Overview
Education is not only a human right, but also a powerful driver of development and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, stability, and many other development outcomes. The main goal of the Development Impact Group Education Program is to design, implement and disseminate a well-coordinated portfolio of impact evaluation in the education sector (from early childhood development to adult learning) to enhance the effectiveness of country operations and to inform global evidence on the most effective, cost-effective, and scalable interventions and delivery modalities. As a complement to this, this program also develops customized data and evidence on program design and implementation through diagnostic reports, process evaluations, and just-in-time technical assistance. The Development Impact Group Education program also collaborates with governmental and external partners, such as the European Union (EU), the Global Partnership for Education, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to develop, implement, and test innovative solutions for education challenges.
Themes
The Development Impact Group's Education program covers four interrelated functional focus areas that follow the conceptual framework of the 2018 World Development Report, “Learning to realize education’s promise,” including:
School Readiness and Youth Skills
The Development Impact Group focuses on preparing, supporting, and motivating learners across education levels, including providing alternative skills. Partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP), the Development Impact group is producing novel evidence on school feeding programs’ role as a social safety net for children. The Development Impact Group also collaborates with education projects in Nigeria, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire to test the effectiveness of apprenticeship and vocational training programs.
Quality Teachers
The Development Impact Group explores teacher recruitment incentives, teacher training and development modalities, and measurement of teaching practices. In Brazil, providing teachers with in-service training and grants significantly improved student learning and reduced teacher turnover. In Lebanon, allocating resources towards academic advising increased college success.
School Inputs and Infrastructure
The Development Impact Group studies how different school inputs, such as WASH facilities, learning materials, and edtech interventions, can improve learning environments and outcomes. Across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Development Impact group trials edtech foundational learning apps. Specifically in northern Nigeria, community screenings combined with smartphones preloaded with literacy apps improved children’s learning outcomes by 35%.
School Management
The Development Impact Group supports learning through effective leadership and management structures, offering school leaders professional development opportunities to ensure effective use of resources, accountability via community and parental engagement, and bureaucratic capacity to manage schools with autonomy. In Punjab (Pakistan), the Development Impact Group assesses the impact of improved information and civil servant accountability on school management. In Tanzania, the Development Impact Group tests cost-effective ways to deliver professional development training to head teachers.
Cross-Thematic Lens
The Development Impact Group Education program includes four cross-cutting thematic areas including
Girls’ education and empowerment: Identifying barriers to girls’ education and exploring mechanisms that promote gender equity and socio-economic empowerment. In DRC, a diagnostic highlighted constraints to girls’ education and provided policy recommendations for keeping girls in school. Partnerships in DRC and Nigeria explore the effectiveness of life skills training through Girls Clubs on school retention and learning outcomes.
Social norms and behavioral change campaigns: Examining community-based approaches and entertainment education to challenge harmful social norms towards education. For instance, in northern Nigeria, edutainment screenings increased parental aspirations for their children’s education and reduced out-of-school rates.
Safe and inclusive schools: Identifying reliable mechanisms for school violence prevention and approaches for quality, inclusive education. In Tanzania, the Development Impact Group works with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) to strengthen the Primary Safe School Program, promoting safe and inclusive school climates via holistic community involvement.
Climate change: Exploring the impact of efficient learning spaces and environmentally friendly school inputs on education outcomes. In northern Tanzania, the evaluation of the GivePower School Program assesses the effects of school electrification through solar panels, TV sets, and digital media.
Partnerships
The Development Impact Group's Education program collaborates with governments and partners, leveraging technology to address education challenges and improve digital management. Key partners include the EU, FCDO, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), WFP, the Global Partnership for Education, and IFC. For example, with the World Bank Group Education Global Practice, the Development Impact Group has provided policy recommendations to keep girls in school. The Development Impact Group also contributes to the Childcare Initiative, researching childcare provision impacts, and with WFP, explores school feeding programs as a social safety net.
