The Education Quality Improvement Program 2 (EQUIP2) provided extensive research and technical support to USAID and governments across Africa, Asia and Latin America to develop education policy, improve educational systems, build organizational capacity, strengthen management skills in the education sector, and improve data collection and use in policy and planning.
EQUIP2 researched a wide range of topics and produced a large collection of working papers, case studies and policy briefs (http://www.epdc.org/research/equip2).
In exploring complementary education models and strategies for achieving education for all, the project researched how community-based approaches to schooling produce outcomes that meet or exceed what regular public schools attain.
EQUIP2’s research on the dynamics of education system reform examined the political and institutional factors that influence technical reform and the role of donors in supporting sustainable improvements. The project’s decentralization research focused on an analytical framework to link administrative decentralization, community participation and local school management to improved school outcomes, learning and accountability.
The project studied the need for accountability information in donor programs and national education systems. EQUIP2 also created a toolkit for monitoring and evaluation as well as a Resource Guide for implementing Opportunity to Learn studies. To help expand students’ opportunities to learn, EQUIP2 studied the effective delivery of instruction to students, particularly literacy instruction. The project identified best practices for eliminating financial barriers to school attendance while maintaining school quality.
EQUIP2’s research on the supply of secondary education teachers identified the extent to which inefficiencies and supply mechanisms impact the expansion of secondary education. In addition, the project examined how improving education quality, access and outcomes can lead to gains in other sectors, such as health, democracy and governance.