The Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) brings together researchers from around the world aiming to capture the richness and diversity of child development and learning.
Only by conducting open-access, cutting-edge research can we enhance our knowledge on learning and developmental variability.
Delve into the science of learning variability, explore cutting-edge research, and discover practical insights to enhance learning for all.
Home » Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE), Peru
The LEVANTE site at the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE), co-led by Principal Investigators Santiago Cueto and Juan Leon, examines how educational opportunities relate to children’s learning outcomes in Peru. The research focuses on differences in the quality and use of school resources, and how these links vary across contexts, particularly for children living in poverty, with disabilities, or from ethnic minority groups.
Through the APPrendemos program, the project investigates how participation in a digital education program relates to the development of mathematics, reading, reasoning, and executive functioning skills. It also examines school effects and learning loss during school breaks using longitudinal data from diverse Peruvian settings.
Tracing how skills grow across children, schools, and communities, the site adds a context-sensitive view of learning variability in digital and school-based settings.
Principal Investigator
Santiago Cueto is a Senior Researcher at GRADE, with expertise in educational psychology, human development, and the evaluation of educational programs. His work focuses on understanding how educational opportunities shape children’s learning and development, particularly for students in poverty, rural areas, or from marginalized groups. He has led national and international research initiatives, including coordinating the Peru component of the Young Lives/Niños del Milenio study. Within LEVANTE, his experience in large-scale assessments, digital learning programs, and quantitative analyses contributes to examining how cognitive, socio-emotional, and academic skills develop in diverse Peruvian contexts, informing policy and practice.
Co-Principal Investigator
Juan Leon’s research focuses on the application of advanced quantitative methods in education, including impact evaluation of social programs, school effects, child development, and educational measurement. His work often takes a comparative perspective, exploring how relationships vary across demographic and contextual characteristics. Within LEVANTE, his expertise enables rigorous analysis of developmental variability in educational outcomes, the identification of key determinants, and the evaluation of how such variability shapes children’s learning trajectories. His methodological skills provide the project with robust tools to understand and interpret educational pathways and support evidence-based interventions to enhance learning outcomes.