The Data Advisory Working Group (DAWG) is a critical resource for the SSN community. The data-minded participants - who include research and evaluation staff as well as program staff - support the network in ensuring we are measuring what matters, centering youth and practitioner perspectives, so that we can improve equitable outcomes for and with young people. In the past, DAWG has contributed to the generation and iterations of SSN’s SEL survey. In May 2024, we brought back DAWG with the goals of defining and measuring student success competencies and strengthening conditions for improvement across organizations.

Highlights:

Our Data Advisory Working Group (DAWG) wrapped up in April 2025 — and we’re sending it off with gratitude and excitement for what’s next. Here are a few highlights and lessons learned from our year:

Goal 1: Define and Measure Student Success Competencies
This year, DAWG focused on how we understand and measure the skills that matter most for young people’s success. Together, we:

• Conducted a “scan” of existing measures (read the report!)

• Adapted the Future9 Competencies to better reflect SSN’s context

• Developed and piloted a new measure for Building Student Networks in our Improvement Lab

• Surfaced key questions and priorities around equitable, meaningful measurement

Goal 2: Strengthen Conditions for Improvement
DAWG also served as a space for data professionals to learn from each other and build the capacity needed to lead continuous improvement efforts. Together, we:

• Defined organizational conditions that support improvement (check out the rubric!)

• Shared tools, strategies, and real-world challenges

• Informed SSN around learning needs, which led to Improvement Skill workshops on analyzing qualitative data, accessing NYC school data, and survey design

Want to learn more? We’ll be continuing the work sparked by DAWG in future learning spaces, like our Data Pack - a community of practice for folks focused on collecting and using data - launching this fall. For now, explore the DAWG Scan and the Organizational Capacity Rubric to see what emerged from this powerful collaboration and the kind of teamwork that really unleashed our collective potential. 

A special thank you to the Data Folks from the following organizations that made up the 2024-25 DAWG Pound – we couldn’t have asked for a better group to nerd out with over these past few months!