Executive summary

The state of Puebla, located in central Mexico, stands where many top-performers and successful reformers have once stood: at the crossroads of maintaining the status quo or embarking on a profound transformation of its education system. The current government is committed to make a long-lasting difference through a long-term strategy to build the Puebla Education Model, which will guide and align the efforts of all the actors in the system, and could inspire other states and federal reform efforts. Reform should focus on four areas: (i) strengthening support for schools and students (ii) improving the quality of teachers and school leaders (iii) increasing completion and quality in upper secondary education and (iv) improving the planning, funding and use of school infrastructure. Moreover, a deep-rooted improvement calls for a more policy-oriented bureaucratic structure in Puebla and a new federal governance system.