In the effort to meet enrollment targets for compulsory education in Latin America, the drive to achieve universal coverage seems to have left education quality behind. In the face of meager student performance, understanding what and how students are learning have emerged as salient issues facing policy makers in a region that has already achieved considerable success in the area of access to basic education. As many countries in the region embark on a series of reforms addressing issues of quality and equity in basic education, shifting their focus away from educational expansion, information on the policies and programs that can contribute to achieving student learning will be vital. This book brings to light recent advances in our understanding of the policies and programs that affect student learning in order to provide policy makers in Latin America and other developing regions tools for effective education policy making.