India School Fund India School Fund (ISF)(ISF)Ensure effective delivery of quality Ensure effective delivery of quality education and drive education and drive entrepreneurship to break the entrepreneurship to break the vicious cycle of poverty in rural vicious cycle of poverty in rural areas.areas.

ISFISF

Make a difference in the worldMake a difference in the world

www.indiaschoolfuwww.indiaschoolfund.orgnd.org

2

Timeline: Steadily progressed from a dream to opening fully functional school in 2 villages.

Inspiration for ISF January 2005

April - May 2005 HBS students raised $35,000 for ISF

ISF created

July 9th 2007

Grand opening for 200 students grade one, two, three

2006

Research and Development (R&D) Construction of school and infrastructure Community mobilization

July 20th 2009 Opening of second school in Samarua village

2010: 277 students

Problems in Rural Education

Public school, Rajugela (UP state)

Insufficient Schools Ineffective Schools Inadequate Schools

More than 4 million children are not in school.

More than 70% of 5th graders lack basic math and reading skills.

Nearly 60% dropout before secondary level.

4

Root Causes

Sub-Sub-standard standard EducatioEducatio

nn

No No accountability accountability for performancefor performance

Isolated and Isolated and scarce qualified scarce qualified teachersteachers

Colonial-age Colonial-age curriculum and curriculum and methodsmethods

Lack of Lack of considerations considerations for local for local realities and realities and customs in rural customs in rural areas areas

Solution: The Individual Ladder of Learning

5

The multigrade classroom methodology was developed 25 years ago by Rishi Valley’s Institute for rural education, which

was awarded the 1st prize for “The Most Innovative Development Project” at the annual Global Development

Conference in Dakar in 2004

The multigrade classrooms enable teachers to support student progress along an individual “ladder of learning”.

Children of different ages work in small groups based on their status on the ladder of learning.

Enabling Students

6

SchoolVillage (a)

ISF

Satellite System

*Teacher training*Monitoring*Ongoing support*Curriculum design

SchoolVillage (b)

SchoolVillage (c)

SchoolVillage (…)

SchoolVillage (e)

SchoolVillage (d)

Students use “achievement cards” according to their learning status on the ladder, regardless of age, gender, caste, etc.

•Student-centric classrooms - no frontal teaching.

•Self paced learning, so no child feels left behind.

•Community based curriculum.

•The hub-and-spoke model enables economies of The hub-and-spoke model enables economies of scale: the Principal is responsible for student scale: the Principal is responsible for student performance across the satellite system (6-8 performance across the satellite system (6-8 villages, 1400 students)villages, 1400 students)

• The satellite system must be aligned with the comparative advantages in the local economy to foster the emergence of an industry cluster

• The ladder of learning enables integration of additional modules needed for local economic development

Long Term Strategy

A Rural Business School (RBS) that leverages A Rural Business School (RBS) that leverages educationeducation

8

Planning for the Rural Business School (RBS) program

Rural Business School (RBS) – The middle school program to empower the youth:Rural Business School (RBS) – The middle school program to empower the youth:

If education is strategically designed and accessible at middle school level, children of 12-15 years old will develop the skills needed to become entrepreneurs, employees or graduates from higher education

I can start and run a micro-business or get I can start and run a micro-business or get into college or learn vocational/technical skills into college or learn vocational/technical skills that would help me become an empowered that would help me become an empowered citizen citizen

We need a flexible curriculum and focus on We need a flexible curriculum and focus on three primary outcomes – Entrepreneurship, three primary outcomes – Entrepreneurship, Employment and Higher Education. We also Employment and Higher Education. We also need to promote community engagement and need to promote community engagement and hygiene for a safe and supportive learning hygiene for a safe and supportive learning environment. environment.

9

Measuring Success

Student Student OutcomeOutcomess

Stake Stake Holder Holder SatisfactiSatisfactionon

ParentsParents

Village Education Village Education CommitteeCommittee

Effective & Effective & Efficient Efficient OperationsOperations

Standard Standard CurriculumCurriculum

Teacher Teacher RetentionRetention

Staff Staff Evaluation Evaluation & Training& Training

Budget, diversified Budget, diversified sourcessources

Financial Financial PerformancePerformance

Using Key Performance Indicators to evaluate and track Using Key Performance Indicators to evaluate and track all aspects of student education results in a constant all aspects of student education results in a constant endeavour to do betterendeavour to do better

10

InputInput OutcomeOutcomeProcessProcess OutputOutput

Higher education level relevant to local market needs for talent

Higher income level Improved health,

elimination of preventable diseases

Systemic Approach to macro-economic development in rural areasSystemic Approach to macro-economic development in rural areas

Summary

Technical skills: Literacy-math-science, entrepreneurship, vocational

Soft skills: communication, negotiation, critical and creative thinking

Life skills: health maintenance, resourcefulness, financial literacy

Education and skills development

Empowered citizens Entrepreneurs Employees Graduates of higher

education Greater freedom and

control over live

Transformation of poor villages into economically self-sustaining rural communities Fix the problem of

ineffectiveness Increase supply of local

schools Create local demand for

new skill set

Financial & technical resources

11

Children of Rajugela thank you!

For more information, please contact Annie Bertrand, President & Co-founder For more information, please contact Annie Bertrand, President & Co-founder abertrand@mba2007.hbs.edu, 518-282-4783, 518-282-4783

To donate, please go to the main page of ISF’s website: To donate, please go to the main page of ISF’s website: www.indiaschoolfund.org

Thank you Thank you ShukriyaShukriya