Scaling innovation – Data Must Speak about positive deviant approaches to learning

This project responds to the need to address a global learning crisis in which many children do not reach expected standards, even when attending school. It aims to generate knowledge and improved practices on how best to unlock and use increasingly available education data to expand access and elevate school-level performance. The project will adapt and scale a proven UNICEF-led innovation, called Data Must Speak, that helps countries unlock existing data related to the education sector.

The research incorporates the concept of “positive deviance”, which addresses how some schools achieve better results than others in similar contexts, and how this knowledge can be leveraged to advance learning outcomes across the board by using data that is available within the education system. The project will use a mixed-methods approach and will focus on testing and implementing national adaptations of the methodology, harmonizing and linking datasets, identifying best practices, and enhancing the capacity of public officials and other stakeholders to exploit data.

The project will be simultaneously implemented in eight countries across Africa and Asia that have identified the need for better data management, both at the central and local levels, as a critical element of their education sector plans. It is expected that the project will strengthen education systems and enhance education sector governance and social accountability to improve access and quality of education.

The project was selected through a global call, initiated by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, to learn about scaling proven innovative approaches in education in developing country contexts.