SDP Cohort 18 Orientation: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

Monday August 31, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session is designed to build a shared understanding of strategic data use across our institution. Together, we’ll explore the foundations of data strategy, gain familiarity with the SDP Rubric, and preview how we’ll work together today to highlight our current strengths and opportunities for growth.

No pre-work is required—just bring your curiosity, readiness to participate, and an open mind for learning together.

PREWORK
None

MATERIALS
None

Monday August 31, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

10:00am EDT

Actionable Analyses

Monday August 31, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
This session will delve into what makes data truly actionable, moving beyond compliance to analyses that catalyze meaningful change within the K-12 educational landscape. You will explore the “Actionable Analyses” pillar of the SDP Rubric through real-world examples, collaborative discussions, and focused self-reflection. Together, we’ll distinguish between surface-level metrics and transformative inquiry, learning how to probe deeply into both specific problems and broadly across new questions. By the end, you’ll inventory your own institution’s data practices, reflect on areas for growth, and learn from promising practices across the cohort.
No pre-work is required—just bring your experience, curiosity, and a readiness to engage in reflection and dialogue.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
A print and bound rubric will be shared with participants in person, and made available digitally following the workshop.

Monday August 31, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

12:30pm EDT

Quality Data Systems

Monday August 31, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

SESSION DESCRIPTION
This session will guide you through the critical role of robust data systems in advancing K-12 education. Together, we’ll examine the “Quality Data Systems” pillar of the SDP Rubric, distinguishing between insufficient data practices and systems that truly support ongoing learning and improvement. Through interactive discussions, practical frameworks such as the Data Access Ladder, and reflective activities, you’ll learn how to ensure your data is Complete, Reliable, Accurate, and Private (C.R.A.P.), while anticipating future needs and ethical considerations. By the end of the session, you will have evaluated your own system’s strengths and growth areas, and gained actionable strategies for evolving toward higher-quality, future-ready data systems.

No pre-work is required—bring your experiences, your questions, and your appetite for building better data together.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
A print and bound rubric will be shared with participants in person, and made available digitally following the workshop.

Monday August 31, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

2:00pm EDT

People-First Communications

Monday August 31, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
Effective data use in education depends on clear, ethical, and audience-centered communication. In this interactive session, you will explore common pitfalls in data visualization and messaging, examine how trust and organizational culture shape the reception of data, and reflect on the ethical responsibilities of data communicators. Through real-world examples, group activities, and institutional reflection, you’ll develop strategies for translating complex analyses into actionable, trustworthy insights for diverse stakeholders.
No pre-work is required—come ready to share experiences and strengthen your data communication skills.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
A print and bound rubric will be shared with participants in person, and made available digitally following the workshop.

Monday August 31, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

3:30pm EDT

Strategic Data Leadership & Day 1 Closing

Monday August 31, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
Effective data leadership in education depends on clear vision, intentional decision-making, and a culture that values learning from evidence. In this interactive session, you will explore what strong data leadership looks like, examine common challenges leaders face in using data strategically, and reflect on how organizational structures and culture can enable or hinder progress. Through discussion and self-assessment, you’ll identify your organization’s current strengths and areas for growth in leading with data.
No pre-work is required—come ready to share experiences and strengthen your data communication skills.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
A print and bound rubric will be shared with participants in person, and made available digitally following the workshop.

Monday August 31, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

9:00am EDT

Developing Your Problem Statement

Tuesday September 1, 2026 9:00am - 11:15am EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
This hands-on session will guide you in crafting clear, compelling problem statements that anchor impactful, data-driven projects. Through case studies, guided curiosity practices, and collaborative activities, you will examine pitfalls in problem definition, use data to articulate their current state, and envision meaningful change. You’ll practice refining problem statements, challenge core assumptions, and synthesize your insights into a logic model that connects problems to actionable solutions.

MATERIALS
See attachments below.

BEFORE THE SESSION

Read the article, Curiosity: The Gateway Competency. (Attached Below)
Revisit the problem statement from your agency’s SDP Fellowship application. Submit an updated problem statement per unique fellow project here. Please submit by 10/22.
If you wish to reference your application submission and do not have access to an internal copy, please email Sarah Blake ([email protected]).

Tuesday September 1, 2026 9:00am - 11:15am EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

11:15am EDT

Lunch (Supervisors Breakout)

Tuesday September 1, 2026 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

During lunch, Supervisors will meet with Rebecca Marshall in GCC Room 3 for an overview of key supervisor supports and action items for the SDP fellowship experience.

Fellows and guests will have access to our meeting rooms (GCC 4 & 5) for lunch.

Tuesday September 1, 2026 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

Meal

12:30pm EDT

Building Sustainable Relationships for Project Success

Tuesday September 1, 2026 12:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
In this session, we will learn about some of the theory and frameworks behind relationship-building, identify your projects' interested parties and individuals, and analyze the roles they might play in the success of your project. At the end of the session, fellows and their supervisors will walk away with the start of a customized, actionable stakeholder engagement plan.

MATERIALS
See attached readings.

Supplemental:

Blog Post: Erika Larsen Feature
https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/blog/2025/01/leveraging-data-foster-family-engagement
Erika Larsen Impact Story (see attached)

PRE-WORK / BEFORE THE SESSION
Please read “Friend, Foe, Ally, Adversary…Or Something Else?”

As you read: Reflect on each of the mistakes identified in the reading. Try to think of an example from your work life for at least two. How did a relationship misclassification impact you, your work, and/or your team?

Consider the project your organization will undertake for the fellowship. Begin to think broadly about those who will be engaged in, impacted by, or decision makers for the work. How would you start to classify them?

Tuesday September 1, 2026 12:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

2:30pm EDT

Orientation Part 1: Closing Reflection

Tuesday September 1, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
In this closing session, we’ll reflect on the powerful insights and practical strategies developed throughout our time together—spanning data leadership, system quality, analytical inquiry, problem definition, and effective communication. Participants will reflect on key takeaways, celebrate progress, and set intentions for implementing new practices in their own education contexts. We’ll revisit our shared purpose of driving meaningful improvement through strategic, actionable, and ethical data use. Leave inspired and equipped to champion data-driven change in your institution—no pre-work required, just your insights and commitment moving forward.

Following this session supervisors will depart.

MATERIALS
None

PRE-WORK
None

Tuesday September 1, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

3:30pm EDT

Making the Most of the Fellowship (Part 1)

Tuesday September 1, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
In this session, we kick off the second half of Orientation by focusing on what it means to be a Strategic Data Project fellow. We will hear from some alumni and current fellows about "Making the Most" of their time and experience as a member of this network and community.

This session will dive into the elements and deliverables of your Strategic Data Project, including key dates and timelines for planning your work. The Year 1 workshop series will be explored, and you'll start to map a vision for what's next in your learning journey at SDP.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
None

Tuesday September 1, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

9:00am EDT

Cohort Connection Building with Adventure Associates

Wednesday September 2, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
SDP Fellows will have the unique opportunity to engage in authentic teambuilding through our partners at Adventure Associates. These activities will have low physical input and build trust between fellows. All activities will be indoors and preserve personal space.

This program brings to life theories & models about team dynamics & role identification, featuring guided debriefs after each challenge. Fellows may engage in a series of mental & physical activities ranging from elaborate problem-solving to light-hearted contests.

No activities will ask you to catch, hold, touch, etc. your peers. Physical activities and movement include walking, standing, and crouching. Activities do not require jumping or running, or any strenuous exercise.

Please wear your SDP T-Shirt for this session. Time is provided in the agenda for a quick break and change.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
Please see the attached informational document from our colleagues at Adventure Associates!

Wednesday September 2, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

1:30pm EDT

Know Your Story; Share Your Story

Wednesday September 2, 2026 1:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
The surprising value add of our work is not the rigor of the analysis itself but often our ability to translate complicated ideas into understandable data narratives. We spend a considerable amount of effort in that translation process alone. It’s important for us all to consider how our own stories and perspectives shape the ways we communicate about the world. To do that, we must practice introspection and empathy.

This interactive session will ask you to reflect on your own story, hear some fundamental elements of storytelling and take away some important considerations such as the audience and intended impact of your storytelling. Bring your journals and pencils/pens and prepare to write!

MATERIALS
A journal will be provided to you for this session.

BEFORE THE SESSION
Identify your favorite poem and be prepared to share its name and author.

PRE-WORK SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
None.

Wednesday September 2, 2026 1:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

4:00pm EDT

Leadership in Practice

Wednesday September 2, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
During this session, we’ll draw on the best practices for leading with data, even when facing some of the roadblocks that you are likely to experience during your time as an SDP fellow. You'll learn from your cohort peers, expand your thinking on how to manage common challenges, and come away with new perspectives and fresh strategies to try to solve tensions that may arise with the people and groups you interact with in your workplace. Through interactive discussions, you will examine how effective leadership and strong data skills can be used to support lasting organizational change. The session will also provide practical tools and frameworks you can use to foster collaboration, build trust, and drive continuous improvement with data at the center of your leadership practice.

PRE-WORK
Please submit this one-question form and let us know what was the best work advice you have ever received. Please submit the form by October 27th.

MATERIALS

Handout - Problem Solving Scenarios (see attached)
Slide Deck

Wednesday September 2, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

9:00am EDT

Your Strategic "Data" Project

Thursday September 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
Your research questions will guide your analytic planning, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings. This cornerstone of research is deceptively simple, and is often what Fellows return to and refine throughout the Fellowship. This session will jumpstart that process, distinguishing between research objectives, agendas, and questions, discussing different types of research questions, applying insights to their capstone project and planning forward.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
See graphic organizer attached below.

Thursday September 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:45am EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

General Session

11:00am EDT

Making the Most of the Fellowship (Part 2)

Thursday September 3, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

OVERVIEW
As we wrap up our time together in Cambridge, this closing session invites us to reflect on the major takeaways from our shared experience. Together, we’ll surface what you’re most eager for and any lingering questions you still have as you move forward.

We’ll also co-create a vision for what you hope to see, learn, and benefit from in the next stages of your journey. This session will provide important reminders about what’s coming next and introduce you to our central home base for ongoing resources and reminders. Most importantly, we will take a moment to express gratitude and appreciation to our peers for the commitment, insight, and support shared this week and in all the work ahead.

PRE-WORK
None

MATERIALS
None

Thursday September 3, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
GCC 4&5 - Gutman Conference Center

Supplemental Session

SDP Cohort 18 Orientation

9:00am EDT

10:00am EDT

12:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

11:15am EDT

12:30pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

1:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

9:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

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