A Literacy Trifecta: The Kyrgyz Republic McGovern–Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

• In Event: Evaluating education outcomes in: school-based nutrition interventions, life satisfaction and workforce development

Proposal

Improved student outcomes, enhanced teacher practices, and a strong correlation between teaching practices and student reading ability proved a literacy trifecta in the Kyrgyz Republic McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

RTI International implemented the literacy component of the United States Department of Agriculture’s McGovern–Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (MGD-FFE) in the Kyrgyz Republic starting in November 2021. The MGD-FFE literacy component aims to improve the literacy outcomes of primary school students in 451 target schools in the Kyrgyz Republic, by implementing the following activities:
-Providing high-quality reading materials to primary grade students;
-Developing formative assessment materials for teachers to use in their classrooms;
-Training teachers and librarians in the use of children’s books in the classroom, conducting formative assessments, and leading out-of-school activities;
-Training school administrators in coaching and quality assurance; and
-Improving the policy and regulatory framework.
A quasi-experimental impact evaluation was conducted to gauge the impact of the MGD-FFE literacy component on student and teacher-focused outcomes. The baseline data collection was carried out in May 2022 in 49 schools (with 49 grade 2 teachers and 573 grade 2 students). The midline occurred two years later (May 2024) in the same 49 schools (with 49 teachers and 579 students). The results were staggering. There were statistically significant gains in improved teaching practices (based on lesson observations), improved student performance (based on Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) results), and evidence of strong correlation between quality teaching practices and student achievement.
Teachers significantly improved their teaching practices. At baseline, only 9% of teachers set a learning objective at the start of a lesson, but at midline the percentage of teachers doing this practice increased to 40%. The percentage of teachers who organized students into small working groups was 35% at baseline and more than doubled to 74% at midline. Additionally, the percentage of teachers who assigned responsibilities and roles to students in working groups also more than doubled, from 24% at baseline to 54% at midline.
Students also significantly improved their literacy performance. At baseline, end of year grade 2 students read 38 correct words per minute (cwpm), on average. At midline, that number jumped to 47 cwpm. The percentage of students able to read at least 40 correct words per minute increased from 42% to 54% from baseline to midline. The percentage of students who were able to correctly answer at least 80% of the reading comprehension questions increased from 37% at baseline to 51% at midline.
The results further demonstrated clear evidence that quality teaching practices were highly correlated with student performance. For example, students who worked in small groups, on average, read 9.6 cwpm more fluently than students who did not work in small groups. Students whose teachers provided encouraging and positive feedback read on average 10.4 cwpm more fluently than students whose teacher did not provide such feedback.
Successful early grade reading programs are typically touted for producing an impact in just one of these areas. However, this trifecta of teacher improvement, student improvement, and the high correlation of quality teaching practices with student achievement is unprecedented in early grade reading programs in low- and middle-income countries. This presentation will explore the results in detail, while providing insights into the factors that led to the unusually high results of the MGD-FFE literacy component in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Authors

• Christopher P Cummiskey, RTI International

• Nargiza Toktonazarova, Research Triangle Institute

• Aliia Burkitova, Research Triangle Institute