IDEA Public Schools (TX), Impact Tulsa (OK), Internet Essentials from Comcast, Jacksonville Public Education Fund (FL), Jefferson County Public Schools (KY), Jefferson Parish Public School System (LA), KIPP LA Schools (CA), Kentucky Center for Education Workforce Statistics, Kentucky Department of Education, Kettle Moraine School District (WI), Knox County Schools (TN), Learning Circle Education Services (OH), Lemann Foundation-Brazil, Long Beach Unified School District (CA), Los Angeles Unified School District (CA), Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Memphis City Schools (TN), Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL), Michigan Department of Education, Minneapolis Public Schools (MN), Mississippi State Department of Education, Nassau Board of Cooperative Educational Services (NY), National Math and Science Initiative, New England Basecamp, New Jersey Department of Education, New Mexico Public Education Department, New Visions for Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, New York State Education Department, Newark Public Schools (NJ), North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Northern Michigan University Charter Schools Office, Oakland Unified School District (CA), Office of State Superintendent D.C., Ohio Department of Education, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Orange County Public Schools (FL), Overdeck Family Foundation, PUC Schools, Passaic Public Schools (NJ), Paterson Public Schools (NJ), Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, Pittsburgh Public Schools (PA), Prince George's County Public Schools (MD), Providence Public Schools (RI), RISE Network, ROADS Charter High Schools, Relay Graduate School of Education, Rochester City School District (NY), San Jose Unified School District (CA), Santa Ana Unified School District, Say Yes to Education, School District U-46 (IL), School District of Palm Beach County (FL), Springfield Public Schools (MA), St. Bernard Parish Public Schools (LA), Step Up, Syracuse City School District (NY), Teach for America, Tennessee Department of Education, The College Board, The College-Ready Promise, The School District of Philadelphia (PA), Tulsa Public Schools (OK), Uplift Education, Urban Teachers, Wake County Public School System (NC), West Linn-Wilsonville School District (OR), West Virginia Department of Education, Youngstown City Schools, Current
Chen An

Chen An

SDP Fellow
Placement Organization:
Orange County Public Schools (FL)
Laura Booker

Laura Booker

SDP Fellowship Faculty Advisor
Senior Lecturer, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations
Peabody College, Vanderbuilt
Brooks Bowden

Brooks Bowden

SDP Fellowship Faculty Advisor
Assistant Professor in the Education Policy Division, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Director of Training, Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University
Alex Bowers

Alex Bowers

SDP Fellowship Faculty Advisor
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
Teachers College, Columbia
Erica Boyce

Erica Boyce

SDP Fellow
Placement Organization:
Buffalo Public Schools
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Upcoming Event Focuses on College Going in Kentucky

August 17, 2015

(Frankfort, KY) – On Monday, August 17, the Kentucky Department of Education, in partnership with the Strategic Data Project (an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University), 55,000 Degrees, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and Jefferson Co. Schools will hold a news briefing and discussion on college going in Kentucky.... Read more about Upcoming Event Focuses on College Going in Kentucky

SDP Fellowship Applications Now Available

January 5, 2015

The Strategic Data Project (SDP) is now accepting applications for Cohort 7 of the SDP Fellowship program. The anticipated start date for the two-year program is Monday, September 14, 2015. 

The SDP Fellowship is a premier professional development experience led by an accomplished team at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The two-year program develops talented data strategists in school systems, state education departments, and nonprofit providers. By participating in the fellowship, both fellows and their host agencies will...

Read more about SDP Fellowship Applications Now Available

SDP Partnership Applications Now Available

November 5, 2014

The Strategic Data Project (SDP) is now accepting partnership applications for Cohort 7 of the SDP Fellowship program.

What is the Strategic Data Project?
The Strategic Data Project (SDP), housed at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, partners with a range of education organizations to transform the use of data in education to improve student achievement. The SDP Fellowship is a two-year program that develops and supports talented data strategists in education agencies to have an immediate impact on policy and management decisions...

Read more about SDP Partnership Applications Now Available

Since 2008, the Strategic Data Project has worked with 75 partners, including city and county school districts, state education agencies, charter management organizations, and nonprofits. SDP engages with our partners to increase their analytical capacity, provide high-quality data analytics to address organizational challenges, and enable the organization to better use data and evidence to make policy and management decisions.

SDP engages collaboratively with each of these partner agencies, relying on them to lead the way and show how data-driven decision making can impact student achievement in the long term. These pioneering organizations, committed to culture change and continuous improvement, partner with SDP by hosting or enrolling fellow(s) through the SDP Fellowship program or by collaborating with us on analytic projects such as the SDP Diagnostics.