Blog

In higher education, you will find that a lot of big data systems were built for one fundamental question: Did we meet the basic requirements? That compliance-first mindset does meet some needs. It helps produce standardized numbers that legislators...

A successful SDP Fellow – one who matriculates through the full fellowship training, builds relationships and networks, and leaves an impact on their education organization – demonstrates integrity, humility, and analytic entrepreneurship . As Cohort 16...

Alabama’s State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey says there's a rare issue drawing approval from Moms for Liberty, tiger moms, and soccer moms alike. The unlikely point of agreement? Keeping cell phones out of schools, a hot topic explored by the...

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...

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...

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...

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...

My daughter started learning Mandarin this year. For a while she was deeply interested in hieroglyphics, so this feels like a practical pivot. Lately she likes to play “Mandarin teacher.” She seats my partner and me on pillows on the floor, points to...

Most ed agencies we talk to say they want data staff who can hit the ground running. What they often mean is someone who already knows their exact programming language and preferred tools. That instinct is understandable. Teams are busy. The work feels...

Most hiring processes for data roles in education are designed around one question: Can this person do the analysis? That question matters, but it’s not the only important one. The harder question is this: What happens when their analysis is wrong...