Strengthening achievement in basic education, SABE project : final report

Project funds were utilized to provide goods and services to strengthen the quality of curriculum and instructional programs, and to expand and improve El Salvador"s basic education systems and administrative instruments. The services provided consisted almost exclusively of short- and long-term TA. Aided by experts from numerous countries, SABE worked consistently and sensitively with Ministry of Education (MOE) personnel to strengthen the capabilities of local professionals to help ensure long-term sustainability. TA focused on the production and distribution of new programs of study and textbooks for all children in more than 5,000 public elementary schools throughout El Salvador. It also included: creation of standardized national assessment instruments and attendant achievement norms; the design and production of low-cost teaching materials; extensive training of in-service teachers; and establishment of a network of 257 model schools (EMDEs) covering all 210 school districts. TA was also provided to help the MOE fulfill its longstanding commitment to extend coverage to all children, and to re-engineer central MOE functions to focus on establishing norms and policies, while allowing local schools and newly established departmental offices to handle the day-to-day implementation of educational and administrative programs. Over a third of the project budget was used to purchase equipment and other goods to strengthen the MOE"s professional capability. Hundreds of thousands of text books, programs of study, library books, workbooks, school supplies, and brochures were bought as part of curriculum strengthening, educational materials development, in-service teacher training, and testing efforts. The MOE"s administrative capacity was also strengthened through the purchase of computers, radios, vehicles, educational television production equipment, duplicators, educational games, and warehouse shelves and related supplies and equipment. By the contract"s end, virtually all funds had been spent on goals and activities included in the original project design. Besides fulfilling its contractual obligations, SABE is credited by the MOE with being the "seed" of literally hundreds of millions of dollars" worth of additional educational expenditures that will strengthen advances made in basic education, while continuing to carry forward reform efforts at the level of the third cycle (junior high school) and high school. SABE"s ultimate legacy will be the extensive support it offered a reform-minded Ministry to carry out its own reforms. The primary impact of its interventions has been to create sustainable mechanisms that enable the MOE to continue expanding and adapting these reforms. The child-centered, activist learning approach introduced by SABE materials into all areas of basic education has been embraced by the MOE and is evident in its reform efforts outside the SABE project. SABE also leaves behind a substantial network of model schools (EMDEs) that now serve as one of the MOE"s primary means of conducting in-service teacher training. SABE enjoyed particular success in promoting a decentralized system of education administration, one in which local entities assume day-to-day financial, administrative, and managerial responsibilities. In just 3 years, MOE departmental offices have been able to take on many responsibilities previously handled at the central or regional level. In addition, school-based financial management has become a reality. Through the School Council (CDE) program, each school is now given its own funds to procure goods and services as needed. What is now perceived as a completely acceptable devolution of responsibility would have seemed radical at the project"s outset. Some targets were not met as fully as was originally hoped. In particular, SABE"s work with the MOE" supervisory staff was left uncompleted. Future TA in this area is recommended. Numerous lessons learned are detailed.