Data Must Speak: Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Mali

Mali's education system aims to guarantee universal and equitable access to quality education for all Malian children of school age. Despite the progress made in implementing quality education in Mali, a number of challenges remain.
 
By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Mali, this report helps to identify important associations between school inputs and school performance in Mali. Those results will be informing public policies and investments in the education sector.
 
Data Must Speak – a global initiative implemented since 2014 – aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. The DMS Positive Deviance research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about ‘what works’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders.
 
DMS research is currently implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia.