Education systems transformation symposium
Collaborative work, local contexts, and false dichotomies
Past Event
Education systems transformation symposium: Opening plenary
In response to the global crisis in education, thousands of education actors from around the world came together for the Transforming Education Summit during the U.N. General Assembly this past September to discuss systemic issues of equity, inclusion, quality, and relevance. From climate emergencies to the rise of fake news to public health crises, education systems must not only equip the next generation with the skills needed to read, write, and count, but to actively problem-solve and think creatively in today’s rapidly changing world. To help reach Sustainable Development Goal 4, it is essential to transform education systems to meet the needs of today’s learners and deliver a breadth of skills equitably to all children.
The Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings hosted a symposium on education systems transformation on Friday, February 17 at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. As a celebration of its 20th anniversary, the center launched its new 10-year strategy focusing on systems transformation for holistic education, locally defined priorities, and collaboration in bringing research to practice across education ecosystems. The event explored some of the false dichotomies that often characterize education systems transformation—foundational versus holistic learning, local versus global focus, and policy versus practice—and examined the critical role of systems transformation across CUE’s and partners’ diverse work portfolios.
The opening and closing sessions were livestreamed for remote audiences.
The rest of the event featured interactive in-person sessions and ample networking time as we work and learn together about transforming systems. Breakout workshops explored connections between system transformation and core research priorities: gender-transformative education, family and school collaboration, scaling interventions, and cost and real-time data for outcomes. Roundtable sessions unpacked emerging areas of study including artificial intelligence and the future of education, innovative pedagogies, and climate education. The closing session featured an important announcement about how local civil society organizations can join CUE in co-designing a research agenda for systems transformation—and the requirements and benefits of doing so.
Brookings requires all staff and visitors to show proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 via vaccines approved by the FDA or WHO. After submitting your registration, please proceed to the provided link on the confirmation page to complete the registration process by verifying your vaccination information.
Agenda
First connection
Coffee, light refreshments, and networking
Opening plenary session
Whys and hows of education system transformation
In this opening session, participants will learn about CUE’s past and present work and hear about ongoing efforts to create systems transformation in education.
Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly
Vice President and Director - Global Economy and Development
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Rebecca Winthrop
Director - Center for Universal Education
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Amanda Datnow
Professor and Chancellor’s Associates Endowed Chair in the Department of Education Studies - University of California, San Diego
Folasade Adefisayo
Commissioner for Education, Lagos - State of Nigeria
Donald J. Peurach
Professor of Educational Policy, Leadership, and Innovation - University of Michigan
Systems transformation world café discussions
Coffee break
Workshop 1
Costing for outcomes: Cost data in education and early childhood
Throughout the session, audience members will learn about the background of costing tools leading to the development of the Childhood Cost Calculator (C3) and actively engage in costing reflections.
Wendy Smith
Director of Education Programs - Worldreader
Rosa Maria Moncada
KIX Honduras Project Coordinator - SUMMA
Workshop 2
Transformative family, school, and community engagement: Building trust through intentional conversations
The Family, School, and Community Engagement team at Brookings will share global research on parent, teacher, and student beliefs on education, and barriers and opportunities for engagement spanning four continents.
Rebecca Winthrop
Director - Center for Universal Education
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Akilah Allen
Senior Project Manager - Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution
Madhukar Banuri
Director & CEO - Leadership for Equity
Khadija Shariff
Head of Programs - Milele Zanzibar Foundation
Laura Nora
Senior Research Analyst - Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution
Workshop 3
Gender-transformative education: Collective knowledge and power
Through participatory methods that CUE has mobilized and developed in collaboration with partners across the Global South, participants will explore the intersections of gender and education with other social and economic systems.
Ellen Chigwanda
Country Office Gender Focal Point - CARE International
2016 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Edem Dorothy Ossai
2021 Echidna Global Scholar - Brookings Institution
Founder and Executive Director - MAYEIN
Jennifer L. O’Donoghue
Deputy Director - Center for Universal Education
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Atenea Rosado-Viurques
Senior Research Analyst - Global Economy and Development, Center for Universal Education
Workshop 4
Millions Learning: The past, present, and future of scaling
This interactive workshop will delve into key questions about how to define scaling, the relationship between scaling and systems transformation, and what CUE teams are learning from two on-going action research projects to investigate how scaling innovations in education systems happens in real time.
Jenny Perlman Robinson
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Center for Universal Education
Lunch
Roundtable 1
The future of AI and education: The metaverse, ChatGPT, and beyond
Participants will engage in discussions focusing on AI, Bots, and the question of what we can do in AI labs to get kids to be part of the process.
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Center for Universal Education
Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychology, Temple University
Simran Mulchandani
Founder - Project Rangeet
David Jarboe
Director of Instructional Technology & STEAM - Colorado Springs Harrison District 2 Schools
Roundtable 2
Transforming real-time data collection: Digital tools for education
This session will highlight the transformative role digital technologies can play in and out of the classroom.
Roundtable 3
Climate-smart education: What does it look like and how to get there?
This session will explore systems-level entry points to urgently advance climate resilience and action in and through education.
Sarah Beardmore
Strategic Partnerships and Capabilities Team Lead - Global Partnership for Education
Anna Maria Tammi
Education Specialist and Thematic Lead for Education in Crisis and Conflict - Global Partnership for Education.
Roundtable 4
Innovative pedagogy: Its role in scaling quality education and transforming systems
This roundtable discussion will explore the concept of innovative pedagogies—what counts as an innovative pedagogy, what examples we can see around the world, and what role they play in transforming systems to enable all children to develop a breadth of skills.
Coffee break
Closing plenary panel
The role of civil society organizations in education systems transformation
In this panel conversation, we will explore where, when, and how CSOs have (or have not) taken on these roles and conclude with the launching of CUEs new strategy to form a global leadership coalition of CSOs working on education systems transformation around the world, with a particular focus in the Global South.
Jennifer L. O’Donoghue
Deputy Director - Center for Universal Education
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Juan Alfonso Mejía López
Facultad de Estudios Internacionales y Políticas Públicas - Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa
Aleesha Taylor
Principal - Herald Advisors
Rakesh Rajani
Vice President of Programs - Co-Impact
Reception
More Information
To subscribe or manage your subscriptions to our top event topic lists, please visit our event topics page.