Office of the Chief Data Officer - Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development: U.S. Department of Education

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Office of the Chief Data Officer

The Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) is responsible for managing and improving the Department's ability to leverage data as a strategic asset. The OCDO is led by the Department's Chief Data Officer (CDO), whose responsibilities include lifecycle data management and developing and enforcing data governance policies. The OCDO has oversight over the Department's information collections approval and associated OMB clearance process. It is responsible for developing and enforcing the Department's open data plan, including management of a centralized comprehensive data inventory accounting for all data assets across the Department. The OCDO is also responsible for developing and maintaining a technological and analytical infrastructure that is responsive to the Department's strategic data needs, exploiting traditional and emerging analytical methods to improve decision making, optimize outcomes, and create efficiencies.

Additional information on the implementation of the Evidence Act at the Department, charter of the Data Governance Board, and the Department’s Data Strategy can be found at https://www.ed.gov/data.

Has oversight over the Department's information collections approval and associated OMB clearance process;
Develops and enforces the Department's open data plan, including management of a centralized comprehensive data inventory accounting for all data assets across the Department;
Develops and maintains a technological and analytical infrastructure responsive to the Department's strategic data needs, exploiting traditional and emerging analytical methods to improve decision making, optimize outcomes, and create efficiencies; and
Coordinates ED data across the Department, federal government, and public and private sectors.

To drive these functions, the OCDO is comprised of three divisions, collectively developing, supporting, and enforcing the Department's data strategy, data governance, and strategic use of data assets:

This division is responsible for developing and enforcing the Department’s data strategy and data governance policies. It provides oversight and strategic review of the Department’s information collections and clearance processes. The head of this division serves as the DGB’s program manager and represents the CDO, as needed, on the Department’s Planning and Investment Review Working Group (PIRWG). Responsibilities are supported through two formal work streams:

Data Governance and Policy Team

The Governance and Policy group supports development and execution of OCDO and Department policies on lifecycle data management, data resources, data protection, data quality, access, and dissemination; serves as OCDO liaison for government and non-governmental requests for data access; prioritizes data asset inventory as in accordance with Department’s open data plan; evaluates data for value, risk, and quality, and enforces agency policies under the Information Quality Act; represents OCDO in Disclosure Review Board (DRB) proceedings; and coordinates with the Department’s Senior Agency Official for Privacy to review and approve systems of records notices, computer matching agreements, and other memoranda of understanding related to data access and disclosure. Key efforts managed by the Data Governance and Policy Team include the Data Governance Board and the Data Strategy.

Strategic Collections and Clearance Team

The Strategic Collections and Clearance (SCC) team within the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD), is responsible for ensuring the agency’s information collections are consistent with data management best practices and compliant with both the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 and Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (Public Law 104-13). The SCC ensures all new and existing information collection requests (ICRs) are reviewed and approved internally and facilitates submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to obtain final approval. Key work managed by the SCC team include Information Collection, Information Quality, and liaising with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Please contact us with any questions or comments via email at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or visit the PRA Public Comments section at the top of this page.

This division is responsible for developing and maintaining a technological and analytical infrastructure to be responsive to the strategic data needs of the Department’s staff. It provides analytic support and data expertise to the Assistant Secretary and POCs, supporting the improvement of decision making, optimization of programs for desired outcomes, and reduction of burden, improper payments, and other risks. It leads the Department’s data literacy program, promotes skills development for Department data professionals, and fosters a data culture across the Department. Responsibilities are supported through two formal work streams:

Analytics and Evaluation Team

The Analytics and Evaluation team exploits cutting-edge and emerging methods, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence for program optimization, predictive analytics, and the development of other analytical products; conducts quick-turn analyses that leverage methodological techniques such as statistical modeling, quasi-experimental conditions, experimental designs, and A/B testing; developing micro-and macro-level forecasts and trends; and identifying and managing agency risk in agency programs and products, including the federal student loan portfolio, through the development of risk models, profiles, and scoring. Key work of the Analytics and Evaluation team includes the Department's Data Literacy Program, priority and ongoing research and evaluation activities, and data visualizations.

Data Infrastructure and Support Team

The Data Infrastructure and Support team supports the maintenance and continuous improvement of technological and analytical infrastructure needed for lifecycle data management and strategic use of data; boosts operational data systems through the deployment of prescriptive models that enable and automate data-driven decisions in real time; and serves as program data experts that execute, on behalf of POCs and leadership, quick turnaround analyses requiring extraction and transformation from Department systems. Key work of the Data Infrastructure and Support team includes the planning and development of an enterprise-wide analytic platform by capturing analytic use cases on unmet business needs, planning platform technical requirements to support analytics, and coordinating with key stakeholders and investment partners around data lifecycle management.

This division is responsible for improving the Department's ability to leverage data as a strategic asset. It develops, publishes, and oversees implementation of the Department's Open Data Plan. It supports the CDO in coordinating with other agencies on the use of agency data, engaging with the public and private sector to improve data use and on obtaining and using data. It develops tactical solutions to emerging data challenges for broader agency deployment. Responsibilities are supported through two formal workstreams:

Data Products Team

The Data Products team develops and maintains products that describe agency data assets and facilitates their reuse and understanding; manages the comprehensive data inventory, accounting for all agency data assets, and curates that inventory to enrich and improve the usefulness of its content; promotes data sharing, making data accessible, understandable, and reusable; and develops and maintains innovative public-facing consumer information portals and products for interactively exploring data assets and illustrating insights from analysis.

Integration and Access Management Team

The Integration and Access Management team coordinates with other agencies, private sector organizations, and other agency offices to obtain data assets in support of the agency's mission or to provide agency data assets in support of another agency's mission; develops solutions that provide tiered access to data assets based on public need and privacy protocols; and partners with OCIO and POC Data Coordinators to identify, evaluate, and implement innovative technology solutions for improving the collection, access, and reuse of data.

Greg Fortelny became the Chief Data Officer (CDO) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in July 2019, designated by the Secretary of Education in accordance with the requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) and associated OMB guidance. Greg started his public sector career as a statistician using data to improve student outcomes and business operations in the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), an agency then serving over 40 million customers and a loan portfolio of over $1.4 trillion. There he helped establish FSA’s Enterprise Data Office and became FSA’s Director of Statistical Research and Modeling. In 2018 Greg became the Director of the Program and Policy Studies Service, ED’s internal think tank responsible for conducting policy analysis and developing consumer information tools such as the College Scorecard. As CDO, Greg leads ED’s new Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO), which is responsible for data governance, open data initiatives, and data analytics to improve the agency’s ability to leverage data as strategic asset.

The CDO serves as chair of the Data Governance Board, co-chair of the Department’s Data Strategy Team, sits on the federal CDO Council, represents ED on the Federal Advisory Committee for Data and Evidence Building, and is the Department’s Strategic Goal 3 Leader.

The CDO is charged with carrying out the responsibilities listed in 44 U.S.C. § 3520, including, but not limited to, lifecycle data management and developing and enforcing the Department’s data strategy and governance policies. The CDO:

Chairs the Department Data Governance Board (DGB), gathering input from across the Department to inform policy and process decisions about the development and use of the Department’s data assets;
Serves as the Department liaison to other agencies and OMB on the best way to use existing agency data for statistical purposes;
Coordinates with the Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) to improve infrastructure and reduce barriers that inhibit data asset accessibility and on implementing and enforcing applicable policies and procedures with respect to records management;
Engages agency employees, the public, and contractors in using public data assets and encouraging collaborative approaches on improving data use;
Supports the Department’s Performance Improvement Officer and Evaluation Officer in obtaining and using data to carry out their respective missions; and
Submits annual reports to Congress on agency compliance with the OPEN Government Data Act.

Sharon Boivin, PhD
Deputy Chief Data Officer for Analytics and Infrastructure

Dr. Sharon A. Boivin, Deputy Chief Data Officer for Analytics and Infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Education, has worked in the fields of education data, research, and statistics for over 30 years. In her role as DCDO, Dr. Boivin leads ED efforts to improve data access and use by developing improved data pipelines and supporting enterprise analytics to ensure that data has a seat at the table in discussions about policy, program, and operations. She spent most of her career at the National Center for Education Statistics working on surveys covering K12, postsecondary, and adult and career education. From 2016 to 2019 she played a major role in the development of Federal data policy, first on the staff of the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking and later, on detail to the Office of Management and Budget where she recruited and led a team of Federal Data Fellows from 18 agencies helping to develop a comprehensive Federal Data Strategy. Dr. Boivin was excited to join the Office of the Chief Data Officer in late 2019 to help implement new policies to improve access, use, and dissemination of ED data to support evidence-based decisions. Dr. Boivin earned her Ph.D. in Education Research from the University of Virginia.

Jessica Barrett Simpson
Deputy Chief Data Officer for Governance and Strategy

Jessica Barrett (JB) Simpson, Deputy Chief Data Officer for Governance and Strategy has worked at the U.S. Department of Education for nearly 15 years. In her role as DCDO, JB leads the Division of Governance and Strategy, which is responsible for developing and enforcing the Department's data strategy and governance policies, providing oversight for the Department’s information collections and clearance processes, and fostering an agency wide data culture. The division is composed of two workstreams: Governance and Policy and Strategic Collections and Clearance. In prior roles JB served in the Office of Postsecondary Education as a program officer for higher education grant programs, including work to improve performance reporting and program evaluations. She also worked in the Office of Federal Student Aid in the Customer Analytics Group and on efforts to improve the student loan borrower experience. Most recently she managed the Next Gen Digital and Customer Care program, a modernization initiative that included the StudentAid.gov website, contact center applications, communications, and an AI-driven virtual assistant. JB has a Master's degree in Public Administration from New York University and a B.A. in Intercultural Studies.

Keith Tucker
Deputy Chief Data Officer for Innovation and Engagement

Keith Tucker, Deputy Chief Data Officer for Innovation and Engagement, has over 25 years of experience in data and metadata management in the Federal Government. Keith leads the Innovation and Engagement Division, which is charged with improving the Department's ability to leverage data as a strategic asset. The division develops and oversees implementation of the Department's Open Data Plan, maintains the Department's comprehensive data inventory, develops compelling data products showcasing the Department's data, and engages with the public and private sector to improve data understanding and use. Keith is an advocate for open data, and open government in general. He advanced the open data initiatives of several agencies earlier in his Federal career. Keith joined the U.S. Department of Education in August 2020 to help build on the Department's long-standing practice of openly sharing data. Keith holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida.

Department of Education Data Strategy

The Department, through its Data Governance Board, established the inaugural Department of Education Data Strategy [PDF, 1.23MB] in December 2020. Putting in place a data strategy is a key milestone under Action 2 ("Institutionalize Agency Data Governance") of the 2020 Federal Data Strategy Action Plan. The Department of Education Data Strategy describes the Department's vision for accelerating progress toward becoming a data-driven organization and fully leveraging the power of data to advance the Department's mission of ensuring equal access and fostering educational excellence for our nation's learners.

See text below for the full information seen in this graphic

U.S. Department of Education Data Strategy
Vision: To realize the full potential of data to improve education outcomes and lead the nation in a new era of evidence-based policy insights and data-driven operations.

Mission: Optimize the Department's ability to provide trusted data and insights to internal and external stakeholders.

Guiding Principles: Ethical Governance, Conscious Design, Learning Culture

Goal 1: Strengthen Agency-Wide Data Governance

Implement new data governance program,
Develop data policy framework around data lifecycle,
Implement data investment management process,
Formalize principal office data management functions,
Implement enterprise data quality approach,

Goal 2: Build Human Capacity to Leverage Data

Develop a data workforce plan,
Develop and implement data literacy program,
Establish career paths/training for data professionals,
Implement short-term data workforce staffing plan,

Goal 3: Advance the Strategic Use of Data

Identify and deliver learning agenda data needs,
Initiate an enterprise analytics platform,
Integrate data visualization and storytelling in communications,
Improve program performance and accountability measures,
Ensure grant management system supports strategic data use,

Goal 4: Improve Data Access, Transparency, and Privacy

Implement Open Data Plan,
Operationalize comprehensive data inventory,
Establish access for researchers to non-public data,
Enhance information collection data governance,
Develop a privacy playbook,

Timeline: 18-24 months

Questions? data@ed.gov

Find the right fit!

https://www.collegescorecard.ed.gov

College Scorecard provides data that help prospective students and their advocates find the right fit for postsecondary education. College Scorecard's consumer site allows users to search and compare colleges based on a highlighted set of data elements such as graduation rates, average annual cost, loan repayment rates, post-completion earnings for specific fields of study, and more. Researchers and developers also have access to over 2,000 downloadable data elements enabled through an application programming interface.

https://data.ed.gov

Search and access all publicly available data profiles published by the U.S. Department of Education from one location.

Covid-Relief-Data.ed.gov is dedicated to collecting and disseminating data and information about the three primary Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) programs managed by the Department of Education and authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.

Education Stabilization Fund Public Transparency Portal from the U.S. Department of Education: https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov

Office of the Chief Data Officer

Office Contacts

Office of Educational Technology

Reports & Resources

Student Privacy Policy Office

Grants Policy Office

Office of Budget Services

The Department of Education accepts comments on pending information collection requests (ICRs) through both regulations.gov and www.reginfo.gov. Both sites improve the public's access to participate in the public comment process for rulemaking, ICRs and other types of notices, by providing one central electronic location to search, retrieve, and read all related material. Through the sites, the public can view a description of information collection requests currently open for comment, read the full text of these documents and any supporting documents, and submit comments to the appropriate Federal Agency. The public can read comments filed by other members of the public during the public comment period and has the ability to respond to those comments.

For ICRs under the 60-day comment period, please visit www.regulations.gov to view documents and provide comments. For ICRs under the 30-day comment period at OMB, ICRs concluded by OMB within 30 days, and active information collections, please visit www.reginfo.gov.

For more information on Regulations.gov, click on the following links to get an overview of the system and to view FAQs. Information on reginfo.gov can be obtained here.