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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

J-PAL Africa staff Palesa Thinta and Lloyd Belton reviewing MicroMasters material in Cape Town, South Africa.

Five years and counting: The DEDP MicroMasters program trains future leaders in the fight against global poverty

The past five years have been a remarkable journey indeed! The program, jointly led by J-PAL and MITx, has welcomed more than 50,000 learners from 214 countries and territories, with our courses amassing nearly half a million enrollments overall. We have awarded over 8,000 course certificates, and...
Children study in a classroom.

Mitigating global learning losses: lessons from the pandemic

Researchers and policymakers in education are still only beginning to measure the significant learning and socio-emotional skill losses that occurred during the global outbreak of the coronavirus. This post outlines some ideas from recent and established rigorous research for governments and schools...
A female tutor works with a female student at a table

Beyond the evidence: Reflections from a past high school tutor

Research Associate Lisa Turley Smith recounts her experience as a high school tutor and shares how she saw first-hand the positive impacts of tutoring.
Four individuals in graduation robes stand on stage

Reflecting on research during times of uncertainty: A recap from Puerto Rico’s EDUGESPRO graduation

J-PAL North America staff and researchers recently attended a graduation ceremony for school principals who participated in EDUGESPRO, a professional development program born out of a research partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Education.
Two female students work on an engineering project, overseen by a teacher

Investing in students early: The effects of a STEM pipeline program for underrepresented high school students

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The research team behind a rigorous, long-term evaluation of a STEM program for high schoolers discusses their new working paper & key findings, including a significant increase in graduation rates for program participants.
A teacher helps two high school students with technology in a classroom.

Implementation challenges of an impact assessment: The ATEMA project in Puerto Rico

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Olgamary Rivera and Alina Amador discuss the implementation of the Technology Application in Mathematics Teaching (Aplicación de la Tecnología en la Enseñanza de las Matemáticas, or ATEMA) program in Puerto Rico.
Women in Kenya walk along town street while in conversation.

Unpacking the evidence on social programs in sub-Saharan Africa

J-PAL Africa recently concluded a five-part blog series providing evidence-informed perspectives on key debates in the fight against poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting lessons for policymakers.
Audience and speakers at J-PAL MENA event: Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar on early childhood development

Guiding investments in long-term human capital development in Egypt: A recap from the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar on early childhood development

J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (J-PAL MENA) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) co-hosted a seminar (recording here) with UNICEF Egypt on May 19, 2022 to share global evidence on early childhood development to guide investments in long-term human capital development in Egypt.