Georgia Primary Education Project Monthly Report October 2016

The project began in 2015 and is implemented by Chemonics International Inc. in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The project's main goal is to enhance the quality of primary education in Georgia, with a focus on reading and math skills. The project's implementation is led by a Chief of Party, Indira Amiranashvili, and a Deputy Chief of Party, Nikoloz Chachkhiani. The project team works closely with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, as well as with higher education institutions and private sector companies. One of the key components of the project is the G-PriEd Portal, a online platform that provides resources and support to teachers, principals, and students. The portal offers a range of features, including training materials, instructional resources, and a forum for discussion and collaboration. In October 2016, the portal recorded 3,603 users, with the highest number of users in a single day being 272. The project also focuses on school recruitment, with a goal of increasing the number of participating schools. In October 2016, 13 new schools joined the project, bringing the total number of participating schools to 478. The project team also developed an activity plan and a timeline of school-level interventions for the 2016-2017 academic year. Training delivery is another key component of the project. In October 2016, the project team revised the training schedule for different types of trainings, including trainer training, teacher training, reading and math coach training, and school principal training. The project team also continued to develop principal's training materials on assessment leadership and filmed several video episodes for an e-session on "Book Club". The project also places a strong emphasis on parental engagement. In October 2016, the project team uploaded recommendations for parents on the G-PriEd Facebook page on the topics "Book Club" and "How to raise motivation in children". The project team also continued to promote the BSPE program on Radio Imedi through a show "It is Education Time in Georgia". In terms of cooperation with higher education institutions, the project team continued to develop G-PriEd programs in "Innovative methods of instruction in reading" and "Innovative methods of instruction in math" for the teacher preparation course syllabus and instructional package for higher education institutions. The project team also conducted workshops for the pedagogical faculty members of Tbilisi and Akhaltsikhe State Universities. The project also focuses on textbooks, with a goal of developing high-quality textbooks for primary education. In October 2016, the project team finalized the training plan with all necessary materials for training of textbook authors. The project team also reached out to the authors of G-PriEd leveled readers to request concurrence regarding possible use of their texts, which are available in public domain on G-PriEd portal. In terms of project communication, the project team continued to maintain its general Facebook page, with a total of 4,057 likes in October 2016. The project team also prepared a post for USAID's official Facebook page on the topic "G-PriEd resources - readers" and a photo collage featuring past successes requested by USAID for participation in the "Before and After" contest. Overall, the Georgia Primary Education Project is making significant progress in improving primary education in Georgia. The project's focus on reading and math skills, school recruitment, training delivery, parental engagement, cooperation with higher education institutions, and textbooks development are all key components of the project's success.