The U.S. Department of Education's (Department) mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The Department pursues its mission by establishing policies and distributing corresponding funds, focusing national attention on key educational issues, prohibiting discrimination, ensuring equal access to education, and collecting and disseminating data on America's schools and supporting research on evidence of effectiveness of education programs and practices. While these functions are at the Department's core, there has not yet been a fully cohesive data-centered approach to supporting the agency's mission. The Department Data Strategy describes a vision, establishes strategic goals for advancing data capabilities, and envisions agency-wide outcomes. It establishes an ambitious vision as the point on the horizon: "To realize the full potential of data to improve education outcomes and lead the nation in a new era of evidence-based policy insights and data-driven operations." This Department-wide effort will include discussions across the agency about data priorities that will help improve data maturity and the Department's capabilities to leverage data, operationalize and optimize data governance, and drive cultural change for the benefit of internal and external stakeholders. The Department Data Strategy is intended to be revisited on a regular basis -- to balance the need for continuity, achievement, and taking stock of the evolving data and policy landscape.