Inclusive Education Programs

The challenges facing education today—both globally and here in Australia—may seem overwhelming, but the solutions are simpler than we think. If we want to address systemic issues and the growing teacher shortage, we need to rethink how we support educators and shape learning experiences for children. Here are my six top strategies: 1️⃣ Create a dynamic, open-ended curriculum—one that fosters essential life skills, encourages students to understand their impact on the world, and helps them see their place in the communities of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 2️⃣ Let teachers teach! Free them from excessive paperwork and rigid assessment structures so they can focus on delivering engaging lessons that spark curiosity and inspire both children and educators to think big. 3️⃣ Encourage teachers to bring their passions into the classroom. Whether it’s music, art, science, or storytelling, teachers' unique skills can inspire children to dream big, pursue what they love, and lead with their hearts. 4️⃣ Trust our teachers. They are highly trained professionals who deserve respect, fair pay, and the freedom to do their jobs effectively. Their success should be measured not by standardised test scores, but by the engagement and growth of every child. 5️⃣ Use observation as a powerful assessment tool. Instead of relying solely on traditional testing, we must take the time to truly understand each student—how they learn, what they aspire to, and what skills they will bring to the future. 6️⃣ Elevate the teaching profession. Let’s show the world what an incredible and rewarding career teaching can be. By attracting industry experts and passionate professionals into education, we can bring fresh perspectives, experience, and wisdom into our schools. 💡 If we want our teachers to inspire the leaders of tomorrow, we must create schools that inspire everyone today. What are your thoughts? ❤️ #Education #Teachers #Schools #Teaching #Students #Future #Leadership #Respect #Engagement #Community #Inspiration #Australia

As the MoE celebrates its ‘Education Week’ (Shiksha Saptah), and has received an increase in the budget allocation, the focus has to be not just on components useful for children (e.g. TLM) but ‘SYSTEMS THAT WORK FOR CHILDREN’. Key aspects include the following: 1.    Ensure that teachers are appointed, admin personnel are appointed, and there are no vacancies in CRCs, BRCs, DIETs, SCERTs, SPOs, Departments and Ministries. At present, it is common to find DIETs with over 40% posts unfilled, and there are still tens of thousands of single-teacher schools. 2.    Ensure that staff is actually available at school during the designated time and teachers are not withdrawn for non-academic duties or caught in filling (repetitive) data. 3.    Ensure that there is sufficient time within the year to spend the budget allocated, by making it available in good time (there’s been improvement in this but more is needed) 4.    Focus on hardcore teaching and learning instead of events that are good for photo ops but detract from children’s learning time 5.    Begin making USE of the data we already have. For instance, an analysis of U-DISE data can already show us which districts are likely to fare poorly in NAS (try it out!) – work to enable a shift such that those collecting the data also get to understand what it shows and are empowered to deliver what is required. 6.    De-centralise! Not everything can be decided at the state headquarters, least of all what should be taught on a given day. Such a one-size-fits-all approach hampers contextual implementation, reduces motivation and ownership, leading to poor results. 7.    Involve the community as a knowledge partner (not just as a management partner). Given the climate-induced irregularity of school, progress will depend on the extent to which this partnership evolves. Respect and capacitate the community for this to happen. 8.    Stop believing that technology will rescue us. It isn’t, and it won’t. What will help us get out of our hugely underperforming status is a genuinely improved set of relationships. All educational leaders at all levels can play a really strong role here.

One in five college students today is raising a child. But the systems meant to support them still reflect outdated assumptions about who college is for and what students need to succeed. Student parents—overwhelmingly women and disproportionately women of color—comprise the “new majority” of adult learners who are navigating #HigherEd along w/ caregiving, full-time jobs, and serious financial pressure. Nearly two-thirds of student parents spend 40 hours/week caring for dependents (Trellis Strategies). The demographic cliff has finally forced institutions to look beyond the 18-year-old "traditional" student. What they’re finding is a massive, motivated population that’s too often unsupported. But there are bright spots and promising strategies that others can build on. 👩⚕️ At The College of Health Care Professions, #studentparents attend in-person classes just 1–2 times/week thanks to a #HyFlex model. They also get tailored advising & coaching. 🏫 Austin Community College's Parenting Student Project has improved retention, graduation, mental health, and financial stability. Over 95% of participants stay enrolled semester-to-semester. (Russell Lowery-Hart) 💡 The Single Moms Success Design Challenge—launched by Education Design Lab and supported by ECMC Foundation—aims to boost completion rates for single moms at #CommunityColleges by 30%. Early results are encouraging. 👉Bottom line: If we want to close equity gaps and boost credential attainment, we need to treat student parents as the high-potential, high-return population they are. And doing so will have outsize, multi-generational impact. That means: ✔️ Hybrid and flexible learning ✔️ Child care and housing supports (see: Beam, formerly Edquity) ✔️ Mental & behavioral health services (see: TimelyCare)  ✔️ Affordable, outcomes-based financing (see: Ascent) ✔️ Stronger workforce pathways If you're working on strategies to unlock #economicmobility and better serve #adultlearners —or want to start— I’d love to connect!

#VISION OF EDUCATION FOR MY SON & HIS GENERATION ✍🏽 My kid and his peers will grow up in a world riddled with #climatechange challenges! It's evident that our education system needs a radical transformation. Here's a blueprint for revolutionizing education for a sustainable future for all: 1. #EcologicalLiteracy: It is not sufficient for our kids to ace language and STEM! They need education on nature and climate resilience. 2. #SustainableMindset: Responsible, sustainable consumption and production should be natural ways of existing for our future generation. 3. #CircularEconomy Education: Our curriculum, pedagogy and assessments should prioritise resource conservation, waste reduction, and innovative recycling practices. 4. #CommunityEngagement: Education should embrace community gardens, collaborative projects, and service-learning opportunities so that our kids live while learn and not really wait for a certificate to enter community living. 5. #ClimateEducation: It is high time we make our children informed decision makers about their future by integrating climate education into curricula (climate change, impact and solutions). 6. #CollectiveAction: Equip students with the skills and knowledge to engage in policy advocacy and activism. 7. #Entrepreneurship and #Innovation: Create real life sandboxes to allow children to develop and implement solutions to environmental challenges. 8. #LifelongLearning: Promote lifelong learning and continuous skill development, emphasizing adaptability and resilience that the future generation will inevitably require in the face of dire climate consequences. 9. #InclusiveEducation: Ensure that education is accessible and inclusive for all, regardless of background or circumstance since we never know how the living conditions around us would change. 10. #CollaborativeAction: Foster collaboration between educational institutions, governments, NGOs, businesses, and communities to drive collective action towards sustainability.

Educating citizens and building better societies. On the International Day of Education, our region’s north star is clear: invest boldly in education and skills - starting in the early years, building strong foundational skills, and equipping youth and adults with job-relevant skills that power opportunity for a lifetime. Why this matters: Too many children are not learning the basics: ~59–60% of 10‑year‑olds in MENA alone cannot read and understand a simple text, with boys lagging girls in many countries. The skills imperative is urgent: nearly 1 in 3 job ads in MENA now asks for at least one digital skill; and most of these jobs require tertiary education. As economies transform with pdf icon digital, AI, and advanced technical skills emerging as drivers of future jobs, investing in education is more critical than ever. What we’re doing – supporting education and skills from early learning to employment and beyond: · Expanding Early Childhood Education to build essential brain and social-emotional foundations that shape future learning capacity. · Building strong foundations to ensure all children gain the literacy and numeracy they need to succeed in school and beyond. · Scaling-up skills for jobs to meet the evolving needs of the labor market, empowering youth to thrive in digital and emerging sectors. · Innovating for lifelong learning to enable workers of all ages to adapt, reskill, and access good jobs in a dynamic global economy. Country actions we’re proud to support: Jordan’s Modernizing Education, Skills and Administrative Reforms is improving KG quality, foundational literacy in grades 1–3, and access to relevant TVET, including for refugees. Egypt’s Supporting Education Reform is strengthening early childhood, teacher professional development, and modernizing national assessments to emphasize higher‑order skills Morocco’s Education Support Program is advancing ECE, teaching quality, and accountability across the system; higher education reforms are improving labor‑market relevance and governance Pakistan’s Smart edtech is accelerating results. Sindh’s early warning Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System blends data insights, behavioral nudges, and socio emotional support to cut early dropouts, while AI is being leveraged in Balochistan to prepare teachers for winter camps and counter learning losses from long breaks. A cutting-edge knowledge agenda is fueling impact on the ground— identifying in-demand labor market skills, using AI to accelerate foundational learning, forging innovative private-sector partnerships for smoother school‑to‑work transitions, shifting social norms that unlock women’s participation in the workforce. Together we can unlock human potential, drive innovation, and expand economic opportunity for all. #EducationDay #FutureOfWork #WorldBankEducation

Across the Global South, expanding school enrollment has been central to progress. But access alone isn’t enough—family awareness and engagement are just as critical to turning schooling into real learning. In Kenya, “Nudging Parents out the Door” shows how simple SMS messages to caregivers—combining encouragement and performance information—improved test scores, particularly for lower-performing students, at very low cost. At the same time, as parents became more informed, higher-achieving students were more likely to switch schools. The intervention didn’t just boost learning—it increased parental agency and responsiveness to school quality. Read paper: https://lnkd.in/eiEXTBF8 By: Guthrie Gray-Lobe, Michael Kremer, Joost de Laat, Oluchi Mbonu, Cole Scanlon In #Uruguay, drawing on the Inter-American Development Bank’s experience, a nationwide behavioral intervention used a government app to nudge parents about preschool attendance. While average attendance effects were limited, the program improved children’s language development, with especially strong gains in remote and underserved areas. Even though the messages focused on attendance, parents translated them into broader support for their children’s development. Read publication: https://lnkd.in/gfP9qxcB By: María Mercedes Mateo-Berganza Díaz; Laura Becerra Luna; Juan Manuel Hernández-Agramonte; Florencia Lopez Boo; Marcelo Perez Alfaro; Alejandro Vásquez Echeverría What does this tell us for the #GlobalSouth? • Enrollment is necessary, but not sufficient: Getting children into school must go hand in hand with informed and engaged families. • Awareness drives action: Both cases show that when parents better understand education, they actively respond—whether by supporting learning at home or making different schooling decisions. • Systems must be ready for informed parents: Greater awareness can reshape behavior—through increased engagement or shifting school demand—requiring systems to adapt. The takeaway is simple but powerful: If enrollment builds access, parental awareness unlocks impact. #GlobalSouth #Education #BehavioralScience #HumanCapital #Development #ECDFund Carolina Freire Andrea Bergamaschi

Take it from a Florida dual enrollment student, Teairra-Marie: “I challenge educators to read the CCRC report, talk with their students, prioritize what they learn, and help dual enrollment get even better.” Hear hear.  Dual enrollment is a powerful tool for college success, and new research (both quantitative and qualitative thanks to Tatiana Velasco Mariel Bedoya John Fink, Davis Jenkins, and Aurely Garcia Tulloch) from the Community College Research Center shows just how impactful it can be: In 41 states, former #dualenrollment students complete college at higher rates than their peers. Dual enrollment students are more likely to enroll in college immediately after high school, persist in higher education, and earn a degree—especially low-income, Black, and Hispanic students. Yet, these groups remain underrepresented, reminding us of the pressing need to expand access to high-quality programs. Students are also clear about what they need: early intel about DE, supportive advisors, career-aligned courses, and better guidance on financial aid.  Click through to read my reflections on CCRC's two recent research reports:

Is dual enrollment about saving money for college-bound students or opening doors for underserved learners? Why not both? A recent Inside Higher Ed article (https://lnkd.in/eJYTfChg) highlights John Fink's report from the Community College Research Center (https://lnkd.in/eRgvrMur) that shows dual enrollment’s potential to reduce costs *and* expand access. The latest numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse show that the recent uptick in completion rates may be due in part to higher rates of participation in dual enrollment (https://lnkd.in/gZ8w2HzN) At Strada, we see it as both an affordability and equity strategy—but there’s more to learn so we can scale intentionally. With gifted partners and researchers, we're exploring how to: 1️⃣ Ensure dual enrollment credits actually reduce time to completion 2️⃣ Expand access to all districts by addressing instructor shortages 3️⃣ Reach underrepresented students through equity-focused experiments at the state level (https://lnkd.in/enf8vu3q) Dual enrollment’s promise is worth the investment!

Four-year institutions are increasingly launching two-year degree pathways to expand access and meet evolving student needs. This PBS report highlights a notable example: Boston College’s Messina College, which offers a structured, residential associate degree designed for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. These programs are more than alternative entry points — they are strategic responses to demographic shifts, affordability concerns, and the growing demand for flexible postsecondary options. By embedding support systems such as housing, technology access, and intensive advising, colleges can improve retention and completion outcomes for students who are often overlooked in traditional models. As higher education continues to adapt, initiatives like this demonstrate how institutions can align mission, access, and workforce preparation in meaningful ways. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/e7KM_v39

Our regional partnership initiative is based on a simple but profound theory: if we want to expand post-secondary opportunities to all, we must change conditions on the ground where people live, study, and work. The status quo works for those students pointing towards college from elementary school and supported by families, neighborhoods, and schools where that is the norm. And especially if they are ready to go "all in" at age 18. We are at the early stage of showing how a state can leverage change on the ground. We can't do that directly. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) works with broad partnerships that go beyond the education sectors to include community-based nonprofits, local governments, tribal nations, employers, and more to drive this change. This groundbreaking strategy is getting results: ** Retention rates rose by 17 percentage points for BIPOC students who were given direct mentorship at two-year colleges in one partnership region. ** FAFSA filing rates for low-income students rose from 28 percent to 60 percent in just one year in one school district after receiving support from a regional partnership. **A school district recorded its highest FAFSA filing rate after long-term shifts in how the region views education for its mostly Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native student body. #highered #FAFSA #finaid #waleg https://lnkd.in/gF8rb4i7