Research, monitoring and evaluation

To improve education around the world, we need evidence on what works. But, evidence alone is not enough. It must be integrated into policy and programming to inform change that leads to strengthened education systems and improved learning outcomes, and that meets the needs of individuals, communities and societies. Our research and evaluation experts are uniquely positioned to understand the what, how and why of educational policies and interventions. We work with governments, international organizations, civil society and educators to ensure that education program implementation is based on rigorous evidence.

Our research and evaluation team includes experts in U.S. and global education, as well as other sectors. We employ rigorous methods that identify program impact, such as longitudinal study designs, and we use innovative data collection tools, such as mobile applications, that link education data to key indicators from other sectors. In addition to conducting standalone research projects, we have integrated the use of monitoring, evaluation and research across all of our education projects, working in partnership with national government counterparts and local academic institutions to build and sustain local capacity for data collection, analysis, reporting and the use of rigorous evidence in policy and in practice.

Our work in research and evaluation contributes to the evidence on the effectiveness of educational interventions in a wide variety of contexts. In the United States and around the globe, our research has improved educational opportunities for underserved populations, such as children with disabilities, and it is supporting early childhood interventions that prepare children for successful futures. In Ghana, a highly multilingual country, we are conducting a nationwide assessment of languages and learning outcomes that will help government and civil society partners better understand how to promote effective early grade literacy instruction. In Latin America and beyond, our research has identified the gaps between the skills that secondary education systems teach and those that employers need.

We are generating evidence through our Education Policy and Data Center, which holds one of the most comprehensive databases of education statistics in the world, and through the Education Equity Research Initiative, which we lead with Save the Children. This evidence is helping shape the global education policy agenda, and it is improving methodologies for examining program impacts at the classroom level.

Learn more about our research and evaluation work.

You are here

Research, monitoring and evaluation