Final evaluation of Ghana transition and persistence (TAP) project 2010-2013

The project aimed to increase junior high school (JHS) enrollment and completion rates in 156 JHSs across 13 districts in 4 regions (Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern, and Greater Accra). TAP contributed to USAID's Strategic Objective 8 (SO8): "Improved Quality of, and Access to, Basic Education." The objectives of the TAP project were to: (1) increase the number of improved spaces available for JHS enrollment in targeted districts through building new facilities or rehabilitating existing facilities, (2) increase JHS enrollment in targeted districts by improving teacher quality, strengthening district level Ghana Education Service oversight, providing more diverse and innovative educational opportunities for children, promoting community involvement and ownership of the SIP process; and creating incentives and rewards for teachers, children, and communities for improving performance, (3) increase JHS completion rates by institutionalizing the processes and systems that will be used to increase enrollment. This evaluation was designed to explore the degree to which the desired changes were brought about due to the TAP interventions. The evaluation field work developed a sample based on disaggregating across the schools which exhibited the highest enrollment change and average and lowest enrollment change over the three year TAP intervention period (2010/11 to 2012/13); the evaluation also explored the degree to which interventions were effective and yielded the most promising results for replication. The evaluation study found that the TAP project recorded enormous improvements in increasing the spaces, improving the physical infrastructure and in reducing socio-economic barriers to JHS enrollment and completion for pupils and their families across 156 TAP schools in 13 districts of Ghana. The evaluation revealed that the TAP project was a highly valued intervention by all stakeholder groups interviewed, particularly teachers, communities and children. Evidence from interviews revealed that TAP interventions met the immediate practical needs of households and schools. Key stakeholders at the district and school levels also suggest that the TAP project should continue, with at most minor modifications. (Excerpt, modified)