The Education Equity Research Initiative is a collaborative partnership led by FHI 360 and Save the Children U.S. with the common objective of advancing research to inform policy and programming on effective ways of strengthening equity in and through education systems.

Rising inequality is one of the greatest challenges facing the global community today. While outcomes improve for many children, there is a significant percentage of students who remain vastly behind, and there is limited information on the root causes and magnitude of this inequality. This initiative addresses the information gap by combining efforts to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to education and toward more equitable strategies that recognize the particular needs of individual children.

First conceptualized in September 2015 through FHI 360's Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action, this initiative brings together several core partners committed to ending education inequity, including FHI 360 and Save the Children, UNICEF, World Vision, and RESULTS Educational Fund. The partners will create a common knowledge base on education equity through a set of interrelated research workstreams:

• Measurement and metrics
• Learning and retention
• Conflict and fragility
• Finance and resource allocation

Initiative partners will develop common measurement frameworks, tackle known data gaps and underresearched equity issues and dimensions, and develop and test hypotheses for strengthening equity. In partnership with the Education in Crisis & Conflict Network (ECCN), a community of practice funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, one workstream will focus on the specific context and demands of crisis- and conflict-affected countries. Through collaboration, discussion and commitment to sharing strategies and knowledge, the initiative seeks to magnify the impact of each of the partner’s individual efforts and advance equity in education through policy and programming around the world.