Georgia Primary Education Project Semi-Annual Report April 1, 2016-September 30, 2016

The project provides comprehensive assistance to the primary education system, focusing on three key components: improving reading and math instruction, enhancing community and public engagement, and improving the business skills of students. G-PriEd has made significant progress in enriching the G-PriEd Portal with newly developed instructional materials and streamlining administrative operations. The portal has become the most frequently used resource in education in Georgia, with 864 registered users, including 192 principals, 265 teachers, and 405 TLC facilitators. Approximately 12,000 registered and non-registered users visit the portal per month, with a peak of 20,000 users in July 2016. Training delivery has also been a key focus area for G-PriEd. The project has conducted several Training of Trainers (TOTs) sessions, including a final 1-day TOT in math for seven ethnic minority math trainers and two 1-day TOTs for reading and math trainers to prepare them for delivering refresher sessions to reading and math TLC facilitators. Direct training delivery to teachers in ethnic minority schools has also been conducted, with 117 math teachers and 76 GSL teachers receiving 2-day training, and 97 math teachers and 54 GSL teachers receiving 1-day training. In addition, G-PriEd has facilitated portal-based electronic training in Georgian expansion and pilot schools, reaching 448 reading and 448 math TLC facilitators from expansion schools and 92 reading and 83 math TLC facilitators from pilot schools. The project has also maintained the FAQ section and moderated professional discussions on the Forum, which has expanded into 16 general themes with 41 subthemes. The project has also made progress in improving the business skills of students. G-PriEd has established a new component to improve the business skills of at least 8,000 students in grades 1-6 in 35 schools. The project has also updated language guiding the documentation of private sector leverage and revised the Branding and Marking Plan. The G-PriEd team has also worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) to implement the project's activities. The project has established a strong partnership with the MES, with 192 principals, 265 teachers, and 405 TLC facilitators registered on the G-PriEd Portal. The project has also collaborated with other stakeholders, including the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) and the National Examinations Center (NAEC). Overall, G-PriEd has made significant progress in improving reading and math competencies of Georgian and ethnic minority students in grades 1-6. The project has established a strong partnership with the MES and other stakeholders, and has implemented a range of activities to improve the quality of education in Georgia.