Blog

In January 2020, 22 students from across the world joined us on MIT’s campus as the first cohort in the master’s program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP). Developed by MIT’s Department of Economics and J-PAL, the program represents a new approach to higher education by combining...

After seven years working with J-PAL Africa, I am transitioning to a new role working in local school systems in the United States. Working with J-PAL Africa (and, in recent years, TaRL Africa) has been one of the greatest joys of my life. As I step away, I want to share a few reflections about how...

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant reductions in the quality and quantity of schooling across the United States. J-PAL North America’sThe COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience InitiativeCOVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Initiative aims to identify effective ways to support students...

As the new school year begins and COVID-19 cases continue to spread across the United States, questions remain about how to educate students effectively and safely. We sat down with affiliate Sarah Cohodes to discuss the school reopening process, the impact of remote learning on students and parents...

How can policy leaders best support their communities in the face of the joblessness, educational setbacks, and trauma inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Rigorous evidence will play a critical role in helping us understand which policies and programs will truly work to help communities recover in...

J-PAL’s Economics Transformation Project team spoke with the Research in Color Foundation Founder and President, Chinemelu Okafor, and Vice President, Rahma Ahmed, on their mission to increase the number of PhD students of color in economics and economics-adjacent disciplines in order to build a...

Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while addressing the enormous challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic requires identifying, implementing, and scaling the most effective social policies and programs. Too often, however, this key principle—effectiveness—can get lost amid other...

More than one billion students have been out of school due to COVID-19. Data from past crises suggest large and lasting impacts on education, especially girls’ re-enrollment and learning loss. For this reason, J-PAL and partners have recently released a joint statement on the importance of focusing...