USAID Quality Reading Project (QRP) - Quarterly Report

The project aims to improve reading levels among students in grades 1-4 by building capacity from the national level down to the classroom. The primary objective of the contract is to improve student reading levels, increase availability of reading materials, increase out-of-school reading time, and increase government support to improve reading. The project has made significant progress in the recent quarter, with Cohort 2 - In-Service Teacher Training (IST) at Master Trainer (Level 2) conducted for 411 schools. The IST was conducted for 12 days in eight districts with 1,072 primary grade teacher participants. The Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) was actively engaged in the training process and provided useful feedback. Cohort 2 Level 3 Training began in February 2015 and will continue to December 2015. Simultaneously, school-level (Level 3) trainings were continuing in 938 Cohort 1 schools from Kurganteppa, Kulob, and four districts of Sughd. Master Trainers that participated in Level 2 training in August 2014 began school-level (Level 3) trainings in November 2014. These trainings are being conducted for three hours on Saturdays during the Methodological Union Day. The teachers are showing enthusiasm to obtain professional development. The project has also introduced the 'Reading Buddies' concept, which has been well received by teachers and school authorities. Plans are currently under development for producing materials for parents to stimulate their children's reading and a consultant has been hired to develop a guide for parents. The guide has been drafted and is going through revision and editing prior to submission to the relevant MOES officials for review and approval. The USAID Quality Reading Project continues to work with the Global Partnership for Education 4 to integrate and streamline competency-based standards for reading and writing into the overall standards-based reform process coordinated by GPE-4 with the MOES. MOES officials and other relevant stakeholders have supported and become actively involved in USAID Quality Reading Project activities, which included attending trainings and monitoring visits, and providing feedback on the IST packages and mentoring support. The main challenges experienced have been delays in obtaining necessary government approvals for materials and with the procurement of additional reading materials. To address this latter issue, it was decided to mobilize communities and parents to contribute additional reading materials to the schools where their children study. This initiative has been well received and is making good progress in many target schools. The project continues to work with MOES to improve the quality of reading materials and to address the challenges faced by the project. The project has made significant progress in the recent quarter, with a total expenditure of $1,311,705. The pipeline at the end of the quarter is $8,325,088, and the estimated expense burn rate for the next quarter is $1,583,836. The project continues to work towards its objectives and is making progress in improving reading levels among students in grades 1-4 in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.