Annual Report Year 3: Lecture Pour Tous

The goal of the initiative is to improve academic outcomes for students in the early grades. To contribute to the achievement of these national goals, the MEN launched the Lecture Pour Tous initiative to significantly increase early grade reading results. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and contracted under USAID/All Children Reading, the principal technical assistance program supporting this initiative is implemented by Chemonics International and a consortium of partners, and is referred to simply as Lecture Pour Tous. Lecture Pour Tous began at the end of October 2016 and runs through July 10, 2021, aiming to greatly improve reading levels for students in Grades 1-3 through an effective, sustainable and scalable national program. The technical assistance program targets three outcomes to achieve this goal: improved early grade reading instruction in public primary schools and daaras, improved delivery systems for early grade reading instruction, and improved parent and community engagement in early grade reading. To achieve these outcomes, Lecture Pour Tous implemented a range of activities, including teacher training, school-based support, and community outreach. During the third year of programming, Lecture Pour Tous increased the depth and geographic coverage of its activity implementation, building off its accomplishments and lessons learned during Year 2. For the 2018-2019 school year, the program helped expand improved early grade reading (EGR) instruction from four to six regions; with presence in Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, and Matam classrooms since Year 2, Lecture Pour Tous began implementing in Diourbel and Louga as well in Year 3. The program also started to work in Grade 2 (or Cours Préparatoire, CP) classes as well as Grade 1 (or Cours d'Initiation, CI) classes for the first time. Strengthening and deepening relationships with its Ministère de l'Education nationale (MEN) counterparts, the program remained firmly committed to its "faisons ensemble" approach and supported the MEN to maximize government ownership of the program's approach and best practices. While continuing to streamline implementation and operations, the program made significant progress in achieving its outcomes, including improved early grade reading instruction, improved delivery systems, and improved parent and community engagement. The program's results framework, which outlines the expected outcomes and indicators for each outcome, was used to guide the program's implementation and monitoring. The framework includes indicators such as the percentage of teachers trained in early grade reading instruction, the percentage of schools implementing improved early grade reading instruction, and the percentage of parents and community members engaged in early grade reading activities. In terms of challenges, the program faced several obstacles, including limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and resistance to change from some stakeholders. However, the program was able to overcome these challenges through its commitment to collaboration and partnership, as well as its focus on building the capacity of local stakeholders. Overall, the third year of the Lecture Pour Tous program was marked by significant progress in achieving its outcomes, as well as a deepening commitment to collaboration and partnership with local stakeholders. The program's results framework and indicators provided a clear guide for implementation and monitoring, and the program's focus on building the capacity of local stakeholders helped to overcome challenges and ensure sustainability. The program's impact was also evident in the results of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) midline, which showed significant improvements in reading levels among students in Grades 1-3. The program's work in Grade 2 classes also showed promising results, with significant improvements in reading levels among students in this grade level. In addition to its work in early grade reading, the program also made significant progress in improving delivery systems for early grade reading instruction. The program's work in this area included the development of a range of materials and resources, including teacher guides, student workbooks, and parent engagement materials. The program's work in improving parent and community engagement in early grade reading was also significant, with the program reaching over 10,000 parents and community members through its outreach activities. The program's focus on building the capacity of local stakeholders also helped to ensure that the program's impact was sustained over time.