Motivation is key to behavior change in teaching and learning processes. Motivated teachers are thought to be more likely to be willing to experiment with different instructional approaches in the classroom. Motivated students are hypothesized to put forth extra effort during learning activities. These assumptions posit that incentives, or rewards based on evidence of behavior change, may have a role to play in enhancing the motivation of teachers and students. This report presents findings from a short-term incentive pilot program conducted in one governorate in Jordan. During this pilot, students in treatment schools were offered a symbolic (non-monetary) incentive if they read at least 24 books at home over the 8-week implementation period. Teachers were offered a symbolic incentive if they received high scores from coaches during most (at least 50%) of their observed classroom lessons. This report presents findings from this pilot program.

An infographic describing the key steps and timeline involved in conducting an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA).

A brief summary of EGRA results across countries (through 2011) highlighting differences in achievement by gender.

In October 2016, experts from RTI International, USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation participated in a panel discussion examining how stakeholders in early childhood education, health and nutrition can break down the silos represented by these fields and build an integrated approach to early childhood development. The panel took place following the release of a new Series on early childhood development published in The Lancet which found that more than two in five children in low- and middle-income countries (an estimated 43 percent, or 250 million) are at risk of not reaching their development potential due to extreme poverty and chronic undernutrition. Maureen Black, PhD, distinguished fellow at RTI International, is lead author of the first paper in the Series.

To gain insight into both student facility with foundational skills and to better understand characteristics among Jordanian schools associated with this performance, USAID/Jordan, in partnership with the Jordan Ministry of Education (MOE), contracted with RTI International under the Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) project to conduct the SSME, including the EGRA and EGMA, in a sample of primary schools in Jordan. The hope is that evidence-based information resulting from the survey can inform future education policy decisions, as needed. The instruments used in this project—the National Early Grade Literacy and Numeracy Survey in Jordan—were adapted specifically for the Jordanian context during an adaptation workshop with the Ministry of Education. RTI’s education specialists worked together with local Jordanian reading, math, and primary school experts and officials to design abbreviated versions of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), using curriculum materials for grades 2 and 3. In addition to administering individual oral assessments of students, RTI and its local partner, Dajani Consulting, sent research teams to interview School Principals and teachers, conduct inventories of school and classroom resources, and observe reading and math lessons as part of the SSME survey.

This report describes the baseline findings of an external evaluation of the Tayari pre-primary school programme. Tayari is an early childhood development and education intervention funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). The intervention is implemented by the RTI International, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), and in collaboration with four counties.

This two page brief provides summary graphics of key data on children's reading ability in schools that teach reading in Hiligaynon and use this language as medium of instruction. The skills were measured using EGRA, conducted in February/March 2014 (end of Grade 1 and Grade 2).

This two page brief provides summary graphics of key data on children's reading ability in schools that teach reading in Sinugbuanong Binisaya and use this language as medium of instruction. The skills were measured using EGRA, conducted in Region VII in February/March 2014 (end of Grade 1 and Grade 2).

This two page brief provides summary graphics of key data on children's reading ability in schools that teach reading in Sinugbuanong Binisaya and use this language as medium of instruction. The skills were measured using EGRA, conducted in Region VII in February/March 2014 (end of Grade 1 and Grade 2).

The 2014 early grade reading assessment (EGRA) research, conducted under the USAID Blanket Purchase Order “EdData II” (DEP/AME Task Order no. 15) held by RTI International, was a follow on to the work done in 2013 to support the nation’s mother-tongue based multilingual education program (MTB-MLE) by conducting national and regional baseline assessments. This brief provides a summary of reading achievement in four languages--Ilokano, Maguindanaoan, Hiligaynon, Sinugbuanong Binisaya--as measured by EGRA, and findings about implementation of MTB-MLE in the Philippines from interviews and classroom assessments.