Lebanon’s Learning Recovery Program Evaluation: Focusing on improved literacy and numeracy learning outcomes

• In Event: Mitigating the learning crisis: Evidence and Lessons from literacy remedial programs in Kenya, Zambia, and Lebanon

Proposal

Context:
Since 2019, the education sector in Lebanon has suffered from several crises, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s economic and political situation. These compounding crises cause intermittent school closures, resulting in inconsistent student engagement and learning loss. Over two academic years (2019-2020 and 2020-2021), students in Lebanon did not engage in distance learning during school closures, as in other parts of the world, due to weak electricity and internet infrastructure and limited digital educational resources. The findings of a 2021 study conducted by the USAID-funded Quality Instruction Towards Access and Basic Education 2 project (QITABI 2), confirmed that students in early grades were not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills and exposed Lebanon’s “learning poverty” problem.
In response, the QITABI 2 project, led by World Learning in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), developed and implemented the Learning Recovery Program (LRP) to support teachers, increase educational access, and bridge students’ learning gaps. The LRP elements include teacher training and coaching strategies and practical support for Grades 1-6 teachers of Arabic, English, French, and Math. Through LRP, the QITABI 2 project provides more equitable learning opportunities to prevent escalating educational catastrophe.
Methodology:
The QITABI 2 team conducted an evaluation of LRP across two academic years (2021-2022 and 2022-2023) to understand the effect of LRP on student learning outcomes. The evaluation included learning assessments in literacy and numeracy using tools developed by QITABI 2 specialists, in collaboration with MEHE and the Center for Educational Research and Development. The evaluation also included classroom observations, teacher interviews and teacher self-assessments to assess the extent to which teachers were adopting LRP elements and understand teachers’ experience in the LRP.
Academic Year 2021-2022 LRP Evaluation-1:
QITABI 2 collected student assessment data in February 2022 (baseline) and May 2022 (endline) to track change in student performance during the academic year. The tools were administered to a representative sample of 11,167 Grade 1-6 students in 120 schools. Evaluation findings showed modest improvements in literacy and numeracy learning outcomes, suggesting that the LRP is performing according to its design. Findings also showed significant correlations between teachers’ use of LRP elements and improvements in student learning outcomes. However, the evaluation also highlighted ongoing learning gaps.
Academic Year 2021-2022 LRP Evaluation-2:
In the 2022-2023 academic year, QITABI 2 scaled up the evaluation to all primary public schools in Lebanon. Baseline and endline student assessment data were collected in October 2022 and May 2023 from 70,000+ students in 755 schools. These data will be analyzed to show any change in student learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy and the extent to which LRP has addressed learning loss. The evaluation will also reveal which aspects of the LRP have worked and what elements need improvement. As a result, the LRP will be adjusted for the coming year to best address learning gaps and respond to learning inequities. An analysis comparing the evaluation data across two years will be presented during the conference.

Authors

• Rawan A. Wehbe, World Learning Inc.

• Hilda Khoury, MEHE Lebanon