# The Strategic Data Project Welcomes 46 Fellows into Cohort 16 of the SDP Fellowship, Includes First Early Education Working Group October 21, 2024 - [ News ](/news-categories/news) *Cohort 16 will include SDP Fellows from 41 education organizations, including school districts, state agencies, and nonprofits, with fellows using data to answer key questions about early education through postsecondary outcomes.* **October 21, 2024**—The Strategic Data Project (SDP), an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, welcomed its sixteenth cohort of SDP Fellows, who will spend the next two years using evidence to evaluate and improve educational practices and policies. These 46 fellows, selected from across the nation, represent a broad spectrum of educational institutions and organizations, working at the local, state, and national levels to support students from early childhood through postsecondary education. This cohort includes new partnerships with organizations like the National Head Start Association, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and Hackensack Public Schools (NJ), alongside returning partners such as the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Fresno Unified School District. Together, these fellows and their senior leadership are united by a shared mission: leveraging data to drive transformative improvements that directly impact student success and reshape the future of education. The new fellows and their supervisors will convene on the Harvard University campus this month to plan the strategic data projects they will undertake for their organizations over the next two years. Throughout the fellowship, fellows will participate in in-person and virtual training and receive support from the SDP network of faculty and alumni and access new data tools and resources to improve outcomes for students. “The size and diversity of our newest cohort reflect the growing commitment across the education sector to address today’s urgent challenges by investing in data-driven decision-making,” said SDP Senior Director Miriam Greenberg. “With each new cohort, we are excited to support our fellows as they drive transformative change within their organizations, empowering them to make informed choices that will have a direct and lasting impact on student outcomes.” Cohort 16 will also include SDP’s first Early Education Working Group, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to answer questions about early education supply and demand or milestones from preschool through grade 3. The working group includes 13 fellows representing 11 partner agencies, who will answer questions related to the STEP Forward with Data Framework, a resource by Child Trends which outlines essential questions for early education leaders and the data needed to answer them. Applications are now open for prospective fellows and prospective partner organizations for the Fall 2025–Summer 2027 cohort. Learn more at [sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/apply](/apply). SDP is grateful to funders who sponsored partners across this cohort, including the Gates Foundation, the Overdeck Family Foundation, and the Irene & George Davis Foundation. [Join our mailing list](/subscribe) to be the first to know about updates from SDP. **Contact**: Rachel Tropp, CEPR Communications Specialist ([rachel\_tropp@gse.harvard.edu](mailto:rachel_tropp@gse.harvard.edu)) \# **About the Strategic Data Project** Harvard's Strategic Data Project (SDP) works with education agencies to find and train data leaders to uncover trends, measure solutions, and effectively communicate evidence to stakeholders. SDP’s 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. SDP Fellows are driving data-informed change in over 215 school systems and organizations. Learn more at sdp.harvard.edu. **About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University** The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu. See also:- [ Press Release ](/tags/press-release) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)