Closing Session

Friday, June 19
11:00am - Noon

Julie Clow

Josh Jarrett
Senior Program Officer, Special Initiatives
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Institutional and System Barriers to Improving Student Success Through Technology - Is There Any Reason for Hope?
Roughly half of students who attempt postsecondary fail to complete a degree or credential - and that number is even higher for low-income students and students of color. Learning technologies are creating dynamic, engaging, and personalized educational experiences with proven effectiveness - yet they rarely go to scale. This conversation will attempt to identify the combination of systemic factors that have consistently resisted transforming learning experiences for students to increase their success - and to ask what if anything can we do to change this reality?

Josh Jarrett is a Senior Program Officer for Special Initiatives in the U.S. Program.  In this capacity, Josh has been helping to architect and launch the foundation’s new Postsecondary Success strategy.  Within Postsecondary Success, he leads the portfolio responsible for encouraging transformation of credentialing through innovative technologies and delivery models.  Additionally, he oversees the work connecting the labor market and private employers to the postsecondary education sector.  Finally, Josh coordinates the foundation’s limited-term efforts in the Gulf Coast region’s recovery following Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to the foundation, Josh served as an Engagement Manger in McKinsey & Company’s Nonprofit Practice, leading organizations on issues of strategy, operations and organization. In his five years with the company he led teams of fellow consultants and clients in detailed business analysis, developed recommendations and implementation plans, and advised senior executives on decision making. In particular, his work focused on charter school expansion, adolescent health services, and the effectiveness of foundation grantmaking. Prior to McKinsey & Company, Josh served as an entrepreneur, helping to launch a customer service software company.

Josh is a graduate of Dartmouth College and he holds a graduate degree in business from the Harvard Business School.