USAID Kenya Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity FY 2018 Annual Progress Report

The initiative began in October 2017 and concluded in September 2018. The activity was implemented in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Key achievements in the qualitative impact of the activity included the increased availability and use of appropriate textbooks and supplementary materials that support reading. This was achieved through the review and revision of grade 1 and 2 materials, printing of grade 3 books, and the development and review of PTTC modules. Additionally, the activity facilitated the review and selection of KICD-approved leveled readers, review of texts for Tusome leveled readers, and the printing of KPA leveled readers and Tusome leveled readers. Improved methods of reading instruction delivery were also a key focus of the activity. This included Tusome technical staff supporting KICD and PRIEDE on planning for national trainings, partnering with KICD and PRIEDE to train master trainers for the new curriculum rollout, and providing training to CSOs on the new curriculum rollout. The activity also supported the training of teachers, PTTC lecturers, and other stakeholders through various training programs, including Term 2 training of grade 1, 2, and 3 teachers from public and APBET schools. Supervision support to teachers and PTTC lecturers was another key aspect of the activity. This included the provision of ICT for education, teachers' instructional support and coaching, and the development of a Tangerine-based tool for support to non-Tusome lessons. The activity also supported the embedding of the Tusome classroom observation tool into the primary school assessment tool (QASO tool) and provided support to CSOs and ICs through Tusome staff. The activity also aimed to improve the policy environment that promotes reading skills. This included the formulation and entrenchment of policy guidelines on mainstreaming Tusome to the reformed curriculum, entrenching Tusome into the PTE curriculum, and formulating a policy guideline on copyright on Tusome materials. The activity also collaborated with development actors to leverage reading and formulated a policy guideline on reviewing reading benchmarks for Kiswahili and English in grades 1 and 2, and setting grade 3 benchmarks. In terms of quantitative impact, the activity reported significant progress in trainings and classroom observations, with over 10,000 teachers trained and over 5,000 classrooms observed. The activity also reported progress in support by Tusome technical staff, NTT members, SCDEs, and QASOs, with over 2,000 teachers receiving instructional support and coaching. Despite the progress made, the activity faced several constraints, including limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and limited capacity of some stakeholders. However, the activity also identified several opportunities, including the potential for scaling up the initiative to other parts of the country and the potential for leveraging resources from other development partners. The activity was monitored and evaluated through various performance indicators, including the number of teachers trained, classrooms observed, and students assessed. The activity also reported progress on its gender strategy, links to other USAID programs, and links with government agencies. The activity also developed a sustainability and exit strategy, which included plans for scaling up the initiative and transferring ownership to the government.