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Session Submission Summary

A systems approach to sustaining early reading programs in Ghana

Wed, April 17, 3:15 to 4:45pm, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Pacific Concourse (Level -1), Pacific C

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The USAID Ghana Partnership for Education is a multi-activity program that focuses on strengthening the education system to achieve improved reading outcomes at a national scale. The Partnership for Education: Learning (Learning) Activity has concentrated on mother tongue reading in 11 official Ghanaian languages of instruction, textbooks and reading materials produced for grades KG2 – Primary 2 in all 11 languages, proven pedagogical and instructional approaches integrated into extensive teacher training and coaching programs, and intensive feedback through assessments and fidelity of implementation tracking. Operating in 100 districts and over 7,200 schools and impacting 1.1 million pupils, the 5-year Learning Activity will be completed in September 2019.

From the start, Learning has taken a learning-by-doing approach, working with and through Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Services structures to deliver the reading program at scale. Key program areas include material development in 11 Ghanaian languages of instructions, printing and distribution of over 3.2 million materials, teacher training and ongoing school based pedagogical supports throughout 3 terms, as well as monitoring for fidelity of implementation to ensure continuous programmatic improvements. To implement the project, Learning has engaged and built the capacity of over 3,000 government actors at the national, regional, and district levels from diverse agencies to support improved teaching by 38,000 teachers and school-based personnel and learning by 1.1 million pupils. This method of implementation was designed to not only build the capacity of systems actors in the technical content of the reading program, but also maximize the potential for expanding the program to the remaining districts and sustaining its implementation in the target districts beyond the tenure of Learning.

In the final year of the project, while the focus is on producing significant pupil learning outcomes, the corollary focus is on anchoring the program in key MoE/GES institutions to promote continued growth and expansion of the program in the future. This panel will provide insights into the process, challenges and achievements, and future issues of developing national capacity at scale from the perspectives of key stakeholders in the process.

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