EGRA Adaptation for Room to Learn (2016)

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Client

USAID/Winrock Intl

Project Location

Project Duration

1 year

Total Value

Undisclosed

Value of Montrose Component

$600,000

Situation

  • Room to Learn (RTL) South Sudan is a five-year USAID-funded project designed to expand inclusive education opportunities and promote social cohesion in South Sudan.
  • Montrose was contracted by USAID to adapt an English Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) into Toposa and Bari languages, as well as develop teaching and learning materials.
  • This will enable South Sudan to have access to uniform tools for use in measuring literacy competencies among students in lower primary classes.

Solution

  • Montrose was responsible for the following:
    • Conducting a workshop during which local experts adapted English language EGRA tools into Toposa and Bari, and developed implementation protocols.
    • Training EGRA assessors to administer the Toposa and Bari EGRA tools.
    • Leading the pilot and review of the adapted EGRA tools.
    • Formulating literacy standards and benchmarks for Toposa and Bari languages.
    • Leading an EGRA exercise in primary class 3 in Room to Learn’s Toposa and Bari target regions.
    • Producing a report including recommendations on how to improve literacy outcomes.

Impact

  • The project supported widened inclusivity of methods for teaching and measurement of learning outcomes to increase access to education.
  • The project aimed to provide equitable access to education for 600,000 children in South Sudan and an improved quality of education for over 1.2m children.
  • EGRAs in Dinka and Nuer were subsequently also developed to promote a national literacy baseline and improve literacy across ethnic groups, especially among pastoralist children and youth.