How education can emerge stronger than before COVID-19

New research considers whether it is possible to envision education emerging from COVID-19 stronger than it was before. Skiptomaincontent FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrintSMSEmailMoreReddit TheCOVID-19pandemichasresultedinatleastonepositivething:amuchgreaterappreciationfortheimportanceofpublicschools.Asparentsstruggletoworkwiththeirchildrenathomeduetoschoolclosures,publicrecognitionoftheessentialcaretakingroleschoolsplayinsocietyhasskyrocketed.Asyoungpeoplestruggletolearnfromhome,parents’gratitudeforteachers,theirskills,andtheirinvaluableroleinstudentwell-being,hasrisen.Ascommunitiesstruggletotakecareoftheirvulnerablechildrenandyouth,decisionmakersarehavingtodevisenewmechanismsfordeliveringessentialservicesfromfoodtoeducationtohealthcare. EmilianaVegas FormerCo-Director-CenterforUniversalEducation FormerSeniorFellow-GlobalEconomyandDevelopment Twitter EmiVegasV RebeccaWinthrop Co-director-CenterforUniversalEducation SeniorFellow-GlobalEconomyandDevelopment Twitter RebeccaWinthrop WebelieveitisalsovaluabletolookbeyondtheseimmediateconcernstowhatmaybepossibleforeducationontheothersideoftheCOVID-19pandemic.Itishardtoimaginetherewillbeanothermomentinhistorywhenthecentralroleofeducationintheeconomic,social,andpoliticalprosperityandstabilityofnationsissoobviousandwellunderstoodbythegeneralpopulation.Nowisthetimetochartavisionforhoweducationcanemergestrongerfromthisglobalcrisisthaneverbeforeandproposeapathforcapitalizingoneducation’snewfoundsupportinvirtuallyeverycommunityacrosstheglobe. Itisinthisspiritthatwehavedevelopedthisreport.Weintendtostartadialogueaboutwhatcouldbeachievedinthemediumtolongtermifleadersaroundtheworldtookseriouslythepublic’sdemandforsafe,qualityschoolsfortheirchildren.Ultimately,wearguethatstrongandinclusivepubliceducationsystemsareessentialtotheshort-andlong-termrecoveryofsocietyandthatthereisanopportunitytoleapfrogtowardpowered-upschools. Apowered-upschoolcouldbeonethatputsastrongpublicschoolatthecenterofacommunityandleveragesthemosteffectivepartnerships,includingthosethathaveemergedduringCOVID-19,tohelplearnersgrowanddevelopabroadrangeofcompetenciesandskillsinandoutofschool.Forexample,suchaschoolwouldcrowdinsupports,includingtechnology,thatwouldallowforalliesinthecommunityfromparentstoemployerstoreinforce,complement,andbringtolifelearningexperiencesinandoutsidetheclassroom.Itwouldrecognizeandadapttothelearningthattakesplacebeyonditswalls,regularlyassessingstudents’skillsandtailoringlearningopportunitiestomeetstudentsattheirskilllevel.Thesenewalliesinchildren’slearningwouldcomplementandsupportteachersandcouldsupportchildren’shealthymentalandphysicaldevelopment.Itquiteliterallyistheschoolatthecenterofthecommunitythatpowersstudentlearninganddevelopmentusingeverypathpossible(Figure1). Figure1.Powered-upschools AdaptedfromOfficeofElementaryandSecondaryEducation. Whilethisvisionisaspirational,itisbynomeansimpractical.Schoolsatthecenterofacommunityecosystemoflearningandsupportisanideawhosetimehascome,andsomeoftheemergingpracticesamidCOVID-19,suchasempoweringparentstosupporttheirchildren’seducation,shouldbesustainedwhenthepandemicsubsides.Inthisreportwedrawupon:1)thelatestevidenceemergingonboththedireeffectsofthepandemiconchildren’sschoolingandonthenewstrategiesthatholdpromiseforstrengtheningchildren’seducationpost-pandemic;2)aseriesofdialoguesbetweenMarchtoAugust2020withformerheadsofstateandeducationleadersfromaroundtheglobeonthebigquestionsfacingeducationinthepandemicresponseandrecovery;and3)ourongoingresearchonharnessinginnovationtoleapfrogeducationtowardamoreequitableandrelevantlearningecosystemforallyoungpeople. Thiscentralquestionhasguidedourinquiry:“Isitpossibletorealisticallyenvisioneducationemergingfromthenovelcoronaviruspandemicstrongerthanitwasbefore?”Tosparkthediscussionaroundthisquestion,wedescribefourkeyemergingtrendsresultingfromtheimpactofCOVID-19oneducationgloballyandproposefiveactionstoguidethetransformationofeducationsystemsafterthepandemic. FouremergingglobaltrendsineducationfromCOVID-19 1.Acceleratingeducationinequality:Educationinequalityisacceleratinginanunprecedentedfashion,especiallywherebeforethepandemicitwasalreadyhigh EvenbeforeCOVID-19leftasmanyas1.5billionstudentsoutofschoolinearly2019,therewasaglobalconsensusthateducationsystemsintoomanycountrieswerenotdeliveringthequalityeducationneededtoensurethatallhavetheskillsnecessarytothrive.Itisthepoorestchildrenacrosstheglobethatcarrytheheaviestburden,withpre-pandemicanalysisestimatingthat90percentofchildreninlow-incomecountries,50percentofchildreninmiddle-incomecountries,and30percentofchildreninhigh-incomecountriesfailtomasterthebasicsecondary-levelskillsneededtothriveinworkandlife.Itischildreninthepoorestcountrieswhohavebeenleftthefurthestbehind.AseconomistLantPritchettexplainedinhis2013book“Therebirthofeducation,”althoughcountriesinthedevelopingworldhadlargelysucceededingettingalmostallprimary-agedchildrenintoschools,toomanystudentswerenotlearningeventhebasicliteracyandnumeracyskillsnecessarytocontinuelearning.TheWorldBank’s“2018WorldDevelopmentReport”calledita“learningcrisis,”andtheglobalcommunitymobilizedtoseekmorefundingtosupporteducationsystemsacrosstheworld.TheEducationCommission’s2016report,“Thelearninggeneration:Investingineducationforachangingworld,”emphasizedthattechnologywaschangingthenatureofwork,andthatgrowingskillsgapswouldstunteconomicgrowthinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries;itcalledforincreasinginvestmentineducationinthesecountries. Yet,forafewyoungpeopleinwealthycommunitiesaroundtheglobe,schoolinghasneverbeenbetterthanduringthepandemic.Theyaretaughtintheirhomeswithahandfuloftheirfavoritefriendsbyateacherhiredbytheirparents.Someparentshaveconnectedviasocialmediaplatformstoformlearningpodsthatinstructonlyafewstudentsatatimewithagreed-uponteachingschedulesandactivities.Theseparentsarguethatthepodsencouragesocialinteraction,improvelearning,andreducetheburdenofchildcareduringthepandemic.However,theyoftenexcludelowerincomefamilies,astheycancostupto$100perhour. Thereisnothingnewaboutfamiliesdoingalltheycanfortheirchildren’seducation;oneonlyhastolookattheexplosionofthe$100billionglobaltutoringmarketoverthelastdecade.Whilethelearningexperiencesfortheseparticularchildrenmaybegoodinandofthemselves,theyrepresentaworrisometrendfortheworld:themassiveaccelerationofeducationinequality. Whilebymid-Aprilof2020,lessthan25percentoflow-incomecountrieswereprovidinganytypeofremotelearningandamajoritythatdidusedTVandradio,closeto90percentofhigh-incomecountrieswereprovidingremotelearningopportunities.Ontopofcross-countrydifferencesinaccesstoremotelearningopportunities,within-countrydifferencesarealsostaggering.Forexample,accordingtotheU.S.CensusBureau,duringtheCOVID-19schoolclosures,1in10ofthepoorestchildrenintheworld’slargesteconomyhadlittleornoaccesstotechnologyforlearning.AndUNICEFestimatesthat463millionchildren—atleastone-thirdoftheworldtotal,themajorityofwhomareinthedevelopingworld—hadnochanceatremotelearningviaradio,television,oronlinecontent.However,thisdoesnottakeintoaccountthecreativeuseoftextmessages,phonecalls,andofflinee-learningthatmanyteachersandeducationleadersareputtingtouseinruralandunder-resourcedcommunities.Indeed,theseinnovativepracticessuggestthattheschoolclosuresfromCOVID-19aresettingthestageforleapfroggingineducation,aswediscussnext. 2.Aleapfrogmoment:Innovationhassuddenlymovedfromthemarginstothecenterofmanyeducationsystems,andthereisanopportunitytoidentifynewstrategies,thatifsustained,canhelpyoungpeoplegetaneducationthatpreparesthemforourchangingtimes. Thisunprecedentedaccelerationofeducationinequalityrequiresnewresponses.Inourongoingworkoneducationinnovation,wehavearguedthatthereareexamplesofnewstrategiesorapproachesthatcould,ifscaledup,havethepotentialtorapidlyaccelerate,orleapfrog,progress.Twoyearsago,in“Leapfrogginginequality:Remakingeducationtohelpyoungpeoplethrive,”wesetforthaleapfrogpathwaylayingoutamaptoharnesseducationinnovationstomuchmorequicklyclosethegapineducationinequality.Wearguedthatattwodecadesintothe21stcentury,thegoalshouldbeforallchildrentobecomelifelonglearnersanddevelopthefullbreadthofskillsandcompetencies—fromliteracytoproblem-solvingtocollaboration—thattheywillneedtoaccessachangingworldofworkandbeconstructivecitizensinsociety.Wedefinededucationinnovationasanideaortechnologythatisnewtoacurrentcontext,ifnotnewtotheworld.Andweproposedthatthoseinnovationsthatcouldhelpprovideabroadermenuofoptionsfordeliveringlearningwerethosewiththepotentialtohelpleapfrogeducation,namely:1)innovativepedagogicalapproachesalongsidedirectinstructiontohelpyoungpeoplenotonlyrememberandunderstandbutanalyzeandcreate;2)newwaysofrecognizinglearningalongsidetraditionalmeasuresandpathways;3)crowdinginadiversityofpeopleandplacesalongsideprofessionalteacherstohelpsupportlearninginschool;and4)smartuseoftechnologyanddatathatallowedforreal-timeadaptationanddidnotsimplyreplaceanalogapproaches. Whenwesurveyedalmost3,000educationinnovationsacrossover160countries,wefoundthatsomeinnovationshadthepotentialtohelpleapfrogprogress,asdefinedalongourfourdimensions,andmanydidnot.Wealsofoundthatmanyofthepromisinginnovationswereonthemarginsofeducationsystemsandnotatthecenterofhowlearningtakesplace.Wearguedthattorapidlyaccelerateprogressandclosetheequitygapsineducation,thewiderangeofactorsinvolvedindeliveringeducationtoyoungpeoplewouldneedtospendmoretimedocumenting,learningfrom,evaluating,andscalingthoseinnovativeapproachesthatheldthemostleapfrogpotential. Todaywearefacingaverydifferentcontext.TheCOVID-19pandemichasforcededucationinnovationintotheheartofalmosteveryeducationsystemaroundtheglobe.Basedonarecent59-countrysurveyofeducatorsandeducationadministrators,FernandoReimersandAndreasSchleichernotethat:“Thecrisishasrevealedtheenormouspotentialforinnovationthatisdormantinmanyeducationsystems.”1Thequestionisnolongerhowtoscaleinnovationsfromthemargintothecenterofeducationsystemsbuthowtotransformeducationsystemssothattheywillsource,support,andsustainthoseinnovationsthataddressinequalityandprovideallyoungpeoplewiththeskillstobuildabetterfutureforthemselvesandtheircommunities.Bydoingthis,weultimatelyhopenotonlythatthosewhoareleftbehindcancatchup,butthatanew,moreequaleducationsystemcanemergeoutofthecrisis.Fortunately,acrosstheworld,communitiesareincreasinglyvaluingtherolethatschoolsplay,notonlyforstudentlearning,butalsoforthelivelihoodsofeducators,parents,andothers,aswediscussbelow. 3.Risingpublicsupport:Thereisnewfoundpublicrecognitionofhowessentialschoolsareinsocietyandawindowofopportunitytoleveragethissupportformakingthemstronger March2020willforeverbeknownasthetimealltheworld’sschoolsclosedtheirdoors.Asteachersandschoolleadersaroundtheworldstruggledwithhardlyanyforewarningtopivottosomeformofremotelearning,parentsandfamiliesaroundtheglobewhohadreliedonschoolsasananchoraroundwhichtheyorganizedtheirdailyschedulefacedtheshockoflifewithoutschool.Anoutpouringofappreciationonsocialmediaforteachersfromparentsdecidingbetweencaringfortheirchildrenandearningmoneyquicklyfollowed.Tounderscorethissentimentofappreciation,GabrielZinnyoftheBuenosAiresgovernmentsays:“Societiesarerecognizingthatschoolsandteachersareheroes…thatschoolsaretheplacenotonlywherewegettolearnandprogress,fulfillourhopesanddreams,butalsowherewelearntoliveincommunity.JustrecentlyinBuenosAires,familieswentouttotheirbalconiestoapplaudnotonlydoctorsandnurses,butteachers.” Thisbroadrecognitionandsupportfortheessentialroleofeducationindailylifecanbefoundonthepagesofnewspapersacrosstheglobe.Itcanbefoundinemergingcoalitionsofadvocatesurgingthateducationbeprioritizedacrosscommunitiesandcountries.TheglobaleducationcommunityisalsomobilizingfromUNESCO’sbroadconsortiumwiththenewlyformedSaveOurFuturecampaignthatbringstogetherabroadcoalitionofactorsintheinternationaldevelopmentspheretoadvocateforsustainededucationfunding,especiallyamonginternationalaiddonors,forlow-andmiddle-incomecountries. Ultimately,todayforthefirsttimesincetheadventofuniversaleducation,themajorityofparentsandfamiliesaroundtheworldsharethelong-standingconcernsofthemostvulnerablefamilies:Theyareinurgentneedofasafeandgoodenoughschooltosendtheirchildrento.Thisreality,whichissowellknowntothefamiliesofthe258millionout-of-schoolchildren,hasbroughttheissueofeducationintothelivingroomsofmiddleclassandeliteparentsaroundtheglobe.Andtheyareforging,atleastforamoment,commoncausebetweenmanyoftheparentsofthe1.9billionschool-agedchildrenaroundtheworld.Asaresult,newstakeholdersaregettinginvolvedinsupportingeducation,anemergingtrendwedescribenext. 4.Neweducationallies:Thepandemichasgalvanizednewactorsinthecommunity—fromparentstosocialwelfareorganizations—tosupportchildren’slearninglikeneverbefore. Alongsideincreasingrecognitionoftheessentialroleofpublicschools,thepandemichasgalvanizedpartsofcommunitiesthattraditionallyarenotactivelyinvolvedinchildren’seducation.Asschoolbuildingsclosed,teachersbegantopartnerwithparentsinwaysneverdonebefore,schoolsformednewrelationshipswithcommunityhealthandsocialwelfareorganizations,mediacompaniesworkedwitheducationleaders,technologycompaniespartneredwithnonprofitsandgovernments,andlocalnonprofitsandbusinessescontributedtosupportingchildren’slearninginnewways. Theideaofchildren’seducationbeingsupportedbyanecosystemoflearningopportunitiesinandoutsideofschoolisnotnewamongeducationalists.Thecommunityschoolsmovementenvisionsschoolsasthehubofchildren’seducationanddevelopment,withstrongpartnershipsamongothersectorsfromhealthtosocialwelfare.Schoolsremainopenalldayandarecentersforcommunityengagement,services,andproblem-solving.Proponentsof“life-wide”learningapproachespointoutthatchildrenfrombirthto18yearsofagespendonlyupto20percentoftheirwakinghoursatschoolandarguethatthefabricofthecommunityoffersmanyenrichinglearningexperiencesalongsideschool.Inourownworkonleapfroggingineducation,wearguethatdiversifyingtheeducatorsandplaceswherechildrenlearncancrowdininnovativepedagogicalapproachesandcomplementandenrichclassroom-basedlearning.Morerecently,theconceptoflocallearningecoystemshasemergedtodescribelearningopportunitiesprovidedthroughawebofcollaborationamongschools,communityorganizations,businesses,andgovernmentagenciesthatoftenpairdirectinstructionwithinnovativepedagogiesallowingforexperimentation. ThereisevidencerangingfromtheU.K.toNicaraguathatyoungpeopleengagingindiverselearningopportunitiesoutsideofschool—fromclassicextracurricularactivitiessuchasmusiclessonstononformaleducationprogramming—canbequitehelpfulinboostingtheskillsandacademiccompetenciesofmarginalizedchildren.Butuntilrecentlytherehasbeenonlylimitedempiricalexamplesoflocallearningecosystems.EmergingmodelsareappearinginplacessuchasCatalonia,SpainwithitsEducacio360initiativeandWesternPennsylvania,whereseveralU.S.schooldistrictshaveengagedinamultiyearRemakeLearninginitiativetoofferlife-widelearningopportunitiestofamiliesandchildren.OneoftheopportunitiesemergingoutoftheCOVID-19pandemicmayjustbethechancetoharnessthenewenergiesandmindsetsbetweenschoolsandcommunitiestoworktogethertosupportchildren’slearning. Fiveproposedactionstoguidethetransformationofeducationsystems Giventhesefouremergingtrendsandbuildingonpreviousresearch,weputforthfiveproposedactionsfordecisionmakerstoseizethismomenttotransformeducationsystemstobetterserveallchildrenandyouth,especiallythemostdisadvantaged.Wearguethatbecauseoftheirresponsibilitytoallchildren,publicschoolsmustbeatthecenterofanyeducationsystemthatseekstoclosewideninginequalitygaps.Wehighlightthecreativeuseoftechnology—especiallythroughmobilephonecommunicationwithparents—asexamplesofstrategiesthathaveemergedamidthepandemicthat,ifsustained,couldcomplementandstrengthenchildren’slearninginpublicschools.Weacknowledgethatthehighlightedexamplesarejustemerging,andthereismoretolearnabouthowtheyworkandotherexamplestoconsideraseventsunfold.Forthisreason,weproposeguidanceforidentifyingwhichnewapproachesshouldpotentiallybecontinued.Wearguethatinnovationsthatsupportandstrengthentheinstructionalcore,namelytheinteractionsintheteachingandlearningprocess,willhaveagreaterchanceatsustainablysupportingapowered-upschool.Wealsoarguethattheurgencyofthemomentcallsforanadaptiveanditerativeapproachtolearningwhatworksinrealtime;hence,improvementscienceprinciplesshouldaccompanyanyleapfroggingefforttobuildevidenceandcorrectcourseinrealtime. 1.Leveragepublicschools:Putpublicschoolsatthecenterofeducationsystemsgiventheiressentialroleinequalizingopportunityacrossdimensionswithinsociety Publicschoolsplayacriticalroleinreducinginequalityandstrengtheningsocialcohesion.Byhavingthemandatetoserveallchildrenandyouthregardlessofbackground,publicschoolsinmanycountriescanbringtogetherindividualsfromdiversebackgroundsandneeds,providingthesocialbenefitofallowingindividualstogrowupwithasetofcommonvaluesandknowledgethatcanmakecommunitiesmorecohesiveandunified. Theprivatesectorhasanimportantroletoplayineducation—fromadvocatingthatgovernmentsinvestinhigh-qualitypublicschoolsbecausetheyhelppowereconomiesandsocialstabilitytohelpingtestinnovativepedagogicalmodelsinindependentschools.Inmanylow-incomecountries,low-costprivateschoolshaveexpandedinrecentyears,helpingtoaddressthechallengethatfiscally-and/orcapacity-constrainedgovernmentshavelongfacedinexpandingaccesstoeducation.Manyfamiliesindevelopingcountries,rangingfromChiletoIndiatoNigeriatoKenya,opttosendtheirchildrentotheselow-cost,oftenfor-profit,privateschools.Indeed,theexpansionofprivateschoolsinlow-incomecountrieshasinsomelocationsplayedaroleinincreasinguniversalaccesstoprimaryeducation. However,therearearangeofconcernswithprivateschools,bothintermsoftheireffectivenessaswellastheirimpactoninequality.Forexample,theextenttowhichprivateschoolsmightprovideabettereducation,theso-called“privateschooladvantage,”hasbeenalong-standingdebate.Whileitisdifficulttoisolatetheimpactofprivateschools,arecentanalysisofover40countriesthatparticipatedintheOECD’s2012ProgrammeforInternationalStudentAssessment(PISA)concludesthatpublicschoolsoutperformbothpubliclysubsidizedprivateschools,aswellasindependentschools,inamajorityofcountries. Inaddition,inmanycountries,theexpansionofprivateschoolshasnotbeenaccompaniedbyregulationstoguidestudentselectionprocessesorthefeesschoolsmaycharge(whichalsodirectlyaffectselection).Atroublingunintendedconsequenceoftheunregulatedexpansionofprivateschoolingisanincreaseinsegregationofstudentsbysocioeconomicandotherbackgroundcharacteristics.Inmanycountries,privateschoolsselectstudentsbasedonmultiplefactors,includingacademicability,religiousaffiliation,andsocioeconomicbackground.Asaresult,privateschoolstendtobelessdiversethanpublicschools.Further,entryintoprivateschoolmaynotbeentirelymerit-based.Inmiddle-andhigh-incomecountries,theprivatesectorhassteppedintoprovideservicestohelpstudentsgainadmissionintoselectiveeducationinstitutions.Sincetheseservicesarecostly,theyselectforwealthierfamiliesthatcanaffordthehelptogettheirstudentsintothe“right”schools,furtherexcludinglow-incomefamilies.IntheU.S.,forexample,datafromtheNationalCenterforEducationStatisticsshowthatpublicschoolsaremuchmorediversethanprivateschools:In2017,67percentofprivateschoolstudentswerewhite,comparedwithjust48percentoftheirpublicschoolcounterparts. Agrowingbodyofresearchshowsthatsegregationcanhaveanegativeimpactonchildren’sacademicandsocialoutcomes.Forexample,inChile,whereaschoolchoiceprogramwasintroducedin1981,therehasbeenasteadyexodusfrompublicschoolsovertime,andtodaymorethanhalfofitsstudentsareenrolledinprivateschools.Notonlydidnationalaveragetestscoresstagnate,butunfetteredschoolchoicealsoledtostudentsegregationintoprivateandpublicschoolsbasedonparentaleducationandincome.Achievementgapsbetweenaffluentanddisadvantagedstudentsbegantodeclineafterareformtotheper-studentsubsidy(orvoucher)—calledthePreferentialSchoolSubsidyLaw—wasintroducedin2008.Thereformintroducedhighervalueper-studentsubsidiestoschoolsservinglow-incomestudentsandrequiredschoolswhoacceptedthehighervaluevoucherstotakepartinanewaccountabilitysystem.Studentsfromsocioeconomicallydisadvantagedhouseholdssoonimprovedtheirperformance,leadingtoanincreaseinnationalaveragetestscoresandareductionintheincome-basedachievementgaps. Inmanycountries,acentraldebateiswhethereducationshouldbeseenasapublicgoodoraprivateconsumable.Advocatesofexpandingprivateschoolchoiceseeeducationasaprivateconsumable.Advocateswhoarguethateducationisapublicgoodputforththatschoolsareaboutmorethanpreparingindividualsforthelabormarket,andthattheyhaveanirreplaceableroleingeneratingmultiplepublicbenefits,includingpublichealthandindevelopingcitizenstoparticipateindemocraticsocieties. WefollowLevin(1987)inarguingthatschoolsplayacrucialroleinfosteringtheskillsindividualsneedtosucceedinarapidlychanginglabormarket,andtheyplayamajorroleinequalizingopportunitiesforindividualsofdiversebackgrounds.Moreover,schoolsaddressavarietyofsocialneedsthatservecommunities,regions,andentirenations.Andwhileafewprivateschoolscananddoplaythesemultipleroles,publiceducationisthemainconduitfordoingsoatscale.Hence,wearguethatpublicschoolsmustbeatthecenterofanyefforttobuildbackbetteror,inthewordsofUNICEF’schiefofeducationRobertJenkins,“buildbackequal,”aftertheCOVID-19pandemic. 2.Alaserfocusontheinstructionalcore:Emphasizetheinstructionalcore,theheartoftheteachingandlearningprocess. Todeveloppowered-upschools,itwillbeessentialtofigureouthowtoidentifywhatstrategies,amongthemanythatcommunitiesaredeployingamidthepandemic,shouldbesustainedtopowerupaschoolasthecrisissubsides.Wearguethatdecisionmakersshouldgroundtheiractionsonrigorousevidenceofwhatworkstoimprovestudentlearning,aswellashowschoolchangehappensandultimatelyshouldincludeaheavyemphasisontheheartoftheteachingandlearningprocess,whatisoftencalledtheinstructionalorpedagogicalcore.Indeed,howeducatorsengagewithstudentsandinstructionalmaterials,includingeducationtechnology,iscrucialforlearninggiventhestrongevidencethateducatorsarethemostimportantschool-sidefactorinstudentlearning.2 InourforthcomingCUEpublicationco-authoredbyAlejandroGanimian,EmilianaVegas,andFrederickHess,“Realizingthepromise:Howcaneducationtechnologyimprovelearningforall?,”theauthorsnotethatsignificantresearchhasshownthatoneofthemainreasonsmanyeducationinnovationsandreformshavefailed,despiteseriouseffort,isthattheyhavepaidinsufficientattentiontotheinstructionalcore.Whiletherehavebeenseveralvariationsandtermsassociatedwiththeinstructionalcore,atitsheartistheunderstandingthatitistheinteractionsamongeducators,learners,andeducationalmaterialsthatmattermostinimprovingstudentlearning.3Forexample,higherqualitylearningmaterials—whethertheyarenewonlineresourcesorrevampedcurriculum—willnotontheirownimprovestudentlearning.Onlywheneducatorsusethemtoimprovetheirinstructioncanstudentshaveanimprovedexperience.Theauthorsbuildonthismodeloftheinstructionalcoretointegrateparents,givennotonlytheirpredominantroleinchildren’slivesbutalsothenewwaysinwhichtheyhavesupportedchildren’slearningamidthepandemic(seeFigure2). Figure2.Theinstructionalcore Source:Ganimian,Vegas,andHess(2020),adaptedfromCohenandBall(1999). Usingtheinstructionalcoreasaguidecanhelpusidentifywhattypesofnewstrategiesorinnovationscouldbecomecommunity-basedsupportsinchildren’slearningjourney.Indeed,evenafteronlyseveralmonthsofexperimentationaroundtheglobeonkeepinglearninggoingamidapandemic,therearesomeclearstrategiesthathavethepotential,ifcontinued,tocontributetoapowered-upschool,andmanyoftheminvolveengaginglearners,educators,andparentsinnewwaysusingsomeformoftechnology. Groundingdecisionsonexistingevidenceisnecessary,butnotsufficient.Itwillalsobeessentialtoaskpeople—students,families,teachers,schoolleaders—whattheirexperiencehasbeenandwhatneweducationalpracticestheyhopewillcontinuepostpandemic.TheJustAskUsMovementintheU.S.,forexample,aimstodiscoverandshareatleastamillionstudentandfamilyperspectivesonhowschoolsystemsshouldrespondtothepandemicanditseffects.Communitieswillcertainlyidentifyimportantstrategiesthatfalloutsidetheinstructionalcore,suchasessentialcollaborationbetweenhealthandsocialprotectionservices,thatcouldbevitaltodevelopingapowered-upschool.Forexample,SierraLeone’snew“radicalinclusion”policyaimstobringtogetherhealthandbankingservicestohelpmarginalizedgirlsstayinschool.OrintheU.S.,whereDavidMiyashiro,thesuperintendentofCajonValley,aschooldistrictwithoneofthehighestpopulationsofrefugeestudentsinCalifornia,hasheardfromparentsthattheyneedmorehelpwithchildcareandhencehasestablishedanewExtendedDayProgram. Whilewefocusinthisreportprimarilyonthoseinnovationsthatsupporttheinteractionsintheinstructionalcore,werecognizethattherewillbeamyriadofstrategiesneededtosupportmarginalizedchildrenandbringapowered-upschooltolife.Ultimately,communitiesshouldhaveaviewonwhatthesestrategiesshouldbe.Groundingdecisionsinthelivedexperienceofthepeopleatthecenterofeducation,especiallystudentsandteachers,isoneofthecentralprinciplesofdesigningforscaleandwillbeanessentialcomponentofdevelopingapowered-upschool.Whenaskedwhatheronepieceofadvicewouldbetoheadsofstatetoday,EllenJohnsonSirleaf,NobelPeacePrizewinnerandformerpresidentofLiberia,said“Listentoyourpeople,theymaynotbeeducatedbuttheyareknowledgeable.” 3.Harnesseducationtechnology:Deployeducationtechnologytopowerupschoolslongterminawaythatmeetstheteachingandlearningneedsofstudentsandeducators;otherwise,technologyrisksbecomingacostlydistraction. Leveragingtechnologytohelpwitheducationalcontinuityisatopicfrontandcenterinschoolsaroundtheworld.Countriesareusingwhatevertheyhaveattheirdisposal—fromradiostotelevisionstocomputerstomobilephones.Formanyfamilies,accessingeducationalcontentthroughtechnologyisnoteasy.Forexample,anationallyrepresentativesurveyinSenegalconductedapproximatelythreeweeksafterschoolsclosedfoundthatchildrenwerefarmorelikelytocontinuetheireducationthroughworkassignedbytheirparentsthanaccessedthroughanytechnology.Lessthan11percentofsurveyrespondentssaidstudentsaccessededucationalmaterialusingeitherradio,television,orweb-basedresources.4 Thisisnotnecessarilysurprisinggiveneducation’spastrecordofusingtechnologytosupportlearning.Indeed,whiletherehasbeentheexpectationthatedtechwouldradicallytransformteachingandlearning,theimpactofed-techinterventionsonstudentlearninghasbeenmostlydisappointing.5But,asputforthin“Realizingthepromise:Howcaneducationtechnologyimprovelearningforall?,”thisismostlikelybecausemosted-techinterventionshavepaidlimitedattentiontotheinstructionalcore.However,whenweconsiderrigorousevidenceonthecomparativeadvantagesoftechnologyvis-a-vistraditionalinstruction,wefindthatedtechcanhelpimprovelearningbysupportingthecrucialinteractionsintheinstructionalcorethrough:(1)scalingupqualityinstruction(by,forexample,prerecordedlessonsofhigh-qualityteaching);(2)facilitatingdifferentiatedinstruction(through,forexample,computer-adaptivelearningorliveone-on-onetutoring);(3)expandingopportunitiesforstudentpractice;and(4)increasingstudentengagement(through,forexample,videosandgames). Whileweenvisionpowered-upschoolsafterCOVID-19usingtechnologyinthesefourwaystoimprovelearning,weemphasizetheneedtosupporteducatorstoembracethecomparativeadvantagesoftechnology.Withoutinvolvingandsupportingeducatorsininnovation,effortswillnotbesustainableovertime.Indeed,throughouttheglobalschoolclosures,wehaveseentheheroiceffortsofeducators,manyofwhomareinpoorcommunitieswithlimiteded-techresources,andyethaveinnovatedtocontinueengagingstudentsinlearning.Forexample,fromChiletotheUnitedKingdom,wehaveseenteacherscomingtogethertorapidlylendtheirexpertisetodeveloprelevantremote-learningcontentforstudents.InChile,anetworkofteacherscametogethertodevelopaseriesof30-minuteradiolessonsforsecondarystudentswhohadnoaccesstoonlinelearning.Theinitiative,whichtheteachersdubbedLaRadioEnseña,issupportedbythecivilsocietyorganizationEnseñaChile,andtheradiolessonswentfrombeingdistributedbyahandfulofradiostationstoover240onlyonemonthafterschoolsclosed.SimilarlyintheU.K.,agroupofteachersworriedaboutlearningcontinuityfortheirstudentswhenschoolswereabouttoclose,developedwithintwoweeksanonlineclassroomandresourcehubtohelpeducatorsandparentshelptheirchildrenlearn.AsoftheendofJuly,usersaccessedlessons17milliontimesandthisinitiative,calledOakNationalAcademy,hasbeenasignificantfeatureofthegovernment’sremotelearningstrategy. Listeningtoeducatorsastechnologyisdeployedforlearningandrespondingtotheirconcernswithreal-timeiterationisalsoessentialinhelpingmakeed-techrolloutssuccessful.Inresponsetotheschoolclosures,Peru’sministryofeducationembarkedonanambitiousnational-scaleremote-learningstrategycalledAprendoenCasausingmultiplechannels—television,radio,andonlineresources.Curriculum-alignedlessonswererecorded,and,tomakethecontentengaging,theministryhiredactorstoserveascontentfacilitators.Aftertheinitialrollout,thegovernmentrequestedfeedbackfromschoolleaders,teachers,andparents,whichledtotheinclusionofateacherandastudentineachlesson.Additionally,reportingrequirementsofteacherswereinitiallyquiteonerousleadingtooverburdeningalreadystretchedteachersandwereadaptedtoamoremanageablestreamlinedapproach.Feedbackfromuserswassolicitedregularly,notonlyonusage(whichwasreportedtobeashighas74percentamongstudents),butalsoonquality(59percentofparentsreportedbeingsatisfiedwiththeprogram).Inaddition,over90percentofteachersreportedhavingbeeninregularcommunicationwithprincipalsandstudents.6Interestingly,averyrecentstudyconfirmsthatteachers’senseofsuccesswashigherinschoolsystemsthathadstrongremoteworkingconditions,includingcommunication,training,collaboration,fairexpectations,andrecognitionoftheirefforts. Theseexamplesarejustafewoftheeducationtechnologyexperimentsunderwayduringthepandemic.Somerelyongoodinternetandconnectivity,andtheOECDandHundrEDhavecuratedalistofonlinelearningresourcesforschools.Othersutilizeofflinetechnologyorbasiccellphonestofacilitatelearningforthoseless-resourcedcommunities.Ultimately,theevidenceisclearthatthereisnosingle“ed-tech”initiativethatwillachievethesameresultseverywherebecauseschoolsystemsvaryinmultipleways.However,afterCOVID-19,onethingiscertain:Schoolsystemsthatarebestpreparedtouseeducationtechnologyeffectivelywillbebetterpositionedtocontinueofferingqualityeducationinthefaceofschoolclosures.Learningaboutthosestrategiesthathaveemergedduetotheclosuresandthathaveforcedschoolleaders,educators,parents,andstudentstoengagewithtechnologyinnewandproductivewaywillbeimportantfordevelopingpowered-upschoolsinthelongterm.Onesuchstrategyishowtechnology,oftenthroughlow-techtextsandphonecalls,hashelpedengageparentsinawholenewway,whichiswhereweturntonext. 4.Parentengagement:Forgestronger,moretrustingrelationshipsbetweenparentsandteachers. Rarelyisthetopicofparentengagementatthetopofthe“todo”listforeducationadministratorsandeducatorswhosedaysarefilledwithnumerousdecisions—frombellschedulestosafetytolessonplans—aroundhowtodelivereducationtochildren.IntherecentOECD-Harvardsurveyofeducatorsandeducationadministratorsacross59countriesonschoolreopeningstrategies,three-quartersoftherespondentsstatedthatthereopeningplansweredevelopedcollaborativelywithteachers,butonly25percentsaidthatcollaborationincludedparentsaswell. ThislimitedengagementwithparentsandfamiliesshouldcomeasnosurprisegiventhatbeforetheCOVID-19pandemic,thetopicofparentengagementoccupiedarelativelymarginalplaceintheeducationdiscussions.Practitionersworkingwithschoolsandfamiliestobuildstrongparent-teacherrelationshipsfrequentlypointoutthatstrategiesforcommunityoutreachandcollaborationarefrequentlymissinginteacherpreparationprogramsandaregivenshortshriftinprofessionaldevelopmentcoursesforadministrators.Additionally,researchersaremuchmorelikelytofocustheirstudyonschool-basedfactorssuchascurriculumdevelopmentorassessmentpolicies.InarecentsearchoftheEducationResourcesInformationCenterdatabase,whichhascloseto20yearsofarticles,thecitation“teachers”wasusedalmostfourtimestheamountthatthecitation“parents”wasused. Butthecoronaviruspandemichasputthetopicofengagementwithparentsandfamiliesatthecenteroftoday’seducationdebates,andeducationleadersacrosstheglobearefindingoutjustwhatpowerfulalliesparentscanbeintheirchildren’slearning—includingparentsfromthemostmarginalizedcommunities.FromAsiatoAfricatoNorthAmerica,examplesareemergingofnewwaysofpartneringwithparentsandfamiliesthatproviderealpromiseforsupportingchildren’slearninginandoutofschooloverthelongterm. Forexample,creativemechanismsforreal-timeguidancetoparentsontheirchildren’seducationarepoppinguparoundtheglobeusingthelow-techbut,inmanyplaces,ubiquitousabilitytomakeaphonecall.InArgentina,thegovernmentoftheStateofBuenosAiresdevelopedacall-incenterstaffedbytheMinistryofEducationtoprovidereal-timeinformationandguidancetoanyparentwithconcernsorinformationrequestsabouttheirchildren’seducationduringthepandemic.Inthefirstfivemonths,over100,000callswerereceived.7Insomeplaces,civilsocietyorganizationsarecollaboratingtoprovidethistypeoflive,real-timesupporttoparents.IntheU.S.forexample,thePittsburghLearningCollaborative,acoalitionofover50localorganizationsservingfamiliesandchildren,hascreatedafamilyhotlinetohelpprovideparentsandfamilieswithguidanceandresourcestoassistwiththeirchildren’slearning. Initsfirstmonth,thehotlinereceived 1,000calls. Mobilephoneshavealsohelpedparentsdirectlyfacilitatetheirchildren’slearninginIndia.InHimachalPradesh,astateofalmost7millionpeople,thegovernmentisusingamultilayeredapproachtoremotelearningthatengagesparentsinanewway.Inresponsetopandemic-relatedschoolclosures,inAprilthegovernmentlaunchedtheHarGharPathshalainitiative.Theinitiativedevelopedthousandsofvideosanddigitalworksheetsandthendeployed48,000teacherstoconnecttoallparentsinthestatethroughWhatsApp.Thegoalwastodevelopaclearunderstandingamongparentsofthematerialschildrenshouldbeaccessing,includingtakingaweeklyWhatsAppassessmentthatwouldcometotheirphones.Studentsthemselvesareunlikelytohaveelectronicdevicesandafamilyphone—themainavenueforaccessingonlinelearning—sothematerialsaresharedbetweenparentsandthechildreninthehousehold.Over92percentofparentsengagedwithteachersthrough“ePTMs,”electronicParentTeacherMeetings,andultimately70-80percentofstudentsinthestatehaveengagedwiththedigitalmaterialsand50percentofstudentsaretakingtheWhatsAppassessments.8 Perhapsthemostsignificantpartofthegovernment’sstrategy,andthecomponentthatholdsthemostpromiseforpoweringupschoolslongterm,hasbeenbuildingarelationshipbetweenstudents’caregiversandtheirteachersandschools.9“Untilnow,inIndiawehavenotbeenabletoestablishtheparent-to-teacherconnectionforfirst-generationlearnersatscale,”saidPrachiWindlass,directorofIndiaProgramsattheMichael&SusanDellFoundation. “Thepandemichasbroughttolighthowparentsoffirst-generationlearnerscan—andnowclearlydo—helpwiththeirchildren’slearning.”10Parentsthemselvesareeagertocontinuebeingalliesintheirchildren’slearning,with88percentofparentssayingtheywouldliketoattendfutureePTMs. Itisnotonlythegovernmentthatisrealizingwhatispossiblewhentheyinviteparentsandfamiliesintotheteachingandlearningprocess.CivilsocietyorganizationssuchasPrathampivotedduringschoolclosurestoengagedirectlywithparentsandfamiliesonchildren’slearningbyusingacombinationofdailyWhatsApportextmessagesandweeklyphonecalls.“Whilewearefurtherawayphysically,wehavegottencloser,”saysSamyuktaSubramanian,aPrathamteamleadandformerCUEEchidnaGlobalScholar.Thetextmessagesprovideactivitiestokeepchildrenengagedinlearningandcanincludefunandinteractiveactivitiessuchasaskingchildrentocounthowmanyteeththeirparentshaveorhowmanybucketsofwatertheirfamilyusesandtexttheanswersback.ThePrathamstaffmemberscalleachfamilyonceaweektoseehowtheactivitiesaregoing,andbyJunetheyweresendingover100,000textmessagesandreachingparentsinover12,000ruralcommunities.Notingthatthisapproachtoengagingparentsissomethingtheyhopetocontinueafterschoolsreopen,thePrathamEducationFoundationCEORukminiBanerjisaysshehopes“thereisacelebrationforparentswhenchildrenreturntoschooltorecognizeallthattheyhavedonetocontinuetheirchildren’slearningandtogiveparentstheconfidencetostayengaged.” TheMinistryofBasicEducationofBotswanahasalsolearnedthepowerofharnessingmobilephonetechnologytopartnerwithparentsandboostchildren’slearning.Priortotheschoolclosures,theMinistryhadbeenworkingcloselywithacoalitionofpartnerstoscaleupanapproachtoteachingnumeracythatinvolvedinteractiveteachingmethodsgearedtostudents’learninglevelsratherthantheirgrade.ThisTeachingattheRightLevelinitiativebringstogetherarangeofpartners,includingaBotswanannonprofitcalledYoung1oveworkingwiththegovernmentanduniversitypartnerstoimplementandevaluatetheapproach,andtheReal-TimeScalingLabteamatBrookingstohelpguideanddocumentthescalingprocess. Duringtheclosures,Young1oveworkedwiththegovernmenttorapidlypivotfromworkingwithteacherstodelivernumeracylessonstoworkingwithparents.Theyreachedouttoover7,000parentsandinvitedthemtotakepartinremotelearningduringschoolclosures—60percentofwhomacceptedtheinvitation.Whiletheytestedseveralapproaches,themostsuccessfulincludedaweeklymathproblemsenttoparentsbytextmessageandfollowedupwithaweekly15-20minutephonecall.Onthephonecall,Young1ovefacilitatorswouldaskparentstogettheirchildandputthephoneonspeakersotheycouldaskiftheyhadseenthemathproblemandthendiscussit.Arapidandrigorousevaluationoftheintervention,whichincludedacontrolgroup,showedstartlingresults.ForthechildrenwhoseparentsreceivedtextmessagesandphonecallsfromYoung1ove,thedropininnumeracylevelswas52percent.Clearly,wheninvitedinaspartnerstotheirchildren’slearning,parentsinBotswanaalsoshowedhowpowerfultheirpartnershipcanbeforchildren’sschooling. Whilelikelysurprisingtomany,theseexamplesofthecapabilityoflow-incomeormarginalizedparentsandfamiliestobepowerfulalliesinsupportoftheirchildren’slearningalignswithexistingevidenceoneffectiveparentengagementandwillcomeasnosurprisetotheselectgroupofpractitioners,researchers,andadvocatesworkingonthisissuearoundtheglobe.IntheU.S.,forexample,severaldecadesofresearchhaveshownthatparents,especiallyforlow-incomestudents,haveapositiveinfluenceonstudentacademicachievementlargelythroughequippingparentstosupporttheirchildren’slearningathome.RigorousevaluationsinGhanaandtheU.K.alsodemonstratethis.11 Whenarespectfulrelationshipamongparents,teachers,families,andschoolsisatthecenterofengagementactivities,powerfulsupporttochildren’slearningcanoccur.Athreadrunningacrosstheaboveexamplesisschoolsinvitingfamiliestobealliesintheirchildren’slearningbyusingeasy-to-understandinformationcommunicatedthroughmechanismsthatadapttoparents’schedulesandthatprovideparentswithanactivebutfeasiblerole.Thenatureoftheinvitationandtherelationshipiswhatissoessentialtobringingparentsonboard. Gettingthisrelationshiprightisnoeasytask,andtherearemanydimensionstoparentalinvolvementintheirchildren’sschooling,whichcanalsoreflecttensionandpowerdynamicsactiveinsocietywritlarge.12Schoolsandteacherscanfinditdifficulttonavigatetherangeofexpectations,manyofthemconflicting.Attimes,engagingparentsdoesnotalwaysleadtodesirableoutcomesforchildren’slearning.Forexample,arandomizedcontroltrialusinglongitudinaldatainGhana’spreschoolsfoundmarkedimprovementinstudentoutcomesthatweresustainedoverseveralyearsinschoolsthatreceivedayearlongteachertrainingandcoachingprogramaimedatmakingclassroomsmorestudent-centered.Theprogramincorporatedplay-basedlearningapproachesandinfluencedtheinstructionalcorebyimprovingteacher-childinteractions.13Butthisimprovementwasonlyseenwhenthebusyworking-classparentsofthestudentswerenotinformedabouttheshiftintheteachingapproach.Intheschoolswheretheteachertrainingwaspairedwithdiscussionsessionswithparentsaboutthepurposeofthetrainingandwhatthenewteachingmethodsentailed,theoppositehappened.Theparentawarenesssessionscounteractedanyofthebenefitsoftheteachertraining,andthechildren’soutcomeswereworsethanthoseinthecontrolgroup.Ultimately,theparentswhotookpartintheinformationsessionshadacoolingeffectontheteachers,leadingthemtostopusingmanyofthetechniqueslearnedinthetraining.Theresearcherspositedthatratherthanbuildingsupportforthenewpedagogicalapproach,theinformationsessions,whichwereinfrequentandpassive,raisedconcernamongparentsthattheteachingwasbecominglessrigorous.ThisphenomenaisnotuniquetoGhana.ThroughourownBrookingsresearchinitiativeonparentsandeducation,wehavefoundstoriesofthisparentalcoolingeffectininterviewswitheducatorsandeducationleadersacross50countries. Ultimately,theCOVID-19pandemicisanopportunitytoforgestronger,moretrustingrelationshipsbetweenparentsandteachers.Itisanopportunityforparentsandfamiliestogaininsightintotheskillthatisinvolvedinteachingandforteachersandschoolstorealizewhatpowerfulalliesparentscanbe.Parentsaroundtheworldarenotinterestedinbecomingtheirchild’steacher,buttheyare,basedonseverallarge-scalesurveys,askingtobeengagedinadifferentmoreactivewayinthefuture.Perhapsthemostimportantinsightforsupportingapowered-upschoolischallengingthemindsetofthoseintheeducationsectorthatparentsandfamilieswiththeleastopportunitiesarenotcapableorwillingtohelptheirchildrenlearn. 5.Aniterativeapproach:Embracetheprinciplesofimprovementsciencerequiredtoevaluate,coursecorrect,document,andscalenewapproachesthatcanhelppowerupschoolsovertime. Aswehaveseenabove,therearesomepromisingnewapproachesthathavethepotentialtoenableabroaderlearningecosystemtosupportchildren’sschooling.However,inmostcountriesaroundtheworld,thereisalongroadtotravelbeforewefullyunderstandhowtoleveragetechnologyortransformparentengagementtorealizeapowered-upschoolforeachcommunity.Thespeedanddepthofchangemeanthatitwillbeessentialtotakeaniterativeapproachtolearningwhatworks,forwhom,andunderwhatenablingconditions.Inotherwords,thisisamomenttoemploytheprinciplesofimprovementscience.Traditionalresearchmethodswillneedtobecomplementedbyreal-timedocumentation,reflection,quickfeedbackloops,andcoursecorrection.Rapidsharingofearlyinsightsandtestingofpotentialchangeideaswillneedtocomealongsidethelonger-termrigorousreviews.CUE’sownworkonsystemtransformationandscalingchangeineducationprovidesonepossiblemodelfordoingjustthis.ThroughourReal-TimeScalingLabs,teamsofpractice-orientedresearchersareworkingtoscaleandsustaintransformativechangeineducationsystems.Theseteamslearn,document,andshareemerginginsightsinrapid,iterativecyclesmakingsurepeersacrossthedifferentcomponentsofaneducationsystemareincludedintheprocessandthatfailures,oneofthemostvaluableinsights,aredocumentedalongsidesuccesses. AkeyprincipleunderlyingtheReal-timeScalingLabsisthatscalingisaniterativeprocessthatrequiresongoingadaptationbasedonnewdataandchangesinthebroaderenvironment.ThedisruptioncausedbytheCOVID-19pandemichasindeedbroughtthisrealityfrontandcenter.IntheReal-timeScalingLabs,twocategoriesofadaptationhaveemerged:(1)adaptationsandsimplificationstothemodelbeingscaleditselfand(2)adaptationsandadjustmentstothescalingapproachandstrategy.Whilebotharecriticaltoscaling,adaptingthescalingstrategyisespeciallychallenging,requiringnotonlytimelydata,athoroughunderstandingofthecontext,andspaceforreflection,butalsowillingnessandcapacitytoactonthislearningandmakechangesaccordingly. Conclusion:Havingavisionofthechangewewanttoseemattersandcanhelpguidediscussion,debate,and—ultimately—action. Weacknowledgethatemergingfromthisglobalpandemicwithastrongerpubliceducationsystemisanambitiousvision,andonethatwillrequirebothfinancialandhumanresources.Butwearguethatarticulatingsuchavisionisessential,andthatamidthemyriadofdecisionseducationleadersaremakingeveryday,itcanguidethefuture.Withthedireconsequencesofthepandemichittingthemostvulnerableyoungpeoplethehardest,itistemptingtoreverttoaglobaleducationnarrativethatprivilegesaccesstoschoolaboveallelse.This,however,wouldbeamistake.Thereareenoughexamplesofeducationinnovationsthatprovideaccesstorelevantlearningforthoseinandoutofaschoolbuildingtosetoursightshigher.Apowered-uppublicschoolineverycommunityiswhattheworld’schildrendeserve,andindeedispossibleifallstakeholderscancollectivelyworktogethertoharnesstheopportunitiespresentedbythiscrisistotrulyleapfrogeducationforward. Note:TheauthorsaregratefultoBrianFowlerforhisvaluableresearchassistanceinpreparingthispaper. References “1.3BillionLearnersAreStillAffectedbySchoolorUniversityClosures,asEducationalInstitutionsStartReopeningaroundtheWorld,SaysUNESCO.”UNESCO,April29,2020.https://en.unesco.org/news/13-billion-learners-are-still-affected-school-university-closures-educational-institutions. “62PerCentParentsinHPNotinFavourofOpeningSchoolsinHaste.”TribuneIndiaNewsService,August10,2020.https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/schools/62-per-cent-parents-in-hp-not-in-favour-of-opening-schools-in-haste-124734. Almond,Douglas.“Isthe1918influenzapandemicover?Long-termeffectsofinuteroinfluenzaexposureinthepost-1940USpopulation.” JournalofpoliticalEconomy 114.4(2006):672-712. Angrist,Noam,etal.“StemmingLearningLossDuringthePandemic:ARapidRandomizedTrialofaLow-TechInterventioninBotswana.” AvailableatSSRN3663098 (2020). Barrera-Osorio,Felipe,andLeighL.Linden. “Theuseandmisuseofcomputersineducation:EvidencefromarandomizedexperimentinColombia.”TheWorldBank,2009. Banerji,Rukmini.PersonalInterview,September1,2020 Beard,Alex.“Whenschoolsclosed,teachershadtothinkfast.Here’swhattheycameupwith.”Apolitical,July,29,2020.https://apolitical.co/en/solution_article/schools-closed-teachers-online-classrooms. Beuermann,DietherW.,etal.“Onelaptopperchildathome:Short-termimpactsfromarandomizedexperimentinPeru.” AmericanEconomicJournal:AppliedEconomics 7.2(2015):53-80. Brown,Gordon.“ALettertotheInternationalCommunity.”ProjectSyndicate,August17,2020.https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/save-our-future-education-funding-during-covid19-by-gordon-brown-2020-08. Bulman,George,andRobertW.Fairlie.“Technologyandeducation:Computers,software,andtheinternet.” HandbookoftheEconomicsofEducation.Vol.5.Elsevier,2016.239-280. Burdick-Will,Julia,JensLudwig,StephenW.Raudenbush,RobertJ.Sampson,LisaSanbonmatsu,andPatrickSharkey.“ConvergingEvidenceforNeighborhoodEffectsonChildren’sTestScores:AnExperimental,Quasi-Experimental,andObservationalComparison.”BrookingsInstitution,January17,2018.https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/voices.uchicago.edu/dist/3/125/files/2010/03/Burdick-Will-Ed-Workshop-20100301.pdf. Chanfreau,Jenny,EmilyTanner,MegCallanan,KarenLaing,AmySkipp,andLizTodd.“OutofschoolactivitiesduringprimaryschoolandKS2attainment.”CentreforLongitudinalStudies,2016. Chetty,Raj,JohnN.Friedman,andJonahE.Rockoff.“MeasuringtheImpactsofTeachersI:Evaluatingbiasinteachervalue-addedestimates.” AmericanEconomicReview 104.9(2014):2593-2632. Chetty,Raj,JohnN.Friedman,andJonahE.Rockoff.“MeasuringtheimpactsofteachersII:Teachervalue-addedandstudentoutcomesinadulthood.” Americaneconomicreview 104.9(2014):2633-79. Christakis,Erika.“AmericansHaveGivenUponPublicSchools.That’saMistake.”TheAtlantic.AtlanticMediaCompany,September11,2017.https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-war-on-public-schools/537903/. Cohen,DavidK.,andDeborahLoewenbergBall.“Instruction,capacity,andimprovement.” ConsortiumforPolicyResearchinEducation,1999. “CommunitiesComeTogethertoSupportSTEMEducation.”DepartmentofEducation:OfficeofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,2015. Covay,Elizabeth,andWilliamCarbonaro.“Afterthebell:Participationinextracurricularactivities,classroombehavior,andacademicachievement.” SociologyofEducation 83.1(2010):20-45. Cristia,Julian,PabloIbarrarán,SantiagoCueto,AnaSantiago,andEugenioSeverín.“Technologyandchilddevelopment:Evidencefromtheonelaptopperchildprogram.”AmericanEconomicJournal:AppliedEconomics9,no.3(2017):295-320. Currie-Knight,Kevin.“WhyEducationIsn’taPublicGood–andWhyGovernmentDoesn’tHavetoProvideIt,”January18,2017.https://www.learnliberty.org/blog/why-education-isnt-a-public-good-and-why-government-doesnt-have-to-provide-it/. Dahir,AbdiLatif.“Kenya’sUnusualSolutiontotheSchoolProblem:CanceltheYearandStartOver.”TheNewYorkTimes,August5,2020.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/africa/Kenya-cancels-school-year-coronavirus.html. Dahir,AbdiLatif.“Kenya’sUnusualSolutiontotheSchoolProblem:CanceltheYearandStartOver.”TheNewYorkTimes,August5,2020.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/africa/Kenya-cancels-school-year-coronavirus.html. Duffin,Erin.“NumberofSchoolAgedChildrenGlobally,byAgeGroup1950-2100″PublishedbyStatista.2020.https://www.statista.com/statistics/914490/school-aged-children-worldwide-age-group/. Escueta,Maya,AndreJoshuaNickow,PhilipOreopoulos,andVincentQuan.“UpgradingEducationwithTechnology:InsightsfromExperimentalResearch.”JournalofEconomicLiterature.Forthcoming. Filmer,Deon,andH.Rogers.“Learningtorealizeeducation’spromise.” WorldDevelopmentReport.TheWorldBank, 2018. “ExtendedDayProgram.”CVUSD,2020.https://www.cajonvalley.net/Page/105. “GettingintoPrivateSchool.”PrivateSchoolReview.AccessedSeptember1,2020.https://www.privateschoolreview.com/blog/category/getting-into-private-school. “GlobalPrivateTutoringMarketWillReachUSD177,621MillionBy2026.”ZionMarketResearch,January22,2019.https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/22/1703399/0/en/Global-Private-Tutoring-Market-Will-Reach-USD-177-621-Million-By-2026-Zion-Market-Research.html. Handa,Sudhanshu,etal.“Non-formalbasiceducationasadevelopmentpriority:EvidencefromNicaragua.” EconomicsofEducationReview 28.4(2009):512-522. Hannon,Valerie,LouiseThomas,SarahWard,andT.Beresford.“LocalLearningEcosystems:EmergingModels.”WISEreportseriesinPartnershipwithInnovationUnit,https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lp6q1iKTqKeLobwhsxKxGMBgNk8dhOyZ/view.Accessed(2019):10-21. “HowaNetworkedImprovementCommunityImprovedSuccessRatesforStrugglingCollegeMathStudents.”CarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementofTeaching,2017.https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/resources/publications/how-a-networked-improvement-community-improved-success-rates-for-struggling-college-math-students/ Henderson,A.andMapp,K.,“ANewWaveofEvidence:TheImpactofSchool,Family,andCommunityConnectionsonStudentAchievement.”NationalCenterforFamilyandCommunityConnectionswithSchools,2002. Hsieh,Chang-Tai,andMiguelUrquiola.“Theeffectsofgeneralizedschoolchoiceonachievementandstratification:EvidencefromChile’svoucherprogram.” JournalofPublicEconomics 90.8-9(2006):1477-1503. Mo,Di,etal.“Computertechnologyineducation:EvidencefromapooledstudyofcomputerassistedlearningprogramsamongruralstudentsinChina.” ChinaEconomicReview 36(2015):131-145. Iqbal,SyedahAroob,JoaoPedroAzevedo,KoenGeven,AmerHasan,andHarryAPatrinos.“WeShouldAvoidFlatteningtheCurveinEducation–PossibleScenariosforLearningLossduringtheSchoolLockdowns.”WorldBankBlogs,April13,2020.https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/we-should-avoid-flattening-curve-education-possible-scenarios-learning-loss-during-school. Istance,David,AlejandroPaniagua,RebeccaWinthrop,andLaurenZiegler.“LearningtoLeapfrog.”BrookingsInstitution,November7,2019.https://www.brookings.edu/research/learning-to-leapfrog/. JoannaHärmä.“Accessorquality?Whydofamilieslivinginslumschooselow-costprivateschoolsinLagos,Nigeria?”.OxfordReviewofEducation,39:4,548-566,(2013)DOI:10.1080/03054985.2013.825984 Kraft,MatthewA.,NicoleS.Simon,andMelissaArnoldLyon.“SustainingaSenseofSuccess:TheImportanceofTeacherWorkingConditionsDuringtheCOVID-19Pandemic,”2020. Lai,Fang,LinxiuZhang,XiaoHu,QingheQu,YaojiangShi,YajieQiao,MatthewBoswell,andScottRozelle.“ComputerAssistedLearningasExtracurricularTutor?EvidencefromarandomisedexperimentinruralboardingschoolsinShaanxi.”JournalofDevelopmentEffectiveness5,no.2(2013):208-231. Levin,HenryM.“EducationasaPublicandPrivateGood.”JournalofPolicyAnalysisandManagment6,no.4(1987):628-41. Malamud,Ofer,andCristianPop-Eleches.“HomeComputerUseandTheDevelopmentofHumanCapital.”TheQuarterlyjournalofeconomics126,no.2(2011):987-1027. Mayer,SusanE. “IncomeInequality,EconomicSegregationandChildren’sEducationalAttainment.”IrvingB.HarrisGraduateSchoolofPublicPolicyStudies,UniversityofChicago,2000. McEwan,PatrickJ.,etal.“Schoolchoice,stratification,andinformationonschoolperformance:Lessonsfromchile.” Economia 8.2(2008):1-42. Meckler,Laura,andHannahNatanson.“ForParentsWhoCanAffordIt,aSolutionforFall:BringtheTeacherstoThem.”TheWashingtonPost,July17,2020.https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/fall-remote-private-teacher-pods/2020/07/17/9956ff28-c77f-11ea-8ffe-372be8d82298_story.html Miller,Sarah,JennyDavison,JamieYohanis,SeaneenSloan,AideenGildea,andAllenThurston.“TextingParents:EvaluationReportandExecutiveSummary.”EducationEndowmentFoundation,2017. “MinistryofBasicandSeniorSecondaryEducation–NewEnglandVilleFreetown.”GovernmentofSierraLeone,December13,2019.https://mbsse.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PREGNANT-GIRLS-BAN-REVERSAL-RELEASE.pdf. Mo,Di,etal.“Integratingcomputer-assistedlearningintoaregularcurriculum:EvidencefromarandomisedexperimentinruralschoolsinShaanxi.” Journalofdevelopmenteffectiveness 6.3(2014):300-323. Moyer,MelindaWenner.“Pods,MicroschoolsandTutors:CanParentsSolvetheEducationCrisisonTheirOwn?”TheNewYorkTimes,January22,2020.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/parenting/school-pods-coronavirus.html Munoz-Najar,Alberto.“Peru:AprendoenCasa(ILearnfromHome),”2020.https://oecdedutoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-Aprendo-en-Casa.pdf Muralidharan,Karthik,andMichaelKremer.“PublicandPrivateSchoolsinRuralIndia,”2007.https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/kremer/files/public_and_private_schools_in_rural_india_final_pre-publication.pdf. Murnane,RichardJ.,MarcusR.Waldman,JohnB.Willett,MariaSoledadBos,andEmilianaVegas. “TheconsequencesofeducationalvoucherreforminChile.”No.w23550.NationalBureauofEconomicResearch,2017. Nishimura,Mikiko,andTakashiYamano.“EmergingprivateeducationinAfrica:DeterminantsofschoolchoiceinruralKenya.” WorldDevelopment 43(2013):266-275. “Out-of-SchoolChildrenandYouth.”UNESCOUIS,January16,2020.http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/out-school-children-and-youth. “Parents2020:COVID-19Closures:ARedefiningMomentforStudents,Parents&Schools.”Heroes,Learning,2020. Peña-López,Ismael.“TheOECDhandbookforinnovativelearningenvironments.”OECD.(2017). “PrathamRemoteLearningStrategyduringLockdown.”Pratham,August,2020. Pritchett,Lant.“TheRebirthofEducation:SchoolingAin’tLearning.”Washington,D.C.:CenterforGlobalDevelopment,2013. Psacharopoulos,George,VictoriaCollis,HarryAnthonyPatrinos,andEmilianaVegas.“LostWages:TheCOVID-19CostofSchoolClosures.”PolicyResearchWorkingPaper.WorldBankGroup,May2020.https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/34387 Quillian,Lincoln.“Doessegregationcreatewinnersandlosers?Residentialsegregationandinequalityineducationalattainment.” SocialProblems 61.3(2014):402-426. Recart,T.,Chadwick,F.andF.Reimers,F.“Chile:LaRadioEnseña(Learningfromradio),Educationcontinuitystoriesseries,”2020. “Reimaginingtheroleoftechnologyineducation:2017nationaleducationtechnologyplanupdate.”USDepartmentofEducation,2017. Reimers,F.,andA.Schleicher.“Schoolingdisrupted,schoolingrethought:HowtheCovid-19pandemicischangingeducation.”OECD,2020. “Release:J-PALandPrathamAwardedPhilanthropicFundingtowardEducationSystemsChange:NewTeachingattheRightLevelAfricaInitiativetoSupportoverThreeMillionPrimarySchoolStudentswithEvidence-BackedApproach.”TheAbdulLatifJameelPovertyActionLab(J-PAL),January15,2019.https://www.povertyactionlab.org/updates/release-j-pal-and-pratham-awarded-philanthropic-funding-toward-education-systems-change-new. Rivkin,StevenG.,EricA.Hanushek,andJohnF.Kain.“Teachers,schools,andacademicachievement.” Econometrica 73,no.2(2005):417-458. Robinson,JennyPerlman,andMollyCurtiss.“MillionsLearningReal-TimeScalingLabs.”CenterforUniversalEducationatTheBrookingsInstitution.February6,2019.https://www.brookings.edu/research/millions-learning-real-time-scaling-labs/. Robinson,JennyPerlman,andRebeccaWinthrop.“MillionsLearning:ScalingupQualityEducationinDevelopingCountries.”CenterforUniversalEducationatTheBrookingsInstitution,2016. Sakellariou,Chris.“Privateorpublicschooladvantage?Evidencefrom40countriesusingPISA2012-Mathematics.” AppliedEconomics 49.29(2017):2875-2892. Samuels,ChristinaA.,andAriannaProthero.“Couldthe‘PandemicPod’BeaLifelineforParentsoraThreattoEquity?”EducationWeek,August18,2020.https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/07/29/could-the-pandemic-pod-be-a-lifeline.html. SaveOurFuture,August12,2020.https://saveourfuture.world/. Sosa,Cardona,andPeterLeighton.“ImprovingEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentandHealthwithaCommunity-RunPrograminRuralGhana.”2018.https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b0c8/dec23f1a1767847883eaaacc00bda9f6dc82.pdf Statista,August6,2019.https://www.statista.com/statistics/914490/school-aged-children-worldwide-age-group/. Tauson,Michaelle,andLukeStannard.“Edtechforlearninginemergenciesanddisplacedsettings.”SavetheChildren,2018. “TeachingattheRightLevel.”Young1ove,2017.https://www.young1ove.org/tarl. “TheLearningGeneration:InvestinginEducationforaChangingWorld.”TheInternationalCommissiononFinancingGlobalEducationOpportunity.https://report.educationcommission.org/report/ “TheSixPillarsofCommunitySchoolsToolkit:NEAResourceGuideforEducators,Families,andCommunities.”NationalEducationAssociation,2017. “UnderstandingDigitalCredentials.”UnderstandingDigitalCredentials|IMSGlobalLearningConsortium.IMSGlobal.AccessedSeptember1,2020.http://www.imsglobal.org/understanding-digital-credentials. “UNESCORalliesInternationalOrganizations,CivilSocietyandPrivateSectorPartnersinaBroadCoalitiontoEnsure#LearningNeverStops.”UNESCO,March26,2020.https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-rallies-international-organizations-civil-society-and-private-sector-partners-broad. “U.S.CensusBureauReleasesHouseholdPulseSurveyResults.”UnitedStatesCensusBureau,2020,https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/household-pulse-results.html. Vegas,Emiliana,LeticiaGuimarãesLyle,GabrielSanchezZinny,DanielDeBonis.“Education&COVID-19:What’snext?”.WebinarfromBiennialoftheAmericas,21August2020.https://vimeo.com/450505286?ref=tw-share Vegas,Emiliana.“ReopeningtheWorld:ReopeningSchools-InsightsfromDenmarkandFinland.”BrookingsInstitution,July6,2020.https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/07/06/reopening-the-world-reopening-schools-insights-from-denmark-and-finland/. Vegas,Emiliana.“SchoolClosures,GovernmentResponses,andLearningInequalityaroundtheWorldduringCOVID-19.”BrookingsInstitution,April14,2020.https://www.brookings.edu/research/school-closures-government-responses-and-learning-inequality-around-the-world-during-covid-19/. Warren,H.andWagner,E.,2020.“SaveOurEducation:ProtectEveryChild’sRighttoLearnintheCOVID-19ResponseandRecovery.”SavetheChildren,2020.https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/17871/pdf/save_our_education_0.pdf. “WhatisthePittsburghLearningCollaborative?A+Schools.”PittsburghLearningCollaborative,2019.https://www.ourschoolspittsburgh.org/pgh-learning-collaborative?rq=familyhotline. Windlass,Prachi.“Covid-19:AForcingFunctiontoOvercometheDigitalDivideinEducation.”TimesofIndia,May16,2020.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/covid-19-a-forcing-function-to-overcome-the-digital-divide-in-education/. Winthrop,Rebecca,AdamBarton,andEileenMcGivney.“LeapfroggingInequality:RemakingEducationtoHelpYoungPeopleThrive.”Washington,D.C.:TheBrookingsInstitution,2018. Winthrop,Rebecca.“Sellingcivicengagement:Auniquerolefortheprivatesector?”.Washington,D.C.:TheBrookingsInstitution,April17,2019. Wolf,Sharon.“Year3follow-upofthe‘QualityPreschoolforGhana’sinterventionsonchilddevelopment.” DevelopmentalPsychology 55.12(2019):2587. Footnotes FernandoM.ReimersandAndrewsSchleicher.“Schoolingdisrupted,schoolingrethought:HowtheCovid-19pandemicischangingeducation”OECD,2020.p.7. SeeChettyetal.2005;Chetty,2014;Rivkinetal.,2005. CohenandBall,whooriginatedtheideaoftheinstructionalcore,usedthetermsteachers,students,andcontent. TheOECD’sinitiativeonInnovativeLearningEnvironmentslateradaptedtheframeworkusingthetermseducators,learners,andresourcestorepresenteducationalmaterialsandaddinganewelementofcontenttorepresentthechoicesaroundskillsandcompetenciesandhowtoassessthem.Herewehavepulledfromelementsthatwelikeofbothframeworkusingtheterminstructionalcoreastherelationshipsbetweeneducators,learners,andcontentandaddingparents.   LeNestour,A.,L.Moscoviz,andS.Mbaye."PhonesurveyontheCovidcrisisinSenegal."CenterforGlobalDevelopment,2020.https://www.cgdev.org/blog/five-findings-new-phonesurvey-senegal. SeeBulman&Fairlie,2016;Escueta,Nickow,Oreopoulos,&Quan,forthcoming;Tauson&Stannard,2018. SeeAlbertoMunoz-NajarL.“Peru:AprendoenCasa(ILearnatHome).” PersonalCommunication,GabrielSanchezZinny,May26,2020. “ParentEngagement:HimachalPradesh.”Michael&SusanDellFoundation,Internalreport:unpublished,2020. “LargeScaleAssessmentsCommonReport.”Michael&SusanDellFoundation.Internalreport:unpublished,2020. PersonalCommunication,PrachiJainWindlass,August28,2020. Seeforexample,Henderson,A.andMapp,K.,“ANewWaveofEvidence:TheImpactofSchool,Family,andCommunityConnectionsonStudentAchievement.“NationalCenterforFamilyandCommunityConnectionswithSchools,2002.;http://www.columbia.edu/~psb2101/BergmanSubmission.pdf.  Seeforexamplehttps://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/insight4.pdfandhttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/21/nyregion/school-integration-progressives.html?action=click&auth=login-email&login=email&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article.  Wolf,Sharon."Year3follow-upofthe‘QualityPreschoolforGhana:interventionsonchilddevelopment."DevelopmentalPsychology55.12(2019):2587. RelatedTopics Coronavirus(COVID-19) Coronavirus(COVID-19)Families,Communities,andEducation Education EducationinDevelopingNations EducationTechnology More EducationPlusDevelopment Educationtechnologypost-COVID-19:Amissedopportunity? EmilianaVegas Friday,March11,2022 EducationPlusDevelopment Communityschoolsandacriticalmomentinthefightagainsteducationinequality HayinKimner,LorennaMaysonet,andRebeccaWinthrop Tuesday,March8,2022 BrownCenterChalkboard Thepandemichashaddevastatingimpactsonlearning.Whatwillittaketohelpstudentscatchup? MeganKuhfeld,JimSoland,KarynLewis,andEmilyMorton Thursday,March3,2022 Trending InternationalAffairs Topics Climate AI Cities&Regions GlobalDev IntlAffairs U.S.Economy U.S.Politics&Govt More AboutUs PressRoom Experts Events BrookingsPress WashU@Brookings Careers Newsletters SupportBrookings Cart 0 GetdailyupdatesfromBrookings EnterEmail Close SendtoEmailAddress YourName YourEmailAddress Cancel Postwasnotsent-checkyouremailaddresses! Emailcheckfailed,pleasetryagain Sorry,yourblogcannotsharepostsbyemail.