Poor performance, a lack of educational resources, and inadequate infrastructure all suggest that Latin America and Caribbean countries not only must invest more in education, but also consider how they can do so more fairly and efficiently.
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By Ian W. Mac Arthur.
Belize LQAS Survey Documents.
A quick glance at the front page of any major newspaper in the region for statistics to begin telling us a story about the reality we live in: how much did the economy grow or shrink, how many people voted for a candidate or how much was invested in a new infrastructure project. When it comes to education, however, neither data nor the reality they reveal are as easy to comprehend.
Poverty remains one of the most important barriers to learning in the region. However, a small percentage of poor students achieve positive results, showing that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can achieve success in school.
Gender gaps are more pronounced in the region than in other parts of the world. Boys in the region perform better than girls in science and mathematics, while girls outperform boys in reading.
Only a small percentage of students in the region perform well in science, reading, or mathematics. An almost insignificant number of students are top performers in all three subjects.
Twenty years have passed since conditional cash transfer programs were first implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean. This book takes the opportunity to critically review the design options and operational solutions employed by the countries in the region, with the goal of systematizing this accumulated operational knowledge and identifying both good practices and remaining challenges. It addresses the major processes of the operational cycle: beneficiary identification and management of the rosters of beneficiaries, verification of conditionalities, and payment of transfers.
Development in early childhood predicts schooling and labor market outcomes in adulthood. In this paper we use a fixed effects identification strategy to assess how differences in the quality of child care affect the communication, fine motor, and problem solving skills of infants and toddlers. We show that children have significantly better development outcomes in classrooms with more experienced caregivers, and classrooms with caregivers who demonstrate higher-quality interactions with children. There is substantial heterogeneity in the effects of caregiver quality on child development.
Development in early childhood predicts schooling and labor market outcomes in adulthood. In this paper we use a fixed effects identification strategy to assess how differences in the quality of child care affect the communication, fine motor, and problem solving skills of infants and toddlers. We show that children have significantly better development outcomes in classrooms with more experienced caregivers, and classrooms with caregivers who demonstrate higher-quality interactions with children. There is substantial heterogeneity in the effects of caregiver quality on child development.