The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) houses the Strategic Data Project (SDP), founded in 2008 to find and develop talented data leaders for education agencies to uncover trends, measure solutions, and effectively communicate evidence to education stakeholders. SDP places Data Fellows within its partner agencies. Our premise is that bolstering data analytic capacity would significantly improve decision-making and, thus, outcomes for children. Our network of system leaders, fellows, and faculty regularly come together to share how to best use data to make a difference in education. With the support of practitioners, researchers and faculty, SDP trains its Fellows to build a culture of data use and lead with evidence.