Ideas

Harvard Account Sign In

Sign in with your HarvardKey to access my.Harvard Student, Teaching/Advising, Delegate, Harvard Chan, Admissions, and Admin.

Brown, MGH, & Tufts Students

Register for access to participate in Harvard cross-registration.

  1. Course Search
  2. EDU A052

Leading with Data for Action and Impact
EDU A052

Course Information

Description

Organizations are awash in data.  Yet more data does not automatically lead to better decisions or more just outcomes.  Still, you want your work to matter.  You aspire to launch or lead an organization that changes how people learn and live. As a leader with access to data, you may not run the analyses yourself, but you will be the one deciding which questions to ask, which evidence to trust, and what to do next.  

This course is for education and social-impact leaders who want to use data as a practical tool to inform better decisions, foster continuous improvement, and create greater impact.  Students will learn foundational concepts of data literacy, examine cases from public and private sector organizations, explore how leadership mindsets, power, organizational culture, and assumptions shape the questions organizations ask and the ways they interpret and use data, and practice turning real-world data into concise stories that connect evidence to action for impactful change.

  • By the end of the course, students will be able to: 
    Frame and distinguish between theories of the problem, theories of action, problem statements, and inquiry questions;
  • Align organizational questions with relevant quantitative and qualitative data;
  • Analyze how organizational culture and leadership influence the use of data;
  • Use an equity-centered approach to identify assumptions, consider differential impacts, anticipate unintended consequences, and adapt decisions;
  • Recognize potential biases in data analysis and decision-making and identify ways to mitigate them;
  • Communicate data findings clearly, including what is known, what is uncertain, and what may be challenging;
  • Translate insights into decisions, actions, and strategies for moving forward to achieved desired outcomes; and
  • Explain the role of data governance and identify leadership moves that support responsible data use.
     

Class Notes

Please note that students may add, drop, or change the grading basis for J-Term courses in My.Harvard until January 4th. Beginning January 5th, students who wish to drop a J-Term course and have the DRP removed from their transcript must email registrar@gse.harvard.edu. This request must be submitted before 8:00am on 1/5/2027. 

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 2
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Learning Goals By the end of the course, students will be able to: • Create a clear problem statement and theory of action for an education or social-impact initiative; • Specify focused learning and measurement questions that guide what data are collected and how they are used; • Interpret and probe data summaries, and communicate their implications clearly to funders, partners, boards, and communities; • Reflect on the possibilities and limits of “data-driven” decision-making across different cultural, political, and resource environments, and lead teams to use data thoughtfully; and • Develop data stories that provide a clear, compelling narrative that explains what is happening, why it matters, and what should happen next.
Career Focus

For students who aspire or will be returning to a leadership position in an organization in the education ecosystem.