Commentary

Going Virtual: Reflections and Key Considerations

Sun, 04/05/2020 - 20:29 By

Like many other organizations working in global education, RTI International is working rapidly to understand the implications of the COVID-19 crisis on our overall institution and the way we function, on how we can support our staff and projects, and how we can support education goals in the countries where RTI staff live and work. Do we have all the solutions? Certainly not. But, we are learning and want to share our experience, tools, and resources in the hope they help others.

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Understanding and leveraging the promise of positive school and classroom climates: What we have learned from Malawi and Uganda

Sun, 01/12/2020 - 10:47 By

Schools that prioritize the wellbeing of students and teachers, as well as academic performance, provide a foundation from which to build a welcoming, safe, and supportive place for all children to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. When students feel cared about, physically, socially, and academically safe, and free to ask questions and express their ideas, they look forward to coming to school every day and develop the confidence and sense of personal agency they need to stay in school and perform well.

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A Quality Assurance Framework for technical and vocational education

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 10:15 By

To become or remain economically vibrant, countries must have a consistent influx of youth who possess the skills required to thrive in the labor market. Yet data from most countries indicate a considerable gap in foundational and occupational skills that local employers demand in a 21st-century workplace. What strategies work to meet current and future workforce needs and ensure positive outcomes for youth?  This framework answers some of these questions.

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"Countries are paying for pre-primary without realizing it" - An interview with Luis Crouch

Fri, 07/12/2019 - 08:30 By

In many countries, we see large, over-crowded classrooms in grade 1 that result in lower quality instruction.  What causes this over-crowding?  In many cases, it’s under-reported student repetition and that it leads to more drop-outs and lower primary school completion rates. This means that governments are investing in more years of schooling for lower quality outcomes.  

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Tablets to support teachers to teach reading in Uganda: Feel good? Yes. Effective? Partially. Promising? Definitely.

Tue, 06/25/2019 - 18:26 By

Tablet programs are extremely popular among beneficiaries. And we get it. When a grant opportunity came up to provide tablets and training to Coordinating Center Tutors (CCTs)[1], the USAID/Uganda School Health and Reading Program jumped. We had been working with CCTs since 2013 and had a strong process in place involving literacy-focused classroom observation tools and a system of joint support supervision designed to build capacity of the CCTs while supporting teachers at the schools.

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