Randomized Control Trial Design and Baseline Findings: Kenya primary student learning outcomes

• In Event: Blended Learning for Professional Development of School Leaders and Teachers: a cost-effective approach to improving learning outcomes

Proposal

The low-cost private school (LCPS) sector educates a large and increasing share of children in LMICs. Families enroll their children in these schools instead of less expensive public schools because they either lack access to public schools or because they feel that these schools are higher quality than publicly provided alternatives (Heyneman & Stern 2014, Zuilkowski et al. 2017). In Kenya, the sector is characterized by small-scale, family-owned school (“mom-and-pops”) that typically operate on a single campus and are managed by the owner, a family member, or a close friend.

Recent evidence suggests fixed investments in standardized procedures along with other school modern management best practices may be important for ensuring a high level of educational quality. Bloom et al. 2015 show a strong relationship between school management scores and test scores. Gray-Lobe et al. 2022 and Romero, Sandefur and Sandholtz 2020 show that a model of education that applies modern management practices can have large impacts on academic outcomes.

The predominance of small-scale schools in the LCPS sector and this evidence motivates at least two questions:
1. Can small-scale operators improve by adopting modern management practices?
2. Are there barriers for mom-and-pops to increase their scale, which may be necessary to capitalize on fixed investments in management improvements?

This panelist will present on a randomized evaluation of management training and credit access on the scale and quality of LCPS currently underway. This evaluation centers on randomized assignment of two programs provided by an international NGO, focused on improving education access via financing and education quality via blended learning professional development.

Study Design & Evaluation
Schools have been recruited from Nairobi and Machakos states in Kenya. Researchers sampled schools for an initial census survey. Schools sampled were then invited to apply to the quality improvement program before applicants are randomly assigned to either the programs or non-programs categories.

At the end of the second year of the program, the research team will evaluate program impact on a range of outcomes, which include: Student academic test scores, Teacher retention, and school management practices, including student performance evaluations and classroom observations.

Author

• Guthrie Gray-Lobe, University of Chicago