Blog

Top Ingredients for Telling a Coherent Story: Resources for Education Data Jobseekers (Jobseekers Series Post 5)

September 10, 2026

Over the last month, Mary Levine, my colleague at the Harvard Strategic Data Project , has shared resources for education data jobseekers. These resources aren’t designed to encourage candidates to be something they aren’t; rather we share them to help...

Explaining Your Experience Effectively in the Interview: Resources for Education Data Jobseekers (Jobseekers Series Post 4)

September 03, 2026

Interviews can be nerve-wracking, even for confident candidates. I often tell candidates that the interviewers are truly hoping you succeed. As a hiring manager on my own teams, I can attest to this. I’m rooting for each candidate because an open position...

Reimagining How Schools Talk to Families: Using Communication, Connection, and Care

August 27, 2026

Every once in a while, a project comes along that is deceptively simple in its premise but profound in its ambition. For Yuzhu Xia, Cohort 16 Fellow of the Strategic Data Project (SDP) and Evaluation and Data Manager at Boston Public Schools' (BPS)...

The Right Words Do the Work: Resources for Education Data Jobseekers (Jobseekers Series Post 3)

August 27, 2026

Your LinkedIn profile is sometimes the first thing we see before your resume. While most education data practitioners might not be interested in being a LinkedIn influencer, you never know who might look you up. If you connect with a hiring manager or an...

Getting the Details Right: Resources for Education Data Jobseekers (Jobseekers Series Post 2)

August 20, 2026

Candidates often ask us what we look for when reviewing applications. While the answer is pretty nuanced, one often overlooked aspect is the consistency across your application materials. When your materials are all aligned, they work together to present...

When the Data Changed the Question

August 19, 2026

How could a program designed to promote digital equity end up creating new barriers to learning? That was not the question Andrew Hendricks and his colleagues expected to answer when they began studying Fresno Unified School District's one-to-one student...

From “I Need a Job” to “I’m Ready for Impact”: Resources for Education Data Jobseekers (Jobseekers Series Post 1)

August 13, 2026

For the most part, when you work in education, it’s because you want to make an impact. Many folks in the education field have a personal story that drives them toward these roles, whether a formative experience learning from a teacher; a history of...

When Great Talent Isn’t Enough: Four Lessons from a Year of Hiring in Education (Hiring Series Part 7)

July 07, 2026

Over the last 8 months, we reviewed nearly 200 applications from jobseekers looking for ways to use their data skills in education. Of those, we took a closer look at 30 top candidates. We also spoke with more than 100 education organizations hoping to...

A Better Way to Bring Students Back

May 05, 2026

A hand-decorated note might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think about the impact of data. But in San Diego County, one school counselor’s creative attendance “nudge letters” reveal something crucial about why SDP alumnus Shannon...

More Than Spreadsheets: Revitalizing Data Systems to Spark New Conversations and Better Outcomes

April 27, 2026

Every spring, over ten thousand students graduate from high schools across the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in North Carolina, and walk into a wide range of futures. Some head straight to four-year universities, while others enroll at the...

From Credentials to Careers: Measuring Economic Mobility at Dallas College

March 18, 2026

For many, college is a pathway to better employment opportunities and a more secure life. For community college students, who are often low-income, first-generation, or students of color, this hope feels even more urgent. “At Dallas College, like so many...

We’re Sharing Our Secret Sauce…Well, Some of It (Hiring Series Part 6)

March 26, 2026

When Miriam Greenberg, SDP’s Senior Director, floated the idea for our LinkedIn hiring series, I was apprehensive. Isn’t the magic behind our selection process something we need to keep under lock and key? But as we talked more about the lessons we could...