Strategic Data Project Convening 2026

Akisha Osei Sarfo, Ph.D. is the Director of Research for the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS). The Council supports and advocates for the nation's largest 82 districts including over 7 million children. In her role, she helps guide and develop the work of research directors across the nation's largest urban school districts. She also leads the production of research, data systems, and tools that help inform the state and progress of urban schooling. Prior to joining CGCS, Akisha was senior associate partner at Bellwether Education Partners. Most significantly, Dr. Sarfo served as Chief Performance Officer for Guilford County Schools in North Carolina where she led the division of Accountability, Research and Planning. Dr. Sarfo has also worked as research assistant professor at the Center for Research on Education and Social Policy at the University of Delaware and as a Harvard Strategic Data Project fellow. She has served in various roles conducting research and evaluation at state and federal agencies and in the nonprofit sector. She earned a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in educational research methods from the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in education evaluation, measurement, and statistics from the University of Delaware.