China

This series of reports was produced by Omidyar Network’s Education initiative, whose mission is to unlock human potential through learning by catalyzing people, ideas, and systems – so every individual thrives and contributes in a changing and interdependent world. The Omidyar Network team included Eliza Erikson, Erin Simmons, Rebecca Hankin, and Eshanthi Ranasinghe. The data underpinning this report come from interviews, surveys, site visits, and desk research by a team of researchers and EdTech practitioners led by RTI International, drawing on local expertise in each of the case study countries. The team conducted more than 100 interviews with teachers, school principals, education administrators, policymakers, and EdTech experts. This study sought to understand the conditions that have thus far enabled EdTech initiatives to scale in China. The study found that there is a multibillion dollar business opportunity for EdTech entrepreneurs that leverage widespread access to mobile internet and performance pressure generated by cultural values and government standards. Reaching rural and ethnic minority schools with equal access to high quality lessons through virtual teaching and blended models of instruction.

Assessment of learning and the quality of early learning environments is an important component of early childhood education. This brief outlines the existing early learning assessments of children and environments used in the Asia region, excluding diagnostic and screening assessments.

Omidyar Network commissioned Scaling Access & Impact: Realizing the Power of EdTech to evaluate what might be necessary to enable, scale, and sustain Equitable EdTech on a national basis. We examined initiatives in Chile, China, Indonesia, and the USA that demonstrate how EdTech reached a broad spectrum of students. Download the executive summary to learn more about some of the events, actions, and initiatives that have contributed to the equitable scaling of EdTech as well as help inform policies using the highest-impact interventions.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Early Grade Reading (EGR) Project in the West Bank completed its first year successfully with the completion of assessments and surveys, curriculum and standards reviews, and instructional materials in preparation for Year 2 implementation in schools. EGR worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) to ensure their partnership in project activities. EGR administered two important assessments: a Time on Task (TOT) study, which determined the amount of time classroom teachers spent on reading and writing instruction, and the project baseline assessment, which provided a snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of the students in the EGR-supported schools. The team also conducted a comprehensive review of the MOEHE’s standards and curricular documents related to early grade reading and writing to inform the development of the training materials and the complementary reading materials. By the end of the first year, EGR had established to support the MOEHE to implement a high-quality reading and writing program in 104 EGR-supported primary schools.