Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA) Impact Evaluation Baseline Report

The report was made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The evaluation was conducted by Social Impact, Inc. (SI) through a team of researchers led by Dr. Joanne Capper, Dr. Pedro Carneiro, Dr. Benjamin Hermoso, Brenda Sinclair, Melissa Chiappetta, Molly Brune, and Aaron Foss. The EGRA is a reading activity implemented in Malawi as part of the Feed the Future (FtF) and Global Health Initiative (GHI) projects. The initiative aims to improve reading outcomes for Standard 2 and 4 learners in Malawi. The evaluation purpose is to assess the effects of the EGRA on learner reading outcomes and to identify factors that influence learner achievement in reading. The evaluation consists of four tasks: Task 1 evaluates the effects of the EGRA on Standard 2 and 4 learner reading outcomes, Task 2 conducts a household survey of Standard 2 and 4 learners, Task 3 conducts a national reading assessment for Standard 1 and 3 learners, and Task 4 conducts a final impact evaluation of EGRA and CDCS hypotheses. The evaluation uses a phased-treatment design, where treatment assignment is determined at the school level. The sample size was determined based on the number of schools and learners in the target population. The evaluation instruments include the EGRA Chichewa and English reading assessment instruments, other in-school data collection instruments, and a household survey. The baseline study findings indicate that reading assessments are a crucial component of the evaluation. The stages of learning to read are explained, and the results of the reading assessment are summarized. The findings suggest that there are significant differences in reading outcomes between learners in the treatment and control groups. The literature review findings highlight the importance of home and school factors in influencing learner achievement in reading. Home factors such as parents' education and home environment, parental expectations, and parental involvement are found to have a significant impact on reading outcomes. School factors such as resources, strong academic focus, early start to reading, safe and orderly schools, experienced teachers, confidence in reading ability, learner engagement and interest in school, class size, girls' education, and insufficient numbers of female teachers and head teachers are also found to be significant predictors of reading outcomes. The baseline study findings provide a foundation for the evaluation of the EGRA impact. The results of the reading assessments and the literature review findings will inform the analysis and conclusions of the evaluation.