In Latin American and Caribbean countries, going to school is not synonymous with learning. The learnings crisis that has been going on for decades was aggravated by the prolonged closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple evaluations show that a large percentage of children and adolescents in the region do not even have the foundational learnings. Our education systems do not have policies to address the foundational learnings gap and there is little interest in this problem. In this context, MIA works to ensure that no one is left behind. Our theory of change is based on: (1) carrying out assessments to identify the size of the problem, to improve learning and to measure results, both with valid and reliable instruments; (2) developing, validating and implementing innovations for the recovery of foundational learnings in reading, mathematics and learning for life; (3) involving society and the education system in this problem by transferring skills and accompanying the processes. This year we are expanding the model to include the prevention of foundational learnings gap: conducting research on the precursors of learning, reinforcing the first years of basic education with timely literacy, and proposing systems for diagnosis and early warning.
MIA links assessment with improvement. The different modalities of innovations developed and validated at MIA over the past 10 years are based on: the principle of “Teaching at the Right Level”, that involve formative assessment as an indispensable part of the process. MIA is a project developed and implemented within the academic field, so all of our processes are evidence-based and systematized. We have quality standards, valid and reliable tools for data collection; manuals for educational innovations; standardized instructional designs for developing our training programs through various methods in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous; scaling at the meso and macro levels; tracking, monitoring, and evaluation processes to ensure the model’s effectiveness; and scientific publications that support MIA’s work. We operate under a Creative Commons license. Currently, given that Mexico lacks assessments of learning outcomes, MIA assessments role becomes particularly important, as we have the methodology and have conducted large-scale assessments that help us highlight the learning problem and the inequality. However, since we know that bad news is necessary but not sufficient, we have the MIA intervention model, which has been applied an validated in various modalities and contexts.
MIA began by being implemented in small communities both inside and outside of schools. Following the pandemic, it expanded significantly due to the loss of learning caused by the prolonged closure of schools in Mexico. Various state departments of education reached out to us to implement interventions focused on basic learning. MIA was introduced in schools across the country as an option for recovering basic learning. As a result, we had the opportunity to train nearly 80,000 teachers in MIA assessments and interventions. This has allowed us to develop models to scale our interventions at the meso and macro levels. Over the past two years, in addition to continuing to scale our interventions, we have adapted our entire model to the Tsotsil language, developed new variations of our innovations to better integrate them into the education system, and made progress refining the tools and interventions for the secondary level. Last year, we modified our theory of change. We incorporated the prevention of learning gaps into our model, so over the next two years we will be conducting research on the precursors of learning, best practices in reading and math literacy, and developing innovations related to this research to help us consolidate foundational learning in the early years of basic education. We will now adapt the MIA model to the Tseltal language and explore how to revitalize the official Early Warning System (SISAT) to include Early Intervention through MIA.
Because each process is evaluated and systematised in different ways, each application helps to improve the processes. In addition to using validated tools for learning, motivation and so on, we measure other variables that enable us to investigate what works best. Through monitoring and follow-up, we identify flaws in the processes that we can improve with each iteration, and we conduct satisfaction surveys to gather feedback from participants. Our aim is to make the processes more organic so that they can be better integrated into the education system, thereby ensuring that the prevention and recovery of learning gaps become part of the everyday practices of schools and the education system. We have evaluated our programs to improve our interventions, reviewed our tools, and developed new training and intervention methods that work better in different contexts. We have learned that the most important is: using precise diagnostics to identify learning levels and monitor progress through scalable, documented manuals. By adapting implementation to local contexts and using low-cost materials, it ensures sustainability. It prioritizes teacher training and collaboration among stakeholders, especially involving parents. Ultimately, it seeks to shift from reactive recovery to proactive prevention, utilizing evidence-based literacy training and transparent feedback to reduce learning lags and optimize early education.
We invite you to visit our website (https://www.medicionmia.org.mx), review our publications that explain the model in various ways (https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/reports/lessons-learned-teaching-right-level), and contact us to discuss your needs, your context, and the resources available for implementation (anabel.velasquez.duran@gmail.com). We adapt to the possibilities and demands of stakeholders, varying our level of involvement in the processes and, if necessary, adapting the methodologies to different contexts. Implementing this educational innovation comprises two lines of work: training teachers and facilitators and developing the intervention itself. Over the years, the MIA programme has consolidated five training processes for MIA interventions. The interventions are developed in four stages: the initial assessment, the organization of the intervention, the intervention itself, and the closing stage.
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