GPE KIX Webinar Explores How Data Can Drive Foundational Learning Improvements

On November 13, the Global Partnership for Education’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX) hosted a webinar titled Using Data to Improve Foundational Learning, in collaboration with partners from the Global Coalition for Foundational Learning (GCFL), including the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Gates Foundation. 

The session explored how countries can leverage data to strengthen literacy and numeracy outcomes and featured presentations from global and regional experts as well as practical experiences from partner countries.

The webinar highlighted the scale of the learning crisis: only 58% of students achieve minimum proficiency in reading and 44% in mathematics by the end of primary school. Many countries lack sufficient data on foundational learning, and even where data exists, it is often underused for policy and classroom decision-making. The discussion focused on solutions to improve the availability, quality, and use of learning data.

Ramya Vivekanandan, Senior Education Specialist at GPE, introduced GPE’s new results-based financing mechanism for learning data. She emphasized that sustaining and using assessment data is critical to inform instruction and allocate resources effectively. Under GPE 2030, countries can receive a 10% “top-up” incentive for reporting foundational learning data and ensuring assessments are maintained and utilized. Countries are encouraged to define their own pathways for improving data availability and use.

Jacqueline Jere Folotiya, Senior Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Expert at the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), presented the Africa Foundational Learning Assessment Initiative (AFLAI). AFLAI aims to create a unified hub for technical leadership through a network of African partner institutions, supporting ministries in addressing the learning crisis by 2035. At its inaugural convening, Ministries identified five priority areas for action: improving data use and communication, setting benchmarks, planning assessments and building capacity, exploring innovation and artificial intelligence, and addressing language and equity issues.

Alpha Bah, Senior Advisor at the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, stressed that while data collection has improved, the real challenge lies in using data to inform decisions.  Alpha highlighted findings from GPE KIX synthesis report on data systems and data use, which focus on shifting from basic Education Management Information Systems (EMIS 1.0) to more integrated and actionable systems (EMIS 2.0). He shared examples of innovations tested through GPE KIX research, including citizen-led assessments that provide simple, actionable data, and capacity-building initiatives that help ministries interpret complex datasets. Bah also discussed how open-source platforms like DHIS2 are enabling scalable, sustainable data systems. Drawing on lessons from The Gambia, he illustrated how technology anchored in local capacity, such as real-time dashboards and teacher registries, can transform data use from a compliance exercise into a driver of policy and classroom practice.

To ground the webinar in real-life experiences, the session concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Clio Dintilhac, Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, and featuring Charles Gachoki (Zizi Afrique Foundation), Vinod Karate (Central Square Foundation), Jaria Allen Nabirye (District Education Officer, Uganda), and Sawadogo Jérôme (Head of Basic Education District, Burkina Faso). Panelists shared how data is being leveraged at district and school levels in Burkina Faso, India, Kenya, and Uganda to improve foundational learning. They emphasized that data must translate into actionable strategies at the classroom level, with districts playing a central role in implementation.

For further details, the presented slides are available here.

Missed the webinar? Watch it on our YouTube Channel

About the Data Systems and Data Use Synthesis Report

Data-driven decision-making is essential for effective education policies. This report synthesizes findings from five projects across 44 countries that examined how data innovations can improve education system performance. It highlights strategies for strengthening data generation, analysis, and application to enhance evidence-based policymaking while promoting gender equality and inclusion. 

Education Data System and Data Use  
◉ Research Synthesis| Infographic | Policy and Practice Insights