Nancy Sharkey

Background

About Nancy Sharkey

Bringing over 30 years of experience in education, research, data systems, and policy, I work as a Statistician at the U.S. Department of Education. My role centers on leading the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) Grant Program, enabling states to build and use robust data systems to inform important education, workforce, and social service policy and practice decisions. By directing technical assistance initiatives and developing tools like the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) toolkit, I empower state teams to achieve their data collection, storage, and usage goals effectively. My efforts reflect a dedication to fostering collaboration across states, federal teams, funders, and advocacy and support organizations to advance data-driven decision-making in education and workforce systems. With expertise in project management, strategic planning, team leadership, and technical assistance, I aim to ensure high-quality data informs equitable and impactful policies that drive meaningful change. With a background in teaching and in school- and district-based policy research, my efforts to support improvement in processes and outcomes are driven by practical experience.