Community Award Spotlight
Dan Ralyea didn’t expect a school data reporting project to shape his career. But as he worked with school leaders, he saw how hard it was to get timely, reliable information. That experience changed how he viewed education data and the role it plays in helping educators make better decisions for students.
That commitment to turning better data into practical progress is also what earned Dan recognition through the Ed-Fi Alliance Community Awards, which celebrate individuals and organizations whose leadership, collaboration, and contributions strengthen the Ed-Fi Community. Dan’s work reflects that spirit by taking shared ideas and turning them into solutions that make a difference for educators, students, and education agencies.
Today, as chief innovation officer for the South Carolina Department of Education, Dan is helping build a more connected education data system that gives educators, district leaders, and state decision-makers the information they need to better support students. His focus isn’t simply on collecting more data. It’s on ensuring information can move between systems, reach the people who need it, and be used to improve outcomes for students.
Improving the Approach
South Carolina began implementing the Ed-Fi Data Standard in 2012, and the state’s first approach revealed important lessons. Districts sent data to the state in their existing formats, and the state then converted it to align with the Ed-Fi Data Standard. While this simplified reporting for districts, changing the data after it left local systems could strip away important context and make it harder to maintain consistent, high-quality information.
Rather than abandoning the effort, South Carolina changed course. Dan and his team focused on implementing the Ed-Fi Data Standard at the district level and establishing a district-led governance model that gave local leaders a voice in how the system evolved. That shift turned a reporting project into a foundation for real-time information educators can use every day.
Building Together
When asked what he’s most proud of, Dan points to the people who were initially skeptical but now advocate for the work because they’ve seen the difference it makes. For him, that’s the strongest sign of success. Across South Carolina, educators now have more consistent, reliable information to make decisions for students, turning years of data work into practical value in schools and districts.
Looking Ahead
After helping build the foundation for more connected education data, Dan is focused on making sure students benefit directly from it. Dan directed his Community Award charitable donation toward developing a microcredentialing system that gives students a clear record of the skills, achievements, and experiences they gain over time. With that information in hand, students can better understand their progress and share what they’ve learned with colleges, employers, and other organizations.
For Dan, what comes next builds on the same idea that has guided his work from the beginning: give students and educators clear, useful information they can act on to support what comes next.
Dan Ralyea is currently Chief Innovation Officer at the South Carolina Department of Education in Columbia, SC. Previously, he was a teacher and research specialist at Rock Hill School District and Chief Operating Officer at KW Textiles in Buffalo, New York.
