The lack of high-quality professional training and development and the unequal distribution of human resources suggests there is a need for a greater focus on how to better recruit, train, and retain excellent teachers.

School absenteeism in the region remains high and has increased. This is worrisome, since it is linked to a deteriorating school environment and worse results. Moreover, absenteeism is higher among the most disadvantaged students.

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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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.