Webinar: Targeting foundational skills to improve learning at scale in Zambia
Partners:
Join us for a webinar presenting rigorous evidence on the impact of Zambia's "Catch Up" program, a government-led adaptation of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach delivered at national scale by government teachers.
Researcher Andreas de Barros (University of California, Irvine) will share findings from a cluster-randomized trial and an event study covering 4.4 million exam scores. The presentation will also explore questions of measurement and cost-effectiveness. A moderated panel discussion featuring representatives from the Center for Global Development, Gates Foundation, TaRL Africa, VVOB, and the Zambia Ministry of Education will follow, reflecting on the realities of implementing at scale, lessons learned, and future directions.
Presenters
 | Andreas de Barros, speaker Andreas is a J-PAL invited researcher and is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Economics. His research specializes in program evaluation and evidence-based education policy in low- and middle-income countries. Before joining UCI, he was a postdoctoral associate at MIT's Department of Economics, where he worked with J-PAL. |
 | Daniele Ressler, speaker Daniele is the director of research, learning, and evaluation at Teaching at the Right Level Africa (TaRL). She leads the strategy and implementation of TaRL Africa's research and learning efforts, which focus on rigorously testing and evaluating TaRL's impact, cost-effectiveness, and continuous improvement across sub-Saharan Africa, as well as R&D learning activities for new TaRL initiatives like Early Grades. For over 15 years, Daniele has worked at the nexus of research, program operations, and innovation in African education and health organizations; and she is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. |
 | Jonathan Stern, speaker Dr. Jonathan Stern is deputy director of global education at the Gates Foundation. He leads the team's education innovation, research, and implementation strategy and investments across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. |
 | David Evans, moderator David directs the Global Education and Child Well-Being Program at the Center for Global Development. Previously he worked at the World Bank where he co-authored the World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise, coordinated impact evaluation work for sub-Saharan Africa, and managed education projects in Brazil. He has also worked at the Inter-American Development Bank where he oversaw analytical work in the social sectors, including education. David has evaluated education and early childhood-related projects in Bangladesh, Brazil, the Gambia, Haiti, Kenya, Mexico, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. |