Data Must Speak about Positive Deviance Approaches to Learning
Project Abstract
The Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance research addressed the global learning crisis by identifying and scaling education data to expand access and elevate school-level performance. Implemented across 15 countries, the project analyzed available data within the education system to identify high performing “positive deviant” schools to uncover their practices and apply their methods across the board.
The project strengthened education systems by co-creating and co-implementing transformative research alongside ministries of education. Over its lifecycle, DMS grew from 8 to 15 countries across three continents, with its findings embedded in nearly all participating countries’ Education Sector Plans, compact partnerships, and funding proposals.
Project Details
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Project Impacts: Policy and Practice
Impact: Policy & Practice
Co-creation was at the core of DMS research design, which explains why uptake of research results in policy and practice was commendable in this project.
- Mobilized an international alliance to increase the impact of this KIX grant
- Knowledge generated triggered uptake across countries of operation
- Positive deviant schools influenced effective practices such as formative assessment, inclusive leadership, and community engagement that target marginalized groups like girls and rural learners.
Updates and Activities
Research Outputs
