TY - JOUR TI - Building back better to avert a learning catastrophe: Estimating learning loss from COVID-19 school shutdowns in Africa and facilitating short-term and long-term learning recovery AU - Angrist, Noam AU - de Barros, Andreas AU - Bhula, Radhika AU - Chakera, Shiraz AU - Cummiskey, Chris AU - DeStefano, Joseph AU - Floretta, John AU - Kaffenberger, Michelle AU - Piper, Benjamin AU - Stern, Jonathan T2 - International Journal of Educational Development AB - We model learning losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for cost-effective strategies to build back better. Data from Early Grade Reading Assessments in Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, and Uganda suggest half to over a year’s worth of learning loss. In modeling losses over time, we found that learning deficits for a child in grade 3 could lead to 2.8 years of lost learning by grade 10. While COVID-19 has stymied learning, bold, learning-focused reform consistent with the literature reviewed in this paper—specifically reform on targeted instruction and structured pedagogy—could improve learning even beyond pre-COVID-19 levels. DA - 2021/07/01/ PY - 2021 DO - 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102397 DP - ScienceDirect VL - 84 SP - 102397 J2 - International Journal of Educational Development LA - en SN - 0738-0593 ST - Building back better to avert a learning catastrophe UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073805932100050X Y2 - 2021/05/10/20:09:37 KW - COVID-19 KW - Education KW - Foundational skills KW - Learning loss KW - Recovery ER -