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SDP Finance Fellowship

The SDP Finance Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for passionate data strategists to help agencies use their financial resources to improve student outcomes. The program is launching in partnership with the Edunomics Lab at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

Program Components

Talent Pipeline

Finance Fellows are recruited and screened by Harvard-affiliated researchers for partners, or data leaders enroll one or more of their leading employees as Agency Finance Fellows to receive SDP tools and training to support the organization’s needs.

Relevant Training

Over the course of multiple workshops with SDP and CEF, SDP Fellows train in advanced skills in analytics, leadership, education finance and effective communication. SDP Fellows bring lessons learned back to their organization.

Network Supports

Fellows and supervisors gain a network of professional colleagues who support one another in making evidence-based change in education. Program alumni and faculty lead and mentor new fellows throughout the experience.

Lasting Impact 

SDP Fellows take on a mission-critical project defined by their agency to vastly improve the culture of financial data  use. Fellows and supervisors collaborate with first-class experts and experienced SDP alumni to move the needle for students. 

SDP FINANCE FELLOWS GROW THEIR SKILLS

Fellows and supervisors participate in multiple, hands-on workshops and events to assess their organization’s data use, develop analytic plans, and share key insights about evidence-driven change. Fellows also partake in remote learning between workshops to develop technical skills and deepen their understanding of key education policy topics.

SDP Finance Fellows Program Timeline

EARN A CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION FINANCE

In addition SDP's training and mentorship, Finance Fellows will earn a Certificate in Education Finance (CEF) from Georgetown University, an interdisciplinary certification combining finance, economics and leadership with public policy and administration. The certificate program emphasizes practical skills and application and helps participants build practical fluency in how management decisions, wide-ranging policies, and resource allocation intersect to impact student success across multiple contexts, including their own.

 

SDP FINANCE FELLOWS ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Partners are matched with innovative fellows skilled in analysis and committed to making a difference in the lives of students. Our partners can choose from two fellowship pathways:

Pathway 1: SDP will recruit and match a Finance Fellow for your organization

Finance Fellows are recruited by SDP via a competitive nationwide search. They are matched to an SDP partner organization where they serve as full-time, paid, agency employees for two years. Fellows bring impressive credentials in statistics, data management, and more.

Pathway 2: Enroll one of your own employees as a Finance Fellow

Agency leaders can nominate and enroll current employees, such as analytic leaders or rising stars within the organization who, with additional training and attention, can take on leadership roles.

  • SDP FINANCE FELLOWS TAKE ON PRESSING CHALLENGES

    Leveraging data for equity in schools: Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Federal Government requires for the first time all states to report actual spending at the school level. Fellows can work with states to interpret what this data does (and does not) show about the equitable use of resources within states and districts and possible policy implications.

  • SDP FINANCE FELLOWS TAKE ON PRESSING CHALLENGES

    Understanding "hidden" spending patterns: Because most district and school budgeting is done on an incremental basis (i.e., last year’s spending is the model for this year’s spending), resources are rarely tightly aligned to strategy. Fellows can identify hidden areas where spending is out of line with priorities and work to develop budgeting processes to overcome this.

  • SDP FINANCE FELLOWS TAKE ON PRESSING CHALLENGES

    Developing new budget strategies: Many larger districts are rethinking their budgeting processes - often striving to put more decisions at the school level and having resources follow the student. Fellows can help districts design and manage the transition to new budgeting systems more focused on serving students.

Join Us

SDP will launch a small working group of Finance Fellows in the next SDP Fellowship Cohort in Fall 2020.

Become a Partner

Build and strengthen your data team.

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Become a Fellow

Get started on your path toward impact.

Apply

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