Despite significant progress over the last decade in getting more children into school, learning levels remain unacceptably low. Too often children leave both primary and secondary levels without acquiring the basic knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to lead productive, healthy lives. UNESCO, through its Institute for Statistics (UIS), and the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings have joined efforts to convene a Learning Metrics Task Force to identify common learning goals to improve learning opportunities and outcomes for children and youth worldwide.