Workshop delivered at CIES 2017 (Atlanta). The workshop will begin with introducing participants to accessible online educational survey data from EGRA and EGMA. Participants will be introduced to two different early grade reading surveys and the data sets associated with them. They will be given the opportunity to review the original research questions, sample methodology, and instruments in order to understand the context of the survey. Participants will then explore the data to better acquaint themselves with the data’s: structure, content, abilities, and limitations.

Presentation delivered at CIES 2017 (Atlanta). A systematic way to use baseline evaluation studies to help define and identify disadvantaged schools in an intervention program.

Presentation delivered at CIES 2017 (Atlanta). The Malawi Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by RTI International, is designed to support the Malawi Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) in improving the reading performance of Malawian learners in Standards 1–3. One of the primary goals of the Activity is improving the quality and availability of pedagogical materials for early grade reading; to do so, EGRA developed a teacher’s guide with scripted lessons plans (SLPs) for classroom teachers to follow when teaching lessons in both Chichewa and English. A goal of this study was to investigate teacher use of the SLPs in Standard 1 and 2 classrooms. EGRA included teacher training and in-class support for teachers as they used the SLPs. Teachers received several days of specific, targeted training each year regarding phonics-based reading instruction and the gradual release of responsibility model (I do, We do, You do). They also received theory- and practice-based training in the use of the SLPs to deliver high-quality instruction and practicum sessions during which they delivered lessons to groups of current Standard 1–3 learners. The purpose of this study was to shed light on how teachers were using the SLPs in their classrooms to better understand the ways in which the trainings and the materials themselves were supporting teachers, and the ways in which the trainings could be modified.

Measurement of learning is central to the Sustainable Development Goals for education, both in early primary (grade 2/3) and in early childhood (under the age of 5) (IAEG 2016). Of particular concern is the ability of global measurement approaches to reflect the social and linguistic differences of a diverse range of societies, including traditionally marginalized groups. This presentation relies on literacy assessment data to answer the following question: can results from non-equated national assessments be used to report against global goals?

This report explores teacher issues and policies in sub-Saharan African countries via three interrelated questions and methods, each of which is discussed in turn. First, the paper presents the state of issues related to teaching and learning in sub-Saharan African countries. Recent data and evidence, obtained from international, regional, and national databases for numerous sub-Saharan African countries are presented that speak to the state of teacher issues and conditions of service for teachers. Second, the paper outlines national policies and educational plans germane to teaching and learning in 11 sub-Saharan African countries. A third section of the paper highlights reasons why educational policies and plans may not be sufficiently salient to substantially influence the classroom practice of teachers.

Ce rapport est axé sur les leçons pratiques tirées de la mise en oeuvre de ces évaluations qui pourraient s’avérer utiles pour d’autres évaluations en RDC et ailleurs.

L’objectif de l’étude est d’avoir une évaluation de référence des compétences en lecture et en mathématiques des élèves de 3e et 5e années d’école primaire en République démocratique du Congo (RDC). Plus concrètement, cette étude offre à l’Agence américaine pour le développement international (USAID) et le Gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo (GRDC) des données portant sur les capacités des enfants et 3e année d’école primaire à lire dans les trois langues nationales de la RDC (notamment le lingala, le kiswahili ou le tshiluba) et sur les compétences de compréhension et de production orales en français des mêmes élèves. D’autres éléments de l’étude offrent des aperçus des compétences en mathématiques d’enfants en 3e année dans un des districts du Katanga. La présente étude offre aussi un certain contexte et des données portant sur les variables principales en rapport avec les élèves, les enseignants, les directeurs des écoles et les écoles, variables supposées être de bons prédicteurs de la performance des élèves de primaire en lecture et mathématiques. Ces informations diagnostiques aideront les décisionnaires à prendre des décisions éclairées par les données, décisions sur les stratégies correctives qui pourront améliorer la qualité des résultats de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage des élèves dans les premières années de l’école primaire.

The Kenya Big Data Activity is an operations research study to help the Kenya Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) identify the challenges, opportunities, and capacity requirements for implementing a school-based digital Education Management Information System (EMIS) at scale and sustainably. This activity was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Task Order 19, Data for Educational Research and Planning (DERP) in Africa, under the Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) program. RTI International, in partnership with IBM Corp. Research Laboratory, Kenya and Digital Divide Data, implemented the study, the MoEST coordinated the effort, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners provided collaboration and support.

Student literacy assessments contribute to identifying the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) progress toward Goal 1: improving reading skills for 100 million children by 2015. Tracking progress toward this goal is challenging, and information regarding literacy assessments across sub-Saharan Africa has yet to be fully coordinated. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to advance knowledge of which select countries in sub-Saharan Africa have and have not conducted early grade reading assessments, while also providing information regarding where literacy issues remain critical and where improvement is underway. Twenty countries were selected because of USAID’s presence and continued interest in working to improve educational opportunities within these countries. The 20 countries are as follows: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.