National and Regional Dissemination Events Report: ABE-ACR Tanzania National Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA)

The assessment aimed to evaluate the reading skills of students in early grades. The results of the assessment were disseminated to various stakeholders through a series of meetings. The dissemination events began with a headline report presentation to the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training. The presentation was made by Dr. Benjamin Piper, Senior Director of Africa Education at RTI International, accompanied by Ms. Christine Djondo, Education Office Director at USAID/Tanzania, and Abbas Nsanzugwanko, Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative. The presentation was well received, and the PS accepted the results and confirmed the direction of the messaging of the report. The second meeting was an internal report presentation held in Dodoma, Tanzania, on July 24, 2018. Mr. Aarnout Brombacher of RTI presented the entire 2017 National EGRA results to Dr. Ave Maria Semakafu, Deputy Permanent Secretary, and Mr. Gerald Mweli, Director of Policy and Planning. Approximately 25 high-level directors and deputy directors from various departments attended the meeting. The attendees accepted the report, with the DPS concluding that the slight decline in performance from 2015(16) to 2017 should not be regarded as a substantial reduction, but rather be understood in the light of the increased enrollment of children previously not attending school. The third meeting was also an internal report presentation held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on July 26, 2018. Mr. Brombacher presented the entire 2017 National EGRA report to Mr. Abdalla Mzee Abdala, Deputy Permanent Secretary, and Madam Madina Mjaka Mwinyi, Deputy Principal Secretary (Academic). Approximately 20 representatives from various departments attended the meeting. The report was well received, and the attendees accepted the report. The final meeting was a presentation to the Education Sector Development Committee (ESDC) on August 2, 2018, in Dodoma, Tanzania. Mr. Brombacher presented the EGRA results report to the ESDC, which was attended by more than 30 members. The results generated some lively discussions, which were evenly divided between clarifications on the study methodology and the implications for the Ministry's work. The DPS reminded the attendees that the Ministry had "received" the report, but that "approval" of the report would still take some time. The dissemination events were successful in sharing the findings and fostering dialogue among important Ministry participants. The presentations were well received, and the attendees accepted the reports. The Ministry's senior technical staff were expected to conduct a capacity-building activity with RTI to better understand the methodology of the National EGRA study and make a presentation at the next ESDC meeting about the proposed future deployment of the National EGRA.