Commentary

What a Review of the Learning at Scale Study Tells Us about Scaling Education Interventions

Fri, 01/17/2025 - 17:07 By Jonathan Stern

n October 2023, the Learning at Scale(link is external) study officially came to a close. The study was designed to investigate factors contributing to successful improvements in foundational learning outcomes in effective, large-scale early grade literacy and numeracy programs. These programs are typically in short supply in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and where they do exist, there has been limited research into how they can be used to inform other programs. The goal of Learning at Scale was to draw on the successful approaches and characteristics of these programs to provide policymakers and development practitioners with evidence-based strategies for improving instruction (and student outcomes) across contexts.

Fri, 01/17/2025 - 11:27 By Matthew Jukes Engagement, Play, Classroom observation, Measurement Tool

How can children be engaged in the classroom? And what effect does this have on their learning? When we visited classrooms in Kenya, Ghana, Colombia and Jordan to initially develop the Engage tool, we noticed that teachers – even with the same training, materials, and lesson plans – varied a great deal in how they engaged the children they were teaching. In some classrooms, children were absorbed by the activities – interacting with classmates, thinking critically, and deciding for themselves how to go about a task.

Fri, 05/31/2024 - 14:35 By Joe DeStefano

This is a collaborative blog by Sarah Kabay, Director of IPA's Education sector program, and Joseph DeStefano, Senior Director, Policy, Systems & Governance at RTI International. They share some thoughts on why costs might increase when scaling education programs.

Wed, 04/03/2024 - 13:01 By Sarah Pouezevara

At the 68th annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), a global network of researchers and practitioners gathered to exchange diverse perspectives on how to improve education worldwide. During panels, workshops, and networking events, attendees shared insights, discussed ideas, and formed new partnerships.

Over 30 RTI experts contributed research on topics such as learning remediation and recovery, system strengthening for improved literacy and numeracy, social emotional learning, climate resilience in education, and more.

Mon, 01/15/2024 - 14:28 By lhristov

Have you ever experienced a classroom where the teacher seems to do all the talking, they rarely pose open-ended questions, and do not foster active discussions? Some lessons revolve entirely around students listening, capturing, and echoing the teacher's words.

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What a Review of the Learning at Scale Study Tells Us about Scaling Education Interventions

Introducing Engage – A Tool for Measuring Adult-Child Interactions that Boost Learning

Diseconomies of Scale: Does Scaling Educational Interventions Cost More Than We Think?

Our contributions to CIES 2024

Empowering Teachers to Improve Learning Outcomes Through Technology

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