International Education

Happy school children in FRAME program, India

For millions of children in developing countries, education can be the key to improving their lives and communities. But access to education for children, and to training and technical assistance for teachers and governments, is a struggle for many.

Research and application demonstrate that programs can be successful in fostering literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking; developing teachers; and increasing educational opportunities for children and youth.

Latest Work

9 Jan 2021
Journal Article

An Examination of Early Grade Reading Assessments in Central Asia: Using Factor Analysis to Determine the Latent Data Structure in Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik

The early grade reading assessment (EGRA) is frequently used in low and middle-income countries to inform the state of reading outcomes and reading instruction. In this study, Grade 2 and 4 assessment results in the Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik languages from the Kyrgyz Republic (4,751 pupils) and Tajikistan (4,328 pupils) were analyzed to determine the number and nature of the underlying EGRA constructs.
Image of young family in Africa with root vegetables
14 Dec 2020
In the Field

From East Africa to the Caribbean: Finding Solutions to Research Challenges During COVID-19

Conducting research and providing technical assistance in developing countries has long been challenging and unpredictable. Here, experts from AIR and IMPAQ and local staff in the field share learned lessons this year about creative solutions to research problems that they will carry with them when encountering future challenges.
Image of smiling girl in Bangladesh
20 Oct 2020
In the Field

Effective Pre-Primary Education Programs: Lessons Learned from Bangladesh and Mozambique

Countries such as Bangladesh and Mozambique have made universal access to pre-primary education a priority in recent years. Other countries hoping to improve their pre-primary education programs can learn from the experiences of Bangladesh and Mozambique; specifically, some of the necessary conditions to make pre-primary education programs effective.
19 Oct 2020 | 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Event

Webinar: Results and Policy Implications of an Impact Evaluation of an Multifaceted e-Learning Program in Zambia

Zambia has worked over the last two decades to expand its school system to reach more children in rural areas through community schools, but the quality of education there remains a major challenge. AIR recently conducted a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 model, a multifaceted intervention involving e-learning and activity-based instruction. Join us for a webinar to learn more about the study and its implications for technology-aided instruction in sub-Saharan Africa.
Image of young woman in headscarf
8 Oct 2020
Spotlight

Educating Girls and Women Throughout the World

Equitable access to education is a global challenge for many, but especially for girls. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that educating girls contributes to the social and economic development of communities, increases household earning potential, and provides a foundation for making informed health and safety decisions. Helping girls access learning opportunities so they can achieve their greatest potential is an important focus of AIR’s work across the globe.
Image of drawing by a child
2 Sep 2020
Spotlight

Literacy Around the World

Founded to actively mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities, and societies, International Literacy Day is celebrated around the world. Learn more about the projects, people, research, and in-country technical assistance that are contributing to the effort.
18 Jun 2020
Spotlight

Supporting Teachers and Students in Refugee Settings

The number of people displaced by war, persecution, or violence has reached its highest point since World War II—more than 70 million refugees and internally displaced people. Understanding the needs of teachers in refugee settings is critical to providing stability and continuity for children affected by displacement.
20 Feb 2020
Report

Midline Report for the Mixed-Methods Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 Model in Rural Zambia

The eSchool 360 model implemented by Impact Network represents a promising approach to improving educational outcomes in Zambia by incorporating three potentially high-impact components that could create important synergies. This report presents the midline results of the cluster-randomized controlled trial used to determine the impact of the model.
29 Jan 2020 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

How Do College Completion Rates and Financial Aid Differ Around the World?

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on how college completion rates and financial aid differ around the world.
14 Jan 2020
Journal Article

What Works to Improve Early Grade Literacy in Latin America and the Caribbean? A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Educational policies on early grade literacy in Latin America and the Caribbean have long suffered from a disjuncture between school practice and research. This systematic review examines the effectiveness and fidelity of implementation of various programs in the LAC region that aim to improve EGL outcomes, including teacher training, school feeding, computer‐aided instruction, nutrition, and technology‐in‐education.
6 Jan 2020 to 10 Jan 2020
| 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Event

ICSEI 2020: 33rd International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement

Participants from about 80 countries will get together for the first time in Africa and the Arab region to share experience and exchange knowledge and best practices on quality education and school improvement at the 33rd International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement conference. The theme is Education, Youth Empowerment, and Sustainable Development: Collaboration between the Global North and South to Improve Education Quality.
Project

Humanitarian Education Accelerator

The Department for International Development, UNICEF, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees established the Humanitarian Education Accelerator (HEA), with the aim of understanding how to create the conditions necessary to scale existing pilot programs. In order to begin building the evidence base, the HEA engaged AIR to produce a meta-evaluation to synthesize the findings of mixed methods process evaluations of all five of the innovation teams, as well as impact evaluations of three innovation teams’ work.
9 Apr 2019
Spotlight

Improving Lives Through Cash Transfers

Cash transfer programs, growing around the globe since the mid-1990s, are a cost-effective way to improve the lives of poor households across many domains. Explore our work on cash transfers, programs that address poor households’ severe budget constraints and many investment needs ranging across education, health, household, and business.
27 Mar 2019 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Socioeconomic Inequality and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from Twenty Years of TIMSS

On March 27th, 2019, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the examination of socioeconomic inequality and educational outcomes using evidence from twenty years of data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The webinar presented new insights into how educational inequality has changed in the education systems studied and how such change may relate to the more complex picture of macroeconomic changes in those societies.
International Womens Day logo
6 Mar 2019
Spotlight

International Women's Day

International Women's Day, March 8, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe, and calls attention to the need for accelerating gender parity. In recognition of this global day of awareness, we invite you to learn more about our findings and projects on women's empowerment and education for women and girls.
Image of Indian women in brightly colored saris
26 Feb 2019
Report

Evidence Consortium on Women's Groups

Women and girls in low-and middle-income countries face societal and structural barriers related to education, employment, and health status. To counter these challenges, governments, development agencies, and nongovernmental organizations have invested in different types of women’s groups, including economic self-help group programs and women’s groups practicing participatory learning and action.
Project

Evidence Consortium on Women's Groups

To counter socioeconomic and structural challenges in low- and middle-income countries, governments, development agencies, and nongovernmental organizations have invested in different types of women’s empowerment collectives (WECs), including economic self-help group programs and women’s groups practicing participatory learning and action.
14 Nov 2018 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

How Do Education Systems Differ Around the World? An Examination of OECD's Education at a Glance

On November 14, 2018, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results from the OECD’s 2018 Education at a Glance. The webinar highlighted findings related to the following questions: How much time do students in the United States spend in the classroom compared to their international peers? How do early childhood education systems differ around the world? How do salaries for teachers and school heads vary by country? How can I find and work with these data?
Image of Tajik teacher reading to class
6 Sep 2018
Infographic

International Literacy Day 2018

While international literacy rates have improved over past decades, challenges remain. AIR literacy experts are currently researching, evaluating, and implementing strategies to improve literacy rates across the country and around the world. As a part of the 2018 International Literacy Day conversation, we collected quotes from our experts and facts on international literacy.
Image of Honduran children's book
24 Aug 2018
Spotlight

Creating and Preserving Stories in Honduran Communities

Achieving universal literacy is one of the international community’s most engaging and admirable aspirations. AIR implemented the USAID-funded Teacher Citizen Participation Project (2011-2018)—known as Proyecto EducAcción.
30 Jun 2018
Report

Evaluation of No Lost Generation/“Min Ila,” a UNICEF and WFP Cash Transfer Program for Displaced Syrian Children in Lebanon

Lebanon hosts 1.5 million Syrians who have fled conflict in Syria, as well as 34,000 Palestine refugees from Syria. Over half of the school-aged children in this population are not enrolled in a certified education program. AIR designed and implemented an impact evaluation of the No Lost Generation ("Min/Ila") child-focused cash transfer program; this report shares the findings from that evaluation.
refugee spotlight
11 Jun 2018
Service

Refugee and Migrant Initiatives

The UN Refugee Agency estimates more than 70 million individuals are fleeing their homes due to war, persecution, and violence. With a mission to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged, AIR recognizes the importance of this extraordinary challenge and both a humanitarian and development imperative to assist governments, UN agencies, and key stakeholders to enforce stronger, more relevant policies and implement evidence-based interventions that protect the rights and dignity of those forcibly displaced.
Image of Syrian boy riding a bicycle in a refugee camp
10 Jun 2018
Report

No Lost Generation: Supporting the School Participation of Displaced Syrian Children in Lebanon

As a result of the Syrian conflict, Lebanon has one of the highest per capita ratios of registered refugees in the world. Despite efforts by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and its partners, approximately half the Syrian children of primary school age in Lebanon did not attend school in the 2015/16 school year. This paper documents the impact of a cash transfer program on the school participation of displaced Syrian children in Lebanon.
Image of two women in Zambia
17 May 2018
Spotlight

AIR in Zambia

Since 2001, AIR has been working in Zambia, conducting multi-method impact and process evaluations across many sectors such as health, WASH, social protection, early childhood development, nutrition, and education. Explore our projects and read about our regional office.
Image of children in a classroom
14 May 2018
Video

LAC Reads Capacity Program: Improving Early Grade Reading in Latin America and the Caribbean

The LAC Reads Capacity Program, funded by USAID, was created to research early grade reading and increase the size, scale, and sustainability of reading interventions throughout the Latin America and Caribbean region. Rebecca Stone and Josefina Vijil talk about key findings from their work on the region’s first systematic review of the literature on early grade reading.
30 Apr 2018
Report

Baseline Report for the Mixed-Methods Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 Model in Rural Zambia

Impact Network’s eSchool 360 program is a multifaceted program comprising an e-learning technology component, ongoing teacher training and professional development, and community ownership among students in community schools in rural Zambia. This report presents the baseline results of the cluster-randomized control trial used to determine the impact of the eSchool 360 model.
15 Mar 2018 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

International Results in Reading from PIRLS and ePIRLS 2016

Administered every five years, PIRLS monitors international trends in reading achievement at the fourth grade. This webinar was based on the PIRLS 2016 International Results in Reading report and utilized infographics and exhibits to describe achievement trends over time; performance at the PIRLS International Benchmarks; and achievement in relation to students’ home, school, and classroom educational contexts.
Project

USAID/Latin America and Caribbean Reads Capacity Program (LRCP)

Literacy is a fundamental skill that serves as the foundation for an individual’s future learning and, collectively, for a country’s social and economic development. The USAID/LAC Reads Capacity Program aims to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of early grade reading interventions in the Latin American and Caribbean region through the development of state-of-the-art knowledge resources.
26 Oct 2017 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Do Teachers Teach Less in Classrooms with Students with Special Needs? Trends and Predictors from International Data

On October 26, 2017, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, a cornerstone of special education policy in the United States and many countries. Using 2013 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the presentation addressed some parents' concern that, due to the additional needs of students with disabilities, teachers may spend less time teaching in inclusive classrooms.
11 Oct 2017
Service

Supporting International STEM Education

The global economy is changing rapidly in response to advancements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Nations wanting to keep pace must ensure their educational systems can continually adapt to market demands and develop technically knowledgeable workforces of sufficient size to meet the country’s needs. Our experts integrate research and evaluation to inform evidence-based STEM policies and practices, and empower leaders to effect deep change.
26 Sep 2017
Report

Inception Report for the Mixed- Methods Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 Model in Rural Zambia

Although the use of technology in education shows a lot of promise for improving learning outcomes in low-and middle-income countries, the evidence on its impacts is underwhelming. Its effectiveness could, however, be improved if technology were combined with a strong focus on pedagogical practices. This study focuses on the effects and cost-effectiveness of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 program in producing improvements in learning outcomes among students in community schools in rural Zambia.
Project

Accelerated School Readiness in Mozambique

Despite efforts by the Mozambican government to improve access to pre-primary education, many challenges remain in the education system overall and in pre-primary education. AIR conducted a mixed-methods experimental evaluation of a pilot program being implemented to improve children’s educational outcomes through a pre-primary intervention in target districts and communities in the Zambézia province.
1 Jun 2017
Report

Teaching and Learning Materials in Tajikistan: How Do They Align With Reading Research?

The Quality Reading Project works to improve reading skills among primary-grade students in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic through four main activities: (1) in-service teacher training; (2) increased availability of reading materials; (3) community support; and (4) government support. This report describes a study that reviewed Tajikistan’s teaching and learning materials for Grades 1–4.
31 May 2017 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

20 Years of TIMSS: International Trends in Mathematics and Science Achievement, Curriculum, and Instruction

On May 31, 2017 AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on a recently released report using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) titled "20 Years of TIMSS." Since its first administration in 1995, TIMSS has become a prominent assessment of students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in Mathematics and Science.
Project

Impact Evaluation of the No Lost Generation/Min Ila Cash Transfer Program for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

The sudden influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon created an education crisis in Lebanon that affects Syrian and vulnerable Lebanese children. AIR and the UNICEF Office of Research–Innocenti are leading an independent impact evaluation of Min Ila, a cash transfer program for displaced Syrian children in the governorates of Mount Lebanon and Akkar., and designed to address the income-related barrier to school attendance alongside existing interventions addressing non-income constraints.
Project

Evaluation of World University Service of Canada’s Remedial Education Program in Dadaab and Kakuma in Kenya

The challenges of providing quality education to refugees are particularly pronounced in Kenya, which hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab, the largest refugee camp complex in the world. AIR is partnering with the World University Service of Canada and its local partner Windle Trust Kenya to rigorously evaluate the impact of the Equity in Education in Refugee Camps in Kenya program, which provides remedial education to grades 7 and 8 girls.
13 Apr 2017
Service

Content and Technical Expertise in Refugee and Migrant Initiatives

AIR offers a broad range of services in areas that support our human rights and refugee initiatives. We are committed to applying and producing the best evidence and the highest quality work. Our quality assurance process encompasses all stages of a project, from research design to evidence-based conclusions and recommendations, to implementation and scale-up.
Project

Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 Program in Rural Zambia

Impact Network’s eSchool 360 program is a multifaceted program comprising an e-learning technology component, ongoing teacher training and professional development, and community ownership among students in community schools in rural Zambia. AIR will design and implement a two-stage mixed-methods evaluation to measure the effect of Impact Network’s eSchool 360 program on learning outcomes among students in community schools in rural Zambia as well as the cost-effectiveness of any measured impacts.
Project

Zambia eSchool 360 Expansion Project

The current Zambian educational system is neither providing the access to nor the quality of education that its students and communities need. AIR is working to expand and evaluate the eSchool 360 program to 35 rural schools in Zambia. The program aims to deliver higher quality and low-cost education to children in primary grades through a holistic technology solution.
9 Nov 2016 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

An Average Is Just an Average: What About Countries’ Low- and High-Performing Students?

On November 9, 2016, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the analysis of large-scale international assessment data. In this webinar, researchers presented results of analyses using mathematics data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
24 Oct 2016
Report

Connecting All Children to High-Quality Early Care and Education: Promising Strategies From the International Community

High-quality early care and education (ECE) provides an important foundation for young children’s success in school and in life. Yet, in the United States, fewer than two out of three children between the ages of 3 and 6 are enrolled in center-based ECE programs.

Project

Vamos Ler! (Let's Read!) Mozambique

Despite a twofold increase in primary school enrollment in Mozambique over the past 15 years, educational outcomes remain largely inadequate. For instance, in 2014, only 6.3% of students achieved basic reading competency by the third grade. To respond to Mozambique’s challenges with literacy teaching and learning, the U.S. Agency for International Development is funding a five-year program, Vamos Ler! (Let’s Read!). The program’s goal is to strengthen the Mozambican government’s ability to ensure that Grades 1 to 3 students in Nampula and Zambézia provinces can achieve grade-level fluency and comprehension in local languages.
Project

Child Literacy Development Program - Laos and Guatemala

Developing strong literacy skills early on sets the foundation for all future learning. Students entering primary school in developing countries often struggle when learning to read for various reasons: formal education systems lack resources, teachers are not well prepared, classes are overflowing, children enter school with very little exposure to print, and the language differs from the child’s home language. In partnership with Catholic Relief Services, AIR is creating, implementing, and evaluating a Child Literacy Development program for Grade 1 and 2 children in Laos and for Grade 1 in Guatemala.
Tajik boy reading
6 Jul 2016
In the Field

Stories from the Field: One Teacher's Experiences in Tajikistan

Through AIR's work with the USAID's Quality Reading Project in Tajikistan, local fourth-grade teacher Guljahon Rahmonova received specialized in-service training. Read about her experiences in her own words.
Project

Impact Evaluation of the Early Years Primary Program in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been recognized for its great success in improving educational and health outcomes during the past few decades. AIR is investigating the impacts of offering an additional year of preschool education in Bangladesh on child development outcomes (cognitive and social emotional), and will examine the benefits relative to the costs of the program.
30 May 2016
Report

Girls’ Opportunities to Access Learning (GOAL) Plus - Final Report

The aim of the GOAL Plus project was to build on the success of the previous GOAL project to improve primary school girls’ retention, attendance, and enrollment in 60 schools in Bong, Lofa, and Grand Bassa counties. This final report shows that GOAL Plus was largely successful in meeting its targets.
Project

Impact Evaluation of the Read Write Inc. Phonics and Fresh Start Programs in the United Kingdom

Read Write Inc. Phonics and Fresh Start are phonics-based comprehensive literacy programs. Working in partnership with its assessment partner Queens University, Belfast, AIR is implementing a cluster of randomized controlled trials to determine the impact of the programs on various pertinent reading outcomes in the UK.
4 Feb 2016
Commentary

What Can Be Done for Syria's Refugees?

In response to the Supporting Syria in the Region conference in London, Susy Ndaruhutse of the Education Development Trust and AIR's Amy West call for a doubling of aid for education resources in the region from 2 to 4 per cent of all humanitarian aid. In What Can Be Done for Syria's Refugees, Ndaruhutse and West argue that increased pledges are not enough, and that we must re-learn the lessons of the Marshall Plan.
5 Jan 2016
Brief

Is Reading Contagious? Examining Parents’ and Children’s Reading Attitudes and Behaviors

When children have positive reading attitudes and behaviors, they generally also demonstrate strong reading skills. Drawing on data from the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, this brief and related webinar recording examine whether parents’ reading attitudes and behaviors are shared by their children.
15 Dec 2015
Report

Final Report: Appui de Developpement Assistance Internationale de Developpement de l’Education de Cote d’Ivoire (AIDE-CI)

The armed conflict in Côte d'Ivoire had serious consequences on the country’s education sector. The destruction of school infrastructure and classroom materials considerably compromised access to quality education. This final report documents the process that the Appui de Developpement Assistance Internationale de Developpement de l’Education de Cote d’Ivoire (AIDE-CI) used to increase equitable access to education, especially for girls, in a post-conflict environment.
14 Dec 2015
Journal Article

Underresourced, Undervalued, and Underutilized: Making the Case for Teachers in Refugee and Emergency Contexts

Teachers are a critical resource for children in refugee and emergency settings. This article explores field research conducted in Algeria and Ethiopia, finding that cost-effective policies and technical responses that begin to address teacher retention challenges will affect student achievement, reinvigorate teaching forces, and attract new teachers to serve in even the most difficult contexts.
Teacher and child in India
10 Nov 2015
Video

Language and the Global Learning Crisis: How Best to Teach Multilingual Children

Many students throughout the developing world struggle with reading, and some 250 million children are still unable to read a single word after having been in school for up to four years. In this video, Pooja Reddy Nakamura explains the role that language and multilingualism plays in the global learning crisis.
8 Sep 2015
Commentary

Language in Learning and Literacy: Native Tongues First

In this commentary, Pooja Reddy Nakamura, an AIR senior researcher explores the question of when to introduce English to children in multilingual contexts. Rather than introducing it at the first opportunity, she suggests grouping classes by local language achievement skill—not just age—and introducing written English only after the local language threshold has been reached.
7 Jul 2015
Service

International Education Systems and Teachers

Making education a true engine for human and social development requires evidence-based instructional strategies and systems for students, families, and teachers. AIR integrates the science of what works with the equally complex science of implementing what works on a global scale.
Project

Strengthening Educational Performance Up – Zambia (STEP-Up)

The Zambian Ministry of Education’s 2002 “Education for All” policy provided access to education for thousands of children, many coming from lower socioeconomic levels. The inclusive, equitable policy greatly benefited vulnerable children, especially girls, but it also challenged the education sector by flooding schools with more pupils than the system could handle. To fight the huge inequities in Zambia’s education system, the Strengthening Educational Performance Up Program aims to help the Ministry of Education undertake management reforms to improve learner performance.
Project

UNHCR Teacher Retention Project in Algeria, Ethiopia, and Pakistan

Teachers are a critical resource for children in refugee and emergency settings. Teacher quality is recognized as a primary driver of variation in student learning outcomes, particularly in refugee and emergency settings, but few studies have examined the factors that motivate or demotivate teachers in these contexts. AIR was contracted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to conduct a literature review on teacher retention as well as three field studies in refugee populated areas of Algeria, Ethiopia, and Pakistan.
Project

Zambia Education Quality Improvement Project 2 (EQUIP 2)

With a high rate of poverty, poor technical infrastructure, and difficulty providing service to and accessing information from remote and disadvantaged areas, Zambia has not enjoyed the benefits of a quality education system. In 2003, the government sought to achieve increased and equitable access to quality education at all levels through a variety of policy decisions, initiatives, and programs. In response to this demand, the Zambia EQUIP 2 Project began in March 2004 and grew out of a previous project with the Ministry of Education.
Egyptian children reading
23 Feb 2015
Video

A Second Chance: Remedial Reading in Egypt

Many Egyptian students are missing out on foundational literacy skills in the early grades while older students are being passed along into the upper grades without having acquired such skills. In this video, AIR literacy specialist Rebecca Stone talks about how AIR developed a remedial reading and writing program and literacy teacher-training program to address the need in Egypt.
Child learning to read in India
12 Feb 2015
Report

Facilitating Reading Acquisition in Multilingual Environments in India (FRAME-India) - Final Report

Most of the world is multilingual—at the national, community, family, and individual levels—and each of these has implications for teaching and learning. This study is one of the first to focus on a theory of change relevant for multilingual learners in the developing world. Pooja Nakamura introduces the report in a brief video.
Project

Ethiopia Accelerated School Readiness Evaluation

The Ethiopian government has made a firm commitment to supporting early childhood development and school readiness support nationally. However, the creation of (Grade 0) kindergarten classes in all primary schools cannot be achieved overnight. UNICEF Ethiopia received a challenge grant to test the effectiveness of two accelerated school readiness programs that may serve as a stop-gap measure until Grade 0 can be rolled out nationally.
Elizabeth Spier image
28 Jan 2015
Video

Long Story Short: What Are the Research Frontiers in Global Literacy Interventions?

Many literacy interventions have emerged to help children around the world learn to read outside of school. Elizabeth Spier, an AIR principal researcher, talks about what evidence exists about how effective complementary outside school reading activities are at actually improving overall literacy outcomes.
1 Jan 2015
Service

Reading: Global Focus on Science and Solutions

There has been a significant increase in school enrollment globally, yet millions of children across the world are unable to read a single word even after up to four years of schooling. AIR is focused on improving the quality of learning outcomes by enhancing the science of reading, while developing solutions for the global learning crisis.
22 Jul 2014
Report

Education Support Program: Design, Implementation, and Initial Results of Remedial Reading Activities in Egypt

Since the political revolution in Egypt in 2011, Egyptian schools have witnessed important changes in the country’s human resource support for education. The Education Support Program (ESP) aims to support educational service delivery for Egyptian children during a critical and unique time in Egypt’s history. The ESP remedial reading and writing intervention directly targets reading needs identified by the Egyptian Ministry of Education.
Project

Honduras: Teacher Citizen Participation Project (TCPP/EducAcción)

The Honduran government works to improve educational quality in part by empowering parents and civil society organizations to actively engage in the education system. The USAID-funded Teacher Citizen Participation Project (TCPP, also known in Honduras as EducAcción) supports the Honduran Ministry of Education in this important work.
1 May 2014
Video

The Value of Girls' Education in Liberia

In this video, Kabeh Sulunteh, spokesperson for AIR's girls' education work in Liberia and wife of the Liberian ambassador to the U.S., explains how education can play a pivotal role in helping Liberian women assume positions of power to rebuild their country following years of civil war.
21 Apr 2014
Video

Long Story Short: Why Is Education So Critical for Syrian Refugee Youth?

The Syrian crisis has disrupted the education of Syrian youth and confounded the education systems in countries receiving them. In this 90-second video interview, Amy West, principal project specialist at AIR, explains why education is so critical for Syrian refugee youth.
Project

Education Support Program - Egypt

The Education Support Program builds on the institutional achievements made by ERP 1 in strengthening the local educational structures in Egypt. The Program will support teacher professional development and community involvement in educational decision-making and quality improvement.
9 Mar 2014
Commentary

Syrian Refugees Need More Than Food

In this commentary, AIR expert Amy West discusses the need for education and job skills training for displaced Syrian youth, a need that will require the help and cooperation of education ministries, donors, government officials, and others from multiple countries.
Project

Quality Reading Project – Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are bringing about a paradigm shift in what it means to be a reader, and in how education systems must be restructured to support children’s acquisition of comprehension and critical reading skills. AIR is providing the Ministry of Education in each country with a set of measurable, uniform goals that define what is expected of students, teachers, school directors, district and regional education officials, and teacher mentors.
7 Feb 2014
Report

Linking the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Reading to the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This linking study shows that NAEP Grade 4 reading achievement levels are higher than the PIRLS international benchmarks, providing one piece of validity evidence that NAEP results are internationally competitive.
Project

Synthesis Review of and Evaluation Strategy for UNICEF’s Basic Education Interventions

Between 2007 and 2013, UNICEF commissioned 133 evaluations of UNICEF-supported basic education interventions. AIR conducted a synthesis review to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability, and advised UNICEF on how, when, and for what to invest limited resources in rigorous evaluations of the impact of basic education interventions.
15 Nov 2013
Report

Girls' Opportunities to Access Learning (GOAL) - Endline Research Findings

The 1989–2003 civil war disrupted all aspects of Liberian society, government services, and daily life, and the country’s education system was no exception.

4 Mar 2013
Report

Addressing Perception in the Delivery of Education in Conflict and Crisis

This article, published in Winter 2013 issue of The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, stresses the importance of identifying how a community views education—whether it is seen as an indomitable evil or a leverageable asset, or both—when providing EFA interventions. How these perceptions are understood and addressed mean the difference between whether education interventions in conflict have any real impact or not.
Project

UNICEF China Child Friendly Schools Pilot Evaluation

China’s schools have a strong focus on academic achievement, and there is increasing concern that other important aspects of student development are being overlooked. AIR is monitoring and evaluating UNICEF's Child Friendly Schools model, which provides a rights-based, inclusive environment that meets the needs of the whole child.
Project

Impact Evaluation of the Early Education Improvement Program in the areas of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huánuco

Approximately 135,000 children between three and five years of age live in the departments of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huánuco in Peru, where total poverty and extreme poverty rates far exceed the national averages. AIR is evaluating the impact of a preschool program which aims to improve the quality of early childhood services in these areas.
Project

Facilitating Reading Acquisition in Multilingual Environments (FRAME) – India

Many students around the world grow up and go to school in multilingual environments, yet there isn’t enough evidence about how to effectively promote reading acquisition in linguistically diverse contexts. The Facilitating Reading Acquisition in Multilingual Environments (FRAME) study addresses this gap by examining the predictors of biliteracy acquisition in South India.
VIDEO | She Looks Back: How educating Liberian girls could move the whole country forward
13 Mar 2012
Video

She Looks Back: How Educating Liberian Girls Could Move the Whole Country Forward

She Looks Back features compelling first-hand accounts of what life is like for girls in post-conflict Liberia who are struggling to better their lives. AIR is partnering with local organizations to increase educational opportunities for girls in Liberia.
2 Mar 2012
Report

Literacy Policy and Practice in Ethiopia: Building on the TELL Program and EGRA Results

The purpose of this study on early grade reading and English language learning in primary education in Ethiopia was to explore current policies and practice and make evidence-based recommendations to improve early grade reading and English language learning in Ethiopia.

Project

Appui de Developpement Assistance Internationale de Developpement de l'Education de Côte d'Ivoire (AIDE-CI) - Equitable Access to Education in Côte d'Ivoire

The armed conflict in Côte d'Ivoire had serious consequences on the country’s education sector. The destruction of thousands of school infrastructure and classroom materials considerably compromised access to quality education. As part of peace-building efforts, AIR implemented a program with the goal of increasing equitable access to education, especially for girls, in a recently post-conflict environment.
3 Nov 2011 | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event

AIR Experts Discuss the Future of Donor-Assisted Education in International Development

Experts from AIR’s International Development Program will participate in the Educational Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP) event, Informing the Future: Ten years of experience in global education in development on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at the National Press Club. The event centers around facilitated discussions for practitioners, researchers, donors, and academia to share experiences from around the globe and discuss the future of donor-assisted education in development. Sponsored by the USAID-funded EQUIP123program, the one-day symposium centers around facilitated discussions for practitioners, researchers, donors, and academia to share experiences from around the globe and discuss the future of donor-assisted education in development.

14 Jun 2011 | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event

USAID Education and Conflict Forum

The Education and Conflict Forum funded by USAID brings together expert practitioners and academics to discuss patterns and practices of education programs in crisis and conflict-affected contexts.

Project

Girls' Opportunities to Access Learning (GOAL) and GOAL Plus - Liberia

The 1989–2003 civil war disrupted all aspects of Liberian society, government services, and daily life, and the country’s education system was no exception. The GOAL project, implemented between 2010 and 2013, aimed to improve girls’ enrollment, attendance, and retention in six districts in Liberia.
17 Sep 2010
Report

RISE Final Program Report - July 2006 to August 2010

This final report describes the work of RISE, a consortium comprised of AIR and its partners, the International Rescue Committee, Sungi Development Foundation, and the National Rural Support Foundation, to support USAID's reconstruction efforts in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan.

1 Jul 2010
Report

School Management Committees/Parent-Teacher Councils

This study of school management committees' (SMCs') and parent-teacher councils' (PTCs') development and their contributions describes successful interventions in community participation in school management in Pakistan.

Project

ED-LINKS Pakistan

In recent years, one of the most pressing problems that plagued public sector education in Pakistan was the perpetuation of outdated methods of teaching and learning. Students left the system with no capacity for critical thinking, or much worse, illiterate. The objective of ED-LINKS was to improve the quality and sustainability of teacher education and student performance in the targeted geographical areas of Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
1 Apr 2010
Brochure

AIR's Emergency Education Response in Haiti

AIR is actively supporting the emergency education response, continuing our nearly decade-long commitment to improved education in Haiti.

22 Mar 2010
Report

Inclusive Education in Pakistan: Experiences and Lessons Learned from the ENGAGE Project

The purpose of the ENGAGE Project in Pakistan was to increase the participation of Disabled People’s Organizations and people with disabilities in the planning and implementation of development efforts.

Project

Nicaragua ENTERATE (Educando Niños Trabajadores y Erradicando Actividades y Trabajos Explotadores)

In Central America, child labor is a major impeding factor to a country's path towards economic progress and education. Nicaragua, the largest country in Central America, has a long history with child labor and its effects on employment opportunities, access to sanitation facilities, medication, and health care. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor funded the ENTERATE project to fight child labor in Nicaragua.
Project

UNICEF: Child Friendly Schools Evaluation

UNICEF contracted AIR in 2008 to conduct a global evaluation of the Child Friendly Schools initiative, based on site visits in six countries. The evaluation was a baseline that addressed the challenge of variability and examined inclusiveness, pedagogy, architecture and services, participation and governance, systemic management, and cost in Child Friendly Schools in South Africa, Thailand, Guyana, Nigeria, the Philippines and Nicaragua.

Project

MIDEH - Honduras (Mejorando el Impacto al Desempeño Estudiantil de Honduras)

The Honduran education system, although free and compulsory for nine years, faces many uphill challenges. The MIDEH project supports the government of Honduras to improve education quality by building and sustaining national standards-based educational reform. Through a collaborative effort between USAID and the Secretariat of Education in Honduras, the project has established an education assessment system and a “culture of evaluation.”
Project

ENGAGE: Pilot Project in Inclusive Education

The USAID-funded ENGAGE Project is introducing inclusive education for children with disabilities in Bagh, Pakistan. Twenty-five teachers in Bagh are participating in Pakistan's first project to introduce inclusive education training in a public school setting.

1 Feb 2010
Report

Vocational Education Project in Georgia, February 2010 Monthly Report

On May 21, 2008 USAID awarded AIR a contract to implement the Vocational Education Project in Georgia, a two-year workforce development project designed to develop and expand vocational education and training to meet labor market demand in the tourism and construction sectors.

Project

Commitment for Quality Education for More Children in Haiti

AIR’s Commitment for Quality Education for More Children in Haiti is to improve access to quality education through donor funded activities and to leverage additional resources to maximize the impact of education reform efforts.

19 Dec 2009
Report

Child Friendly Schools Evaluation: Country Report for Nigeria

The Child Friendly Schools (CFS) initiative in Nigeria was developed as a partnership between the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, and other national and international organizations in response to the dire state of education in Nigeria in the 1990s.

19 Dec 2009
Report

Child Friendly Schools Evaluation: Country Report for Thailand

UNICEF contracted with AIR in January 2008 to conduct a global evaluation of the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) initiative. The evaluation was expected to serve as a baseline to examine the effectiveness of CFS programming efforts in the areas of inclusiveness, pedagogy, architecture and services, participation and governance, and systemic management.

Project

UNICEF Timor Leste’s Child Friendly Schools Initiative: Assessment, Monitoring, and Strategic Planning

In response to the numerous challenges facing the education system following Timor-Leste’s independence in 1999, UNICEF launched a far-reaching program to help restore its system of basic education. The main objectives of this program were twofold: first, to assist in developing a system of quality basic education; and second, to help advance the Government’s goal of universal access, with a particular view to achieving gender equity.
Project

UNICEF: Child-to-Child Pilot Evaluation

Although increasing numbers of children are enrolling in primary school in low- and middle-income countries, many enter late, fail to progress, and drop out. A child-to-child approach to enhancing learning in developing countries is designed to provide preschool-aged children with early learning opportunities in their homes and their communities at very low cost. AIR evaluated this approach in Bangladesh, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tajikistan, and Yemen.
Project

Zambia’s Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support 2 Program (CHANGES2)

Despite high levels of knowledge, HIV incidence does not seem to be decreasing among adolescents in Zambia. Girls are much more likely to be infected than boys and intergenerational sex, transactional sex, and multiple concurrent partnerships are normalized. The education sector is struggling to implement effective HIV prevention. The Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support 2 Program strengthened teachers’ classroom pedagogical and leadership skills with a special focus on school health and nutrition, as well as HIV and AIDS prevention and mitigation.
Project

Open Society Foundations’ Getting Ready for School Evaluation

The purpose of the Getting Ready for School intervention is to increase the successful transition of disadvantaged young children into school by imparting school readiness skills provided by their parents in their home. The Open Society Foundations contracted AIR to provide technical support for the evaluation of the pilot Getting Ready for School intervention program in six locations: Armenia, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the United States (North Carolina and NYC).

Project

Teach English for Life Learning (TELL) Ethiopia

In 1974, Ethiopia suffered a significant turbulent period. After the removal of Emperor Haile Selassie, a military council took power. One of its decisions was to close the university, colleges, teacher training institutes, and secondary schools. Two years later, the country experienced a critical shortage of teachers. In collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and USAID/Ethiopia, AIR launched the Teach English for Life Learning program, with the primary goal of improving the skills of 20,000 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade English teachers across all nine regions and two chartered cities in Ethiopia.
Project

Education and Health in Haiti: Programme Haitien d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Education (PHARE)

The Programme Haitien d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Education (PHARE) in Haiti is a USAID-funded, deliverables-based contract with AIR. PHARE is USAID's response to the Government of Haiti’s effort to restore, sustain, and expand education and health services. PHARE's main objective is to reinforce the capacity of the Ministry of Education and Professional Training (MENFP) to plan, deliver, monitor, and evaluate educational services in public and non-public schools.

Project

Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative (USETI)

Corruption in higher education casts a shadow on many countries that are working towards more modern and progressive political and economic systems. In order to respond to these challenges, USAID created the program Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative to address profound challenges in Ukraine’s higher education system, which acknowledged that a transparent, objective testing system was critical in combating irregularities in higher education.
Project

Project EXCELENCIA in Nicaragua

Despite recent gains in such educational indicators as student enrollment and completion rates, Nicaragua’s primary education system still faced serious challenges with respect to access and quality of education. Project EXCELENCIA focused on strengthening the quality of education at the primary school level in Nicaragua.
4 Sep 2008
Report

EQUIP1: Secondary Education Activity, Final Report

This five-year project aimed to improve the quality and relevance of secondary education for Macedonian youths, to equip them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a changing social and economic environment, and to provide the Macedonian economy with a more flexible, better-prepared workforce.

15 Oct 2007
Report

A Country's Hope: The Haiti Scholarship Program

USAID’s Haiti Scholarship Program supports public and private schools to retain needy children in school and create the conditions for their academic success through supplemental tutoring and school improvement projects. As explained in this report, thousands of Haitian children have benefited from the opportunity to attend school because of the program.

19 Apr 2006
Brochure

Healthy Youth, Productive Lives: Empowering Youth in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

In 2006, the USAID-funded Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA) created the Mphamvu Kwa Achinyamata (MKA) or “Power to the Youth” clubs, to support USAID efforts at promoting school-based HIV and AIDS prevention education in Malawi. This brochure highlights key aspects of the initiative, and profiles just a few of the many successful club activities underway throughout Malawi.

1 Jan 2002
Guide

In My Classroom: A Guide to Reflective Practice

The development of In My Classroom: A Guide to Reflective Practice is the result of an urgent need in many countries for relevant and practical materials that help teachers and teacher educators understand and implement learner centered teaching in the primary grades.