Education for Children and Youth Project Quarterly Report Fourth Quarter – July 1st to September 30th, 2019

ECYP is part of USAID's Education Strategy and is implemented by the Foundation for Comprehensive Education of El Salvador (FEDISAL). The project supports the expansion and implementation of the Full-Time Inclusive School approach, aiming to support the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MINEDUC) in its efforts to expand access to education among children and youth living in municipalities with high violence and crime rates in El Salvador. During the fourth quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, ECYP focused its efforts mainly on implementing the Full-Time Inclusive School approach in 195 schools. The project aimed to improve the academic results of lower middle school students and increase the completion of 9th grade. To achieve this, ECYP implemented various components, including Educational Quality and School Improvement, Active Learning Classrooms, and Instructional Sequence Intervention. The Educational Quality and School Improvement component involved the development of an improvement plan for 195 schools, which aimed to reorient educational practices and improve pedagogical models. The project also provided training for 132 principals and assistant principals on improving quality and school improvement. Additionally, 101 school principals projected the practice of life plans for students in the sixth and seventh grades. The Active Learning Classrooms component involved the implementation of mentoring interventions for 57 students of lower middle school, who received individual attention from a mentor team. The project also provided training for 82 teachers from middle school on instructional sequences, which aimed to join curricular content, active methodological processes, and collaborative process. The Instructional Sequence Intervention component involved the development of learning guides for 85 learning sequences, which aimed to improve academic results and improve student behavior. The project also provided training for 226 teachers from middle school on instructional sequences, which represented a significant achievement in the 2019 fiscal year. In terms of progress, the project reported a significant increase in the number of schools implementing the Full-Time Inclusive School approach, with 195 schools participating in the project. The project also reported an increase in the number of students benefiting from the project, with 175,000 students benefiting from the project. The project also reported on the implementation of the Territorial Plan, which aimed to restore security in El Salvador. The project reported a 23.8% decrease in homicides compared to the previous year, with 2,740 homicides reported in 2019 compared to 2,740 in 2018. In terms of sustainability, the project reported that 132 principals and assistant principals participated in training on improving quality and school improvement, which aimed to institutionalize innovative educational practices in schools. The project also reported that 101 school principals projected the practice of life plans for students in the sixth and seventh grades. Overall, the project reported significant progress in implementing the Full-Time Inclusive School approach, improving academic results, and increasing the completion of 9th grade. The project also reported a significant decrease in homicides and an increase in the number of students benefiting from the project.