RTI International

This is a list of select peer-reviewed publications by International Education staff between 2015 and 2018. For some of the publications, links to information about the documents and related resources can be found on this websiate. Where possible, the DOI has been included in the attached brief.

Under the USAID Partnership for Education: Testing activity, a teacher questionnaire was introduced to the 2015 national EGRA/EGMA survey in Ghana. This was in response to the 2013 EGRA/EGMA pupil data, which raised questions about how both pupils and their teachers experienced the language of instruction (LOI) policy, which stipulates that pupils should be taught in the Ghanaian language of the local area in the early grades and transition to English by P4. In an effort to learn more about how the LOI policy is implemented in schools, this teacher questionnaire was added in 2015 to collect more information about teacher preparation and instructional practices related to language use. The questionnaire was administered to 671 P2 teachers.

Tangerine overview in Spanish

USAID/Washington, via the All Children Reading (ACR)—Asia task order, commissioned RTI International to conduct research on whether lower and middle-income countries in Asia should invest in early grade reading. To do so, we consider the relationship between increased literacy and employment and social outcomes. We also investigate evolving job opportunities in developing Asian economies, their literacy requirements, and the relationship of Asian growth to the US economy. We then examine data on the current literacy levels among school-going and young-adult populations in Asian countries to see if they meet the needs revealed by job market trends in Asia. The analyses presented in this report show conclusively that it continues to be important for lower and middle income countries in Asia to invest in improving the teaching and learning of literacy skills in early grades. Emphasis should be placed not only on foundational skills, but also on applied skills, such as reading for comprehension across subject areas and applying information gleaned through reading various types of text to understand and solve increasingly complex problems. Education systems therefore must address the full continuum of reading skills development, beginning in the early years and throughout primary school.

The Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) is widely used to assess reading proficiency in developing countries. Benchmarks were introduced to simplify EGRA results into a single indicator against which countries could measure their children’s reading progress. This report is about the process, rational and considerations for setting benchmarks (a desired level of performance on a reading task) and targets (the percent of students intended to reach the performance level). The report addresses three purposes of benchmarking: 1. Country purpose: Track progress in reading within a national education system and provide data to inform efforts to improve education quality. 2. Agency purpose: Help USAID monitor the progress of projects and countries working to reach specific children-reading goals. 3. The global purpose: Measure progress in reading for all; provide a basis for global advocacy; and provide

Final, validated instruments used in the 2017 Tanzania National EGRA. The EGRA and SSME were made possible with funding from USAID. The EGMA component was made possible by funding from Global Affairs Canada. The Life Skills component was funded by UNICEF Tanzania.

Day-by-day pupil's activity book. Companion to Kiswahili Teacher's Guide, Grade 2. Prepared with funding from the USAID and DFID Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity, implemented by MoEST with technical assistance from RTI International, 2014–2018. Tusome is a national-scale program for improving the reading skills of learners in grades 1 and 2.

Day-by-day Grade 1 Teacher's Guide in Kiswahili. Companion to Kiswahili Kitabu cha Mwanafunzi, 1 [Kiswahili Pupil’s Book, 1]. Prepared with funding from the USAID and DFID Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity, implemented by MoEST with technical assistance from RTI International, 2014–2018. Tusome is a national-scale program for improving the reading skills of learners in grades 1 and 2.

Day-by-day pupils' activity book in Kiswahili. Prepared with funding from the USAID and DFID Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity, implemented by MoEST with technical assistance from RTI International, 2014–2018. Tusome is a national-scale program for improving the reading skills of learners in grades 1 and 2.

The USAID PRIORITAS project began in May 2012 with the aim of achieving expanded access to improved quality basic education (IR1). The intermediate results (IRs) that the project aimed to achieve are as follows: * strengthened instruction in schools in targeted districts (IR1-1) * improved education management and governance in targeted schools (IR1-2) * strengthened coordination between all levels of the Government of Indonesia (GOI) and education institutions (IR1-3). This report covers the duration of the project, from May 2012 to September 2017.