FY 2023, Quarter 1 Report: USAID Learn Together Activity

The program is implemented by Chemonics International Inc. and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The LTA program focuses on improving learning outcomes for all students in Tajikistan, with a particular emphasis on primary education. During Quarter 1 of Year 3, the LTA program actively engaged the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) and its national and regional affiliates to strengthen institutional capacity and enhance their understanding of the project activities. This resulted in rebuilding the existing partnership and establishing ties with newly appointed MoES and affiliates' management staff. The MoES highlighted the LTA program as one of its key partners in implementing the National Strategy for Education Development up to 2030 and involved the project in key educational initiatives, including primary grade curriculum reform. The LTA program successfully developed 121 primary grades subject standards and syllabi and piloted 92 subject standards and syllabi, making them more user-friendly and contextually relevant. In October, the LTA program celebrated International Literacy Day, Teachers' Day, and Mother Tongue Day in Shugnan district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region alongside the regional government, education authorities, and development partners. The event was well attended by almost 200 people and showcased the LTA program's achievement in improving learning outcomes for all students on national and regional TVs as well as the MoES website. In November, the LTA program submitted an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initial baseline summary report to USAID for the MoES. The report contained key data and recommendations for MoES that will be highlighted in a dissemination workshop in February 2023. On November 10, the LTA program's Chief of Party (COP), Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), and Technical Lead presented the Year 3 Workplan to USAID's front office, including the Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director, Education Director, and USAID LTA Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). In December, the LTA program conducted monitoring visits throughout Tajikistan in collaboration with the Academy of Education (AoE), the Education Development Institute (EDI), and the Republican Teaching and Methodological Center (RTMC). The monitoring group consisted of 11 AoE, EDI, and RTMC representatives who observed classes and interviewed teachers and focus groups in 80 schools on field testing of standards and syllabi. The monitoring group collected data relating to 1) if teachers understood the standards and syllabi, 2) if proposed learning outcomes were appropriate with each grade and age, 3) if there were constraints with the availability of resources, and 4) if time allocated for each subject aligned with teaching and learning. In December, the LTA program in collaboration with the Republican In-service Teacher Training Institute (RITTI) initiated the pilot of the teacher training program in 400 schools across the country, which resulted in a total of 195 training hours, including 84 hours of face-to-face training and 112 hours of self-regulated training. To deliver this pilot program, the LTA program prepared 249 Community Based Methodological Units (CBMU)-level trainers during October-November 2022. By December 31, 2022, 3,604 teachers out of 4,424 intended teachers enrolled in the project's 28-week teacher training pilot program. The discrepancy appears to be related to inaccurate data within the 2021-2022 Education Management Information System (EMIS), and the LTA program is working with the RITTI to better understand the discrepancy. The LTA program also held three-day seminars with 114 higher education institution (HEI) management and faculty members from 22 pedagogical universities, which aimed to enhance the capacity of HEIs to develop and implement teacher training programs. The seminars focused on topics such as teacher training methodologies, instructional design, and assessment and evaluation. The LTA program also provided technical assistance to the HEIs to develop their teacher training programs and improve their capacity to deliver high-quality teacher training.