Read Liberia Activity Kindergarten Impact Evaluation: Endline Report

The activity aims to improve EGR skills of Liberian students in grades one and two (G1 and G2) and to pilot support for the development of emergent literacy skills among kindergarten (KG) 2 students. The KG pilot took place in 60 schools across six targeted counties: Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Nimba. The 2-year KG pilot began in September 2018 and ended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The goal of the KG pilot was to improve KG emergent literacy skills among 5,400 KG 2 students from 60 schools. To measure the impact of this KG pilot, Read Liberia conducted an impact evaluation that compared the performance of beginning G1 students in schools with a Read Liberia-supported KG 2 class with the performance of a comparison group: beginning G1 students in schools without a Read Liberia-supported KG 2 class. Baseline data were collected in September 2018, and the baseline report of this impact evaluation was submitted to USAID in May 2019. Endline data collection was conducted in March 2021, and this report presents those endline findings. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the activity and research, with endline data collection taking place 6 months later than planned. Normally, collecting endline data later in the school year than when baseline data were collected could be expected to inflate achievement as the students would have had more time in G1 to acquire additional skills. However, students had been out of school from March 2020, and schools did not reopen until December 2020, with normal levels of enrollment not seen until February 2021. In addition, while students in primary grades received instruction under the MOE's education-in-emergency Teaching by Radio program, KG pilot students were not targeted by the Teaching by Radio program. However, their parents were asked to pick up lessons for them to engage with at home. The impact evaluation used a sample of 1,200 students from 60 schools, with 600 students in the KG pilot group and 600 students in the comparison group. The evaluation instruments included a range of assessments, including expressive vocabulary, letter name knowledge, letter sound knowledge, and listening comprehension. The data collection methods included face-to-face testing, with COVID-19 precautions taken to minimize face-to-face time and sharing of instruments with students. The findings of the impact evaluation indicate that emergent literacy skills are higher among Read Liberia KG pilot students than comparison students at endline. Specifically, the evaluation found that Read Liberia KG pilot students had higher scores in expressive vocabulary, letter name knowledge, letter sound knowledge, and listening comprehension compared to the comparison group. Regression analysis results controlling for other factors also showed a positive impact of the KG pilot on emergent literacy skills. The evaluation also found that the impact of the KG pilot was significant, with a 27% increase in emergent literacy skills among KG pilot students compared to the comparison group. The findings of the evaluation have implications for the way forward, with recommendations for scaling up the KG pilot to reach more students and for continuing to support the development of emergent literacy skills among KG students. The evaluation also highlights the importance of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on education in Liberia. The pandemic had a significant impact on the activity and research, with endline data collection taking place 6 months later than planned. However, the evaluation also shows that with careful planning and implementation, it is possible to conduct high-quality research in challenging circumstances. Overall, the findings of the impact evaluation provide evidence of the effectiveness of the Read Liberia KG pilot in improving emergent literacy skills among KG 2 students in Liberia. The evaluation highlights the importance of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on education in Liberia, and provides recommendations for scaling up the KG pilot to reach more students and for continuing to support the development of emergent literacy skills among KG students.