Do children with deficits in both rapid automatic naming (RAN) and phonological awareness in Chichewa experience more difficulty with reading growth than children with single or no deficits? To answer this question, we developed a RAN measure of common objects and a phonological awareness measure and administered them four times during a school year. Students who scored poorly on one of these measures as compared to their peers were classified as having a deficit. A compelling finding was Single Deficit and Double Deficit groups have similar average scores at Time 1; by Time 3 and Time 4, the Single Deficit group pulls away, more than doubling the average score of Double Deficit counterparts at Time 4. This study presents a tool to help to identify children at risk for reading difficulties. Children with a Double Deficit profile may need differentiated instruction.

Survey of Student Perceptions of School Climate; developed by RTI under the Uganda LARA project in May 16 2018

Survey of Student Social and Emotional Competencies and Agency; developed by RTI under the Uganda LARA project in May 2018

In Malawi, a context where many students do not learn to read, we wanted a way to distinguish those who might struggle with reading acquisition regardless of instruction. Specifically, we wanted to know if students with deficits in both rapid automatic naming (RAN) and phonological awareness in Chichewa experience more difficulty with reading growth than students with single or no deficits. Prior to our study, the double deficit had been shown in opaque and transparent orthographies but had yet to be explored in Chichewa or other Bantu languages.

For many children in low-income countries, schools are danger zones and places to be feared. Policy makers, funders and implementers lack accurate information regarding the prevalence of school-related genderbased violence (SRGBV) and the way it manifests in the lives of children. RTI funded a study in March 2018 in Uganda that tested a new model of SRGBV data collection—the ACASI method—that shows promise in generating more accurate data.

EF Touch is a tablet-administered assessment designed to measure children’s three key executive function skills: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. These functions are important for organizing information, planning, solving problems, sustaining attention, and coordinating action and thoughts in support of goal-directed behaviors. Consequently, these functions are integral to children’s ability to learn how to learn. Most of what we know about executive functions has been gathered from studies in high-income countries. However, EF Touch is now being adapted and tested with young children living in LMICs, including Kenya and Liberia.

GALA is an assessment tool for measuring early literacy skills in a group setting. It consists of two main components: student booklets with multiple choice questions and a tool providing assessors with a complete protocol for test administration.

Tangerine:Class is easy-to-use software that assists teachers to systematically collect, analyze, and use students’ results from continuous curriculum-based assessments to inform instructional decisions on grouping, pacing, and materials use. It is optimized for Android devices and offline use.

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Peek Acuity and hearScreen® are mobile, electronic screening tools that provide data on vision and hearing impairments. The tools were designed to be administered in schools and classrooms so that teachers and schools can better accommodate visually- or hearing-impaired students to increase their opportunities of succeeding in school.