A few days ago, I shared the World Bank’s summary of the results of the PISA for Schools assessment conducted in 171 Salvadoran public schools participating in our education pilot. Since then, I have seen some legitimate questions about what these results mean, as well as some claims about what they supposedly don’t mean. So let’s be very precise. First, what we NEVER claimed: 1. We never claimed these results represent the national average. They don’t. This was not the national PISA assessment. It was PISA for Schools, conducted specifically in the 171 public schools participating in our pilot program. That is precisely why my original post said: “These are the results of our pilot program, which includes AI tutors and has been running in 171 public schools for just over a year.” A pilot is, by definition, not the entire country. 2. We never claimed that these 171 schools were a statistically representative sample of every school in El Salvador. They weren’t selected randomly from all Salvadoran schools. They were selected to participate in the pilot because they were schools where the program could initially be implemented more easily: they had certain basic infrastructure and connectivity requirements, and school communities capable and willing to implement a new educational model. That creates a selection effect, and it should be acknowledged. But there is an important distinction here. These schools were NOT selected because their students had exceptional academic results. They were not our “best schools.” Not even close. We didn’t search the country for the highest-performing schools or students and then test them. They are normal Salvadoran public schools, urban and rural, in different parts of the country, serving ordinary Salvadoran families. And the characteristics that made implementation easier: connectivity, infrastructure, trained teachers and willingness to adopt the program, are also things that can be replicated in other schools. They are not innate characteristics of the students. We can install connectivity. We can improve infrastructure. We can train teachers. We can provide the same technology. We can deploy the same educational tools. In fact, that is exactly what we are doing. 3. These results also do NOT prove that AI tutors, by themselves, caused the improvement, although we believe they are a MAJOR part of these results. Our pilot is broader than that. It includes changes in teaching, support for teachers and principals, educational materials, monitoring and evaluation, technology, and AI tools, among other interventions. Our AI tutors and learning platforms are being developed with @grok, @Kira_Learning, and support from I Hate Flying Bugs. And the broader transformation of our education system is being supported by the @WorldBankGroup, @AgendaCAF, and @el_BID. All of these interventions can also affect student motivation and engagement. But that distinction matters: if students become more motivated BECAUSE of the program, that is not necessarily a flaw in the program or an explanation that somehow invalidates the results. It may be one of the ways the program works. The same applies to teachers. For example, the implementation of the AI tutors, including the requirement for teachers to log in and out of the system, coincided with teacher attendance in these schools increasing from 76% to 97%. If the program causes teachers to attend school more consistently, and that in turn helps students learn more, that is not an advantage that disappears when we scale the program. It is potentially part of the intervention itself. Of course, to scientifically isolate the causal effect of AI tutors, teacher attendance, student motivation, technology, training, or any other individual component would require a different experimental design. Now, what DO these results tell us? 1. They tell us that 1,198 students in 171 ordinary Salvadoran public schools… 🧵1/2👇🏼

“Results in reading, mathematics and science were above the national average and comparable to the average results in Germany and Sweden.” These are the results of our pilot program, which includes AI tutors and has been running in 171 public schools for just over a year. It was evaluated by PISA for Schools in June of this year. Since then, it has already expanded to more than 1,000 schools, and within 18 months, it will be in every public school in our country. In a few years, El Salvador will inspire the world. Security was just the beginning 🇸🇻

🚨Breaking: A explosive new investigative report by Univision reveals that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele repeatedly set his MSN Messenger status to "Appear Offline" during the mid-2000s, despite being actively logged in and listening to Linkin Park. "He was clearly online" - claimed one source who wished to remain anonymous. Sources close to the administration have not denied the allegations, though unconfirmed reports suggest a press conference may be called.

El Salvador 🇸🇻 is making a bold bet on human capital — and it starts in the classroom. A nationwide education reform is set to benefit 500,000+ students across the country, helping them build foundational skills in reading, math, and problem-solving through structured pedagogy, AI tools for school principals and students, and real-time learning assessments. Investing in children today is the path to stronger growth.

How do you prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow? El Salvador is pioneering a new approach to education—using AI, digital tools, and real-time data to transform learning at scale and build the skills young people need for the future. Watch the video to learn more.

El Salvador making waves once again. For drug traffickers, U.S. collaboration with Salvadoran Coastal Police is the perfect STORM. Their officers courageously board narco vessels and shut down maritime routes, setting the gold standard for the region. 🇸🇻🇺🇸