Policies and Programs to Improve Secondary Education in Developing Countries

This review focuses on rigorous studies that quantify the magnitude of impacts by using a credible comparison group to isolate the effects of an intervention from (1) other changes in the prevailing environment that occurred over time and (2) preexisting differences between groups. Drawing on previous systematic reviews, updated with recent additions, we highlight what is known and identify the gaps that remain.

Given the magnitude and complexity of the challenges for secondary education in developing countries, the diversity of contexts, and the urgent need to improve outcomes, the evidence base is disappointingly sparse. A number of studies have shown that cash transfer programs can boost participation in secondary education, but little is known about strategies for overcoming non-financial barriers to participation. For youth who do enroll, the literature offers little guidance on how to optimize conditions for student learning. Finally, we found no studies on approaches to enhancing the relevance of secondary education, including curricular and pedagogical reforms that emphasize skills youth will need for employment or civic participation. Several studies have shown that informational interventions that provide students and/or their parents with more accurate information about the returns to education can lead to at least short-term increases in enrollment but not necessarily in learning outcomes.

Throughout the review, we identify critical areas in which research is needed to inform policy reforms, program design, and investments in secondary education improvements. Filling these knowledge gaps is vital to the prospects for improving secondary education, but we also suggest several additional cross-cutting types of studies that are needed—including long-term follow-ups, cost-effectiveness analyses, and adaptation and replication studies—as a precursor to the scale-up of proven approaches.