Evaluations

Policy Publications

Search our database of policy briefcases, bulletins, and evidence reviews. Briefcases summarize the results and policy recommendations from one randomized evaluation, while bulletins synthesize the broader policy lessons emerging from multiple evaluations on the same topic. Evidence reviews summarize an existing academic literature review, like a handbook chapter or white paper, for a policy audience.

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Shooting Edutainment film in Indonesia (Photo 2)

Changing Perceptions of Child Marriage Using Edutainment in Indonesia

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Last Updated:
May 1, 2025
  • Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo
  • Milda Irhamni
In Indonesia, a short “edutainment” film on the costs of child marriage and the benefits of delaying marriage, both with and without alternative religious perspectives, made adolescent girls and their parents perceive child marriage more negatively.
Children in an India classroom sit in a circle on the floor and play a math learning game.

Scaling Every Child Counts: Driving Learning Across India Through Knowledge Network Catalysts

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Last Updated:
December 20, 2024
In November 2023, J-PAL South Asia launched its inaugural NGO certification course for the Every Child Counts program to explore new pathways to scale to foster partnerships with civil society organizations and establish champions aligned on the vision of scaling evidence-based curricula for...
Female students wearing headscarves are seated in an English classroom at Jambiani Secondary School in Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Boosting Adolescent Girls' Agency Through Life Skills Training

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Last Updated:
March 12, 2024
Historically, women’s ability to exercise choice-–such as when to have children or whether to engage in income generating activities—has been constrained and remains severely limited, especially in low and middle-income countries. Barriers to women’s agency limit their capacity to advocate for...
A group of girls are pictured in school uniforms.

Designing and Implementing Evidence Based Life Skills Training Programmes and Girls Clubs

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Last Updated:
March 12, 2024
There is growing evidence that life skills programmes may serve as a particularly effective avenue for addressing internal constraints women face in exercising agency, by strengthening women’s “power within”—self-efficacy, aspirations or attitudes about gender.
three children play on the ground while two seated adults watch

Measurement of Holistic Skills in RCTs: Review and Guidelines

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Last Updated:
December 1, 2023
J-PAL recently launched its Learning for All Initiative, which has a core focus on breadth of skills. There is much to learn about whether and how interventions can affect skills that extend beyond literacy and numeracy, including cognitive skills, social skills, emotional skills, creative skills...
A group of young friends talk to each other

Cultivating Active Citizenship Skills Among Youth

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Last Updated:
September 28, 2023
A civic education programme implemented through student-centred teaching methods cultivated students’ sense of altruism and tolerance towards others. The intervention also improved students’ academic achievement and school behaviour.
A student sits at their desk applying hand sanitizer and wearing a face mask.

Ideas to improve educational outcomes during and after the Covid-19 outbreak

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September 8, 2022
At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented 1.6 billion children and youth were out of school. In many contexts, children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are at risk of being left further behind as schools reopen around the world. This evidence wrap-up shares ideas for...
A young woman presents a lesson in a classroom.

Getting Parents Involved

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July 20, 2021
Parental involvement meetings increased parents’ participation in their children’s education and reduced delinquent behavior and absenteeism in France. Positive effects were also seen in classmates whose parents did not participate in the program.
A man tutors two young students

The Transformative Potential of Tutoring for Pre K-12 Learning Outcomes: Lessons from Randomized Evaluations

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Last Updated:
September 16, 2020
J-PAL’s Tutoring Evidence Review aims to serve as a resource as education leaders, policymakers, and funders work to combat the Covid-19 learning loss, improve student learning outcomes, and minimize the growth of academic disparities.