Smart spending in education is an approach that seeks to generate greater impact on learning. For decades, the debate on education in Latin America and the Caribbean has revolved around a seemingly simple question: How much do we spend on education? Yet this perspective, while important, is insufficient. Public spending on education in the region fell to 3.9% … [Read more...] about What are we talking about when we use the term “smart spending” in education?
Gregory Elacqua
Gregory Elacqua es economista principal de la División de Educación en el Sector Social del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID). Ha sido profesor de políticas públicas en la Universidad Diego Portales y en la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez de Chile. Tiene amplia experiencia en investigación en temas de educación y ha escrito libros, artículos académicos, monografías y reportes técnicos sobre educación en América Latina. También ha participado en reformas de política educativa. Ha sido asesor de tres ministros de Educación y de un senador en la Comisión de Educación del Senado de Chile. Tiene un doctorado en Políticas Públicas de la Universidad de Princeton.
How can we make sure every school has the staff it needs?
One of the major challenges in education management is ensuring that each school has the education personnel it needs. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, each year, policymakers must estimate and assign teaching positions in schools to ensure education for millions of students. Without proper planning, some schools may have more teachers than they need, while … [Read more...] about How can we make sure every school has the staff it needs?
From human counselors to AI agents: What We Learned From Scaling Career Guidance in Chile
Scaling effective educational interventions remains a major policy challenge. Programs that succeed at a small scale often lose impact when expanded—a phenomenon researchers call the "voltage effect." This is especially true for interventions that depend on intensive human interactions such as counseling, coaching or mentoring, where cost and availability of skilled personnel … [Read more...] about From human counselors to AI agents: What We Learned From Scaling Career Guidance in Chile
How to Keep Teachers in Challenging Schools? Evidence from São Paulo Shows Money Works
Teacher turnover hits hardest in schools that can least afford it. In São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, schools serving disadvantaged communities have historically struggled to retain experienced teachers, creating a revolving door that disrupts student learning. But new research shows that targeted financial incentives can dramatically change this pattern. The Challenge: … [Read more...] about How to Keep Teachers in Challenging Schools? Evidence from São Paulo Shows Money Works
“Let’s Talk about Educational Policy”, the new series of IDB documents
The transformation of education is as necessary for the educational world as the vaccine to overcome the health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thinking about education systems beyond this crisis will allow the setting of new spaces for innovation and the mobilization of countries and educational communities to promote a transformation towards more effective and … [Read more...] about “Let’s Talk about Educational Policy”, the new series of IDB documents