Annual Work Plan FY 2024: USAID Learn to Read

The program focuses on non-Lao speaking children and children with disabilities. Originally approved for a five-year, $20 million implementation period (2018-2023), a two-year, $10 million extension has been added to reach substantially more children. The program's strategic approach is centered on building on the successful development and distribution of storybooks and textbooks during the first four years. The two-year extension provides the project team and the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) with the opportunity to expand the provision of certain textbooks outside of the initial target provinces, as well as refine and strengthen the approach for establishing sustainable book development practices jointly with the Government of Lao PDR. Key objectives for year 6 include expanding textbook provision to ensure that all Grade 1 and 2 students nationwide have Lao Language and (for grade 2 only) science textbooks. The program also aims to work with local publishers to maximize the use of and develop more storybooks, which will be made available to the public under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license. Additionally, the program will deliver modular and multi-grade training for pre-primary, Grade 1, and Grade 2 teachers to enhance and strengthen their capacity to use the MOES curriculum in multi-grade classrooms, with a specific emphasis on children who are non-Lao speaking or have disabilities. The program's geographic focus is on Lao PDR, with a particular emphasis on non-Lao speaking children and children with disabilities. The program's timeframes are from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, and from August 15, 2018, to August 14, 2025. The program's budget for the two-year extension is $10 million. Implementation of the program's objectives will involve working with local publishers, MOES, and other stakeholders to develop and distribute textbooks and storybooks. The program will also provide training and capacity-building support to teachers and education officials to enhance their ability to use the MOES curriculum in multi-grade classrooms. The program's monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) system will be used to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The program's cross-cutting principles include science, technology, innovation, and partnership (STIP), private sector engagement, strategic partnership and coordination, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). The program's communications and outreach plan will involve developing and disseminating messages and materials to stakeholders, including teachers, education officials, and the general public. The program's branding and marking will be consistent with the USAID Learn to Read logo and branding guidelines.