K–12 Education Consulting and Strategy Services

Education

We are facing a global learning crisis: the state of education is a long way from where it needs to be to promote high-quality learning for all students. BCG works with K–12 school systems to improve educational outcomes, ensure equity, and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

A lot is being asked of today’s K–12 education systems. To help students master the skills necessary for success in a rapidly changing job market, school districts and governments must continuously ensure the quality of their teaching workforce and equip schools and teachers with improved curricula—often in the face of budget cuts. The pandemic has only heightened these challenges, disrupting K–12 education around the world and exposing deep inequities.

At the same time, however, innovative technologies and approaches are creating new opportunities for K–12 education. Personalized learning, digital tools, and so-called wraparound support programs—with an emphasis on nutrition, after-school tutoring, health and mental health services, and college preparation—are delivering individualized student experiences and ensuring that children have the necessary support to learn and thrive.

BCG’s K–12 Transformation Framework

Our K–12 transformation framework helps schools around the world fundamentally reorganize, restructure, and rethink how they deliver K–12 education. The framework combines the drivers that directly impact student outcomes with the enabling elements, such as personalized learning, that create the right context for change.

Not all educational inputs are alike. BCG’s K–12 transformation framework defines and enables the advances needed to effectively implement 21st century learning and promote student achievement and graduation rates.

BCG’s framework brings together everyone in the local education ecosystem—school operators, businesses, local and national partners—and creates a team that is committed to improving student outcomes. It then incorporates five elements to create the right context for change:

Effective Leadership and Management. Establish programs to upgrade the quality of K–12 education leadership in school districts and schools.
Sufficient Resources. Provide adequate funding and robust physical and technological infrastructure for schools.
Strong Accountability. Develop policies to hold states, districts, schools, and teachers accountable for student outcomes.
Rigorous Standards. Set rigorous K–12 education standards and requirements (such as Common Core).
Sophisticated Data and Measurement Systems. Create reporting systems that enable real-time decision making and accountability.

See More of Our K-12 Education Consulting Experts

Our K–12 Consulting Work with Clients

A New Blueprint for Education in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Schools in Saudi Arabia used BCG’s closed-loop instructional system to transform itself from a traditional pen-and-paper school to a 21st-century leader in education. The school quickly realized significant improvement in student engagement and attendance, with 95% of all teachers meeting technology-integration targets during initial assessments.

Transforming Education on a Massive Scale

In India, BCG helped the state leadership of Haryana improve learning outcomes for students while realizing a 15% budgetary savings within its 15,000 schools. BCG delivered a multiyear Quality Improvement Programme for the state that has turned around once-declining literacy and numeracy rates and become a model for other regions.

Closing the Digital Divide

BCG—in partnership with Common Sense Media, EducationSuperHighway and Southern Education Foundation—launched a series of reports on closing the digital divide for K-12 students in the US.

Explore the series now

Read Our Latest Insights on K–12 Education

BCG expert Seema Bansal giving a TED talk

How to Fix a Broken Education System...Without Any More Money

Seema Bansal is forging a path to public education reform for 15,000 schools in Haryana, India, with an ambitious goal: by 2020, 80% of children should have grade-level knowledge. She’s looking to meet this goal by seeking creative, straightforward reforms that will work in every school without additional resources.