Impact of a remediation intervention in the context of a larger reading intervention for early grades in Ghana

• In Event: Improving targeted student support: Updated lessons learned from assessment-informed instruction and “catch-up” studies across countries

Proposal

Shortcomings in reading abilities constrain a country’s economic growth because without literacy the labor force lacks the skills necessary to harness technology and enhance productivity (Easterlin, 1981). There is ample evidence that improving foundational reading and numeracy skills contributes substantially to economic development and quality of life (Hanushek & Woessman, 2012). An international focus on improving reading achievement remains a priority, with early grade reading interventions implemented at scale in several countries yielding generally positive, although mixed results in terms of improving reading skills (Graham & Kelly, 2018).

Using a cluster-randomized impact evaluation and a mixed-methods process evaluation, this study aims to evaluate the impact of a remediation intervention in the context of a larger reading intervention for early grades in Ghana (Ghana Learning Transition to English Plus). The remediation program was adapted from the Pratham Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program (Banerjee et al., 2016). There is strong evidence for the efficacy of TaRL. Several published studies implementing a rigorous experimental research design reported significant gains in learning outcomes when implementing for the differentiated instructional approach advocated by the TaRL team (Banerjee et al., 2016).

The Ghana Learning Transition to English Plus program is a bilingual reading program with subject periods in which children learn to read in an official Ghanaian language and in English. In the Learning remediation program, the remedial sessions are a supplement to the core reading instruction taught to all students. Students who struggle based upon teacher administered ASER data join sessions that focus on the foundational skills that the struggling students need to learn next so that they can ‘catch up’ and return to the classroom with the skills necessary to be successful in the core reading program. The additional instructional support is designed to ensure that students catch up to peers by targeting specific skills they need and teaching these skills using highly engaging and effective learning activities. The remediation component of the program is based upon principles developed by researchers at Research for Improving Systems of Education (RISE) (Hwa et al., 2020).

The study was implemented between January-August 2022, with baseline and endline data collection taking place in January and August, respectively. Preliminary statistics were presented at CIES 2022 and this presentation aims to report final results on EGRA subtasks as well as results on qualitative interviews with teachers and headteachers. This study provides an opportunity to examine the impact that the remediation program has on the reading skills of participating struggling learners who are also participating in a core comprehensive reading program, while also providing critical information on how frequently teachers are implementing the sessions and what challenges schools encounter in implementing remediation.

Authors

• Nina Menezes Cunha, FHI 360

• Marcia Davidson, USAID, Africa Bureau/SD