Husein Abdul-Hamid

Learning in the face of adversity : the UNRWA education program for Palestine refugees

Palestine refugees are achieving higher-than-average learning outcomes in spite of the adverse circumstances they live under. Their education system - the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees in the near east operates one of the largest nongovernmental school systems in the Middle East. It manages nearly 700 schools, has hired 17,000 staff, educates more than 500,000 refugee students each year, and operates in five areas, including the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. Contrary to what may be expected from a resource-constrained administration serving refugee students who continually face a multitude of adversities, UNRWA students outperform public schools in the three regions - the West Bank and Gaza and Jordan - by a year’s worth of learning. This study uses a mixed methods research approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative research to address the complexity of the research question and its exploratory nature, namely, how do UNRWA schools continually and consistently outperform public schools? This study highlights the existing value added for learning in UNRWA. Especially for the UNRWA fields with the highest levels of adversity, such as the West Bank and Gaza, the factors identified seem to contribute to the resilient functioning of schools.

Assessment Testing Can Be Used to Inform Policy Decisions: The Case of Jordan

Over the past two decades, the Jordanian education system has made significant advances. Net enrollment in basic education increased from 89 percent in 2000 to 97 percent in 2006. Transition rates to secondary education increased from 63 to 79 percent in the same period. At the same time, Jordan made significant gains on international surveys of student achievement, with a particularly impressive gain of almost 30 points on the science portion of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Changes in test scores over time are presented and analyzed using decomposition analysis. The trends are related to policy changes over time. It is argued that benchmarking education systems and constant feedback between researchers and policymakers contributed to this achievement.

Ghana Engaging the Private Sector in Education: SABER Pilot Country Report 2015

1. Encouraging Innovation by Providers Policies allow independent private schools to make their own decisions on appointing, deploying, and dismissing teachers; schools determine teacher salary levels; schools set class size standards and determine the curricula. The only restriction placed on independent private schools requires them to follow centrally-mandated teacher certification standards to maintain active registration.

Inequality of educational opportunity: the relationship between access, affordability, and quality of private schools in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract Using data from a census of private schools in one of Lagos, Nigeria’s administrative jurisdictions, this paper explores the linkages between a heterogeneous sector of private schools and issues of school access, affordability, quality, and ultimately social mobility for households at the bottom of the income distribution. Although a large private education market has buoyed Lagos’s growth towards near-universal primary enrolment, this heterogeneous school sector appears to be providing socially stratifying paths towards educational attainment. We apply Lucas’s theory of effectively maintained inequality to assess the extent to which access to higher quality education services within the private sector is determined by cost. We find that higher-cost private schools provide students with greater opportunities to study in institutions with higher quality inputs and increased potential for progression within the educational system. As such, it is highly likely that these schools are primarily accessible to students at the upper ends of the income distribution.

Lessons learned from World Bank education management information system operations : portfolio review, 1998-2014

This report provides an overview of the World Bank’s portfolio in the area of Education Management Information Systems (EMISs) over 17 years from 1998 to 2014. It seeks to identify overall trends and characteristics of World Bank support in this area, with the intent of informing future project preparation and analytical work. Although several good practices were evident, operational performance of EMIS activities fell short of expectations, with widespread deficiencies that rangedfrom unclear definitions and understanding of EMIS to ineffective implementation and utilization. Examples of successful activities include the development of an EMIS to manage teachers andprovide access to education (for example, Afghanistan); utilization of an EMIS as a management tool(for example, Bosnia and Herzegovina); creation of an online EMIS to improve access to educationdata (for example, Honduras); use of an EMIS to strengthen teaching and learning (for example,Guatemala and Lithuania); and use of an EMIS as a management tool for schools (for example,Malaysia). These success stories highlight how a well-implemented EMIS can improve the performance of an education system. The challenges that have been identified as contributing to the shortcomings are related to the following: (i) Misalignment of activities and unrealistic EMIS goals, (ii) Institutionalization of the EMIS, (iii) Sustainability challenges resulting from inconsistent leadership, (iv) Missed integration opportunities, (v) Private players in education, (vi) EMIS at the local level. Future projects could benefit from the SABER-EMIS Paper. The SABER-EMIS framework focuses on the need for (a) a strong enabling environment, (b) system soundness, (c) quality data, and (d) effective utilization as the key factors essential for the successful implementation of EMIS. This initial needs assessment of a country’s EMIS can play a critical role in benchmarking countries and provide a valuable foundation for the design of new projects.

From compliance to learning : a system for harnessing the power of data in the state of Maryland

The book From Compliance to Learning: A System for Harnessing the Power of Data in the State of Maryland builds on a 2015 World Bank report that assessed Education Management Information Systems(EMISs) in the state of Maryland. That report uncovered a successful system, and this one expandson lessons learned and ways to apply them in practice. The goal of this study is to distill Maryland’s good practices in education data systems and share them in a way that is useful to education stakeholders interested in harnessing the power of data to strengthen learning outcomes. This study also examines the history of education data collection and use in the United States with a focus on Maryland, including a review of federal and state legislation that has helped to shape Maryland’s education data policies and systems. In the digital age, information is power. When information is effectively harnessed and aligned with student learning, it carries the potential to radically transform the delivery of education, as well as the sector as a whole. Increasingly, education systems are moving away from using education data narrowly for compliance purposes; instead, they are embracing data as a tool to drive systemwide innovation, professionalization, and, most importantly, learning. Whether to prioritize and optimizedata and information systems around student learning is no longer an option; it is imperative foreducation systems that aim to excel and achieve strong learning outcomes. Over the past severaldecades, fundamental shifts have occurred in the way that education data are collected, managed, and used. Today real-time learning data inform classroom instruction; predictive analytics identify at-risk youth before they drop out of school; and data from preschool to workforce are linked to help guide education reforms. These represent just a few of the innovative ways that schools and other stakeholders across the United States are harnessing data to improve education.The state’s success in establishing an enabling environment for education data systems and datautilization has built a strong foundation. Maryland effectively aligned a complex, statewide datasystem to deliver value. Prioritization of integration and alignment was key. The state then launched a longitudinal data system center that would drive an adaptive education system with insights that track students from pre-kindergarten to entry in the workforce. Data across the state are high quality and follow strict rules to preserve privacy and enhance security. Maryland’s utilization of data also offers valuable lessons. The statewide data system supports policy makers and decision makers in planning and management, as well as teachers, students, and families in instruction and learning. Consistent across Maryland’s structuring and use of data systems were a strong vision and a road map to execute that vision.Maryland’s journey offers many lessons, not only for countries with advanced data systems but also for those in less developed stages. While the technology and information exist to achieve data forlearning, harnessing data within the right information system and ensuring utilization are challenging endeavors. An array of factors must align—leadership, policies, processes, and resources, to name a few—to effectively harness data to support and drive strong learning outcomes.

Data for Learning

Data are a crucial ingredient in any successful education system, but building and sustaining a data system are challenging tasks. Many countries around the world have spent significant resources but still struggle to accomplish a functioning Education Management Information System (EMIS). On the other hand, countries that have created successful systems are harnessing the power of data to improve education outcomes. Increasingly, EMISs are moving away from using data narrowly for counting students and schools. Instead, they use data to drive system-wide innovations, accountability, professionalization, and, most important, quality and learning. This broader use of data also benefits classroom instruction and support at schools. An effective data system ensures that education cycles, from preschool to tertiary, are aligned and that the education system is monitored so it can achieve its ultimate goal—producing graduates able to successfully transition into the labor market and contribute to the overall national economy. Data for Learning: Building a Smart Education Data System and its forthcoming companion volume shed light on challenges in building a data system and provide actionable direction on how to navigate the complex issues associated with education data for better learning outcomes and beyond. Data for Learning details the key ingredients of successful data systems, including tangible examples, common pitfalls, and good practices. It is a resource for policy makers working to craft the vision and strategic road map of an EMIS, as well as a handbook to assist teams and decision makers in avoiding common mistakes. It is designed to provide the “how-to” and to guide countries at various stages of EMIS deployment. A forthcoming companion volume will focus on digging deeper into the practical applications of education data systems by various user groups in different settings.

The Role of the Private Sector in Lagos, Nigeria

Private schools are currently educating the majority of primary and secondary education students in Lagos State, Nigeria. As such, Lagos is one of the largest private school markets in the world. Notwithstanding the influence of this sector, not enough is known about the operations of private schools in Lagos State, their impact on student learning opportunities, and their overall implications for the economic and social development of Nigeria. This report presents results from analyses of: (i) the regulatory environment governing private education provision; (ii) implementation of existing regulations; and (iii) the provision of private school services in Lagos. The results of this research can be used to inform the government on how to effectively regulate and engage with the private education sector.

The Role of the Private Sector in Providing Basic Education Services in Kasoa, Ghana

Despite significant government investments in the public education system, population growth and migration have led to an undersupply of school places, especially in urban centers, leading to an increase in private education enrollments in Ghana. Ghana has nearly doubled enrollment at the primary and junior high school levels since the introduction of free and compulsory universal basic education. Ghana’s primary net enrollment rate of 86.8 percent in 2013 is still slightly below the average for lower-middle-income countries, which was 87.3 percent. Its net rate of secondary enrollment (including junior and senior high school), 51 percent, is also lower than the 58 percent average for lower-middle-income countries (EdStats). Ghana’s public spending on education is comparable to that of other middle-income countries and the government is currently focusing its attention on upper secondary education (senior high school), with plans to build more schools to increase access. Rising enrollment rates have not been accompanied by gains in student learning; some parents are choosing private schools due to their perceived higher quality. The education system in Ghana is currently facing fiscal pressures due to low levels of accountability, inefficient allocation of resources, and plans to expand upper secondary provision. Although the Ghanaian government has made progress in improving equitable access to education through new programs and policies, government resources are currently unevenly distributed across regions in terms of spending per pupil as well as the allocation of teachers. Ghana currently has a budget deficit, with teacher salaries forming a large part of recurrent costs in education. The country also plans to expand education at the senior secondary level to meet the needs of the economy. The construction of 200 schools will put further pressure on government budgets.