Education Reporting Guidance

The primary purpose of USAID programming in education is to achieve sustained, measurable improvements in learning outcomes and skills development. The Education Policy applies to education programming across all levels, from pre-primary through higher education, contexts, settings, and providers. Key changes to education reporting, as outlined in the Education Policy, place renewed emphasis on measuring learning outcomes for a broad set of skills and increasing access to high-quality education, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations. The Office of Education has updated its reporting requirements, including its education-related indicators and Key Issue Narratives, to support reporting on the Education Policy and to facilitate internal learning. The primary audience for this guidance is technical and program staff from Operating Units (OUs) who manage education-related programming, regardless of funding source. This guidance may also be of interest to those in fields such as child protection, youth empowerment, or higher education engagement. Implementing partners (IPs) are particularly interested in the new and revised indicators. The Education Policy is central to USAID's education programming, and it is essential that OUs and IPs understand what is changing and why. Full and proper uptake of new and revised indicators and Key Issue Narratives is necessary to reflect current and future programming and to encourage internal learning. The guidance highlights and adds context to existing guidance to facilitate strong reporting on education sector content. It does not replace existing Performance Plan and Report (PPR) guidance or USAID monitoring policy in Automated Directives System (ADS) 201. The Education Reporting Toolkit, hosted online on EducationLinks, contains a complete listing of all new and revised indicators and Key Issue Narratives, as well as Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS). The Helpdesk is a direct line of communication to monitoring and evaluation professionals at the Office of Education. Readers are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns they have about education reporting requirements. They are also encouraged to document challenges and best practices they uncover while working with the new reporting materials and to share feedback with the Office of Education through the Helpdesk. The USAID Education Policy provides a world where partner country education systems enable all children and youth to acquire the education and skills needed to be productive members of society. Education is the great equalizer and the great enabler. When children and youth are prepared to go to school, learn, and grow, they are better equipped to contribute to their communities and societies. The Education Policy emphasizes the importance of measuring learning outcomes for a broad set of skills, including literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking. It also highlights the need to increase access to high-quality education, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations. The policy applies to education programming across all levels, contexts, settings, and providers, and it provides a framework for USAID's education programming. The policy's vision is to create a world where all children and youth have access to quality education and can acquire the skills needed to be productive members of society. The policy's emphasis on measuring learning outcomes and increasing access to high-quality education is critical to achieving this vision.