Pratham's partnerships in early childhood

• In Event: The transition test: Designing sustainable programs that outlast political change

Proposal

Pratham in India has a long-standing collaboration with various state and district governments/ education departments to implement large-scale teaching and learning programs aimed at improving early and foundational learning, most notably those focused on Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). However, over the past decade, many partnerships have also been established around early years (pre-school or early childhood centres – Anganwadis) and grades (Std 1-2).

A common element in both types of partnerships is the critical role played by the government’s ‘middle tier’, or as Pratham terms it – the ‘Leaders of Practice’ (LoPs). This tier begins as a ‘core group’ that develops a deep understanding of the program’s key goals and components and builds strong buy-in within the system. Over time, they evolve into the lead team responsible for program rollout, mentoring, and review. These leaders are equipped to guide, support, and review the work of others, particularly government instructors, ensuring that the program is implemented with fidelity. While exact roles, responsibilities, and processes for such a cadre are often well-defined for a program, it is important to understand and adapt expectations to:

Their professional profile/ responsibilities (administrative and academic)
Their role during year-long vs. specified-period foundational learning interventions
Their allocations and the rationale for their movement to support pre-schools/schools
The capacity-building initiatives and tools (theory and technology) that they are equipped with
The expectations vs. realities of what they can achieve

Through a series of real-world examples based on government partnership programs implemented in India, the presentation will highlight context, adaptations/ learning, and challenges from working with Leaders of Practice in:
Himachal Pradesh (FLN in grades 1–2) – variation in the implementation model by deploying more Pratham personnel at the sub-district level, as well as developing ‘mentoring modules’ to streamline activities.
Uttar Pradesh (TaRL in grades 3/4–5) – a comparison of past and current implementation models (due to changes in program models) for mentoring and monitoring.
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (TaRL in grades 3/4–5) – how data-driven mentoring and monitoring led to effective movement and support.

Through each of the cases, we aim to explore the different dimensions of LoPs. Specifically, we seek to identify the key levers (and challenges) that can be adapted, strengthened, or modified to enhance two critical functions: (i) mentoring and monitoring of teaching and learning at the classroom level, and (ii) formal review activities at the block and district levels. Strengthening these functions is essential for ensuring high-quality implementation and improved foundational learning outcomes. Finally, the presentation will conclude with two major open questions that require further exploration and unpacking. The first is: Who is an ‘ideal Leader of Practice’, and what are the outputs and trade-offs of developing such a cadre? Second, by investing in LoPs through capacity building, data tools, clear roles and responsibilities, processes, and expectations, do learning levels improve significantly and sustainably?

Author

• Karthik Menon, Pratham Education Foundation