Insight note
Entry points in action: Examples of equipping, connecting, informing and empowering middle-tier education officials in India
Yue-Yi Hwa
Abstract
Middle-tier officials are intermediaries between top decisionmakers and schools in education systems. Thus, they are crucial in implementing and monitoring policy plans that are designed by a small number of policymakers but ultimately delivered at scale by teachers and other school-level actors. They are also critical in institutionalising effective instructional programmes at scale, such as targeted instruction and structured pedagogy programmes. However, in many education systems in the Global South, middle-tier officials don’t receive the support that would enable them to effectively drive progress toward foundational learning goals at scale.
A synthesis of research on how to effectively support middle-tier officials to improve foundational learning produced four entry points: equip, connect, inform and empower. These are described in more detail in a companion synthesis brief. This insight note complements the synthesis brief with detailed examples of some of the entry points in action, with a focus on middle-tier officials who provide instructional support to teachers. The examples operate like mini case studies, intended to concretely illustrate what the entry points look like in two contexts and to offer inspiration for what is possible for supporting middle-tier officials to pursue foundational learning goals even in resource-constrained contexts.
References
Acharya, S. (2021). Role of Middle Management in Policy Implementation. Leadership for Equity. https://www.leadershipforequity.org/research/role-of-middle-management-in-policy-implementation
Aiyar, Y. (2024). Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi’s Schools. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198922667.001.0001
Attavar, S., DeBacker, H., Kothuri, A., Lima, L., Ohyama, K., Mangla, A., & Tudor, M. (2024). Teacher Mentorship in India: Improving Pedagogy in Government Schools. The Reach Alliance. https://reachalliance.org/case-study/education-reform-in-haryana-india/
Childress, D. (2023). Case study: Strengthening academic support for teachers in Delhi. In B. Tournier, C. Chimier, & C. Jones (Eds.), Leading teaching and learning together: The role of the middle tier (pp. 26–37). IIEP-UNESCO, Education Development Trust. https://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/publication/leading-teaching-and-learning-together-role-middle-tier
Hwa, Y.-Y., Kayton, H., & Kaffenberger, M. (2024). Implementing structured pedagogy
programmes at scale [Synthesis brief]. What Works Hub for Global Education. https://
doi.org/10.35489/BSG-WhatWorksHubforGlobalEducation-RI_2024/002
Shashidhara, S., Joseph, J., Chordiya, A., Garg, S., & Dhand, S. (2024). Understanding the Motivations and Challenges of ARPs in Uttar Pradesh [Diagnostic report]. Centre for Social and Behaviour Change; Language and Learning Foundation. https://csbc.org.in/upload/LLF-Final-Deliverable-Diagnostic-Report_V3.pdf
Vivek, K., Bhattacharjee, P., Mani, S., & Kumar, A. (2021). Strengthening Teacher
Mentoring and Monitoring Systems: Evidence from India. World Bank. https://hdl.handle.net/10986/35314
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