USAID West Bank Early Grade Reading Baseline Report

The report presents the findings of a baseline assessment conducted in September 2017 to August 2018 to establish a baseline for the Early Grade Reading (EGR) activity in the West Bank. The assessment aimed to measure the performance of kindergarten (KG) and primary grade students in reading and writing skills. The baseline assessment was conducted in 1,200 schools, with a total of 24,000 students participating in the KG assessment and 12,000 students participating in the primary grade assessment. The assessment used a range of tasks to measure students' pre-literacy skills, including expressive vocabulary, letter sound identification, initial letter sounds, listening comprehension, recognizing familiar words, concept of print, and pre-writing. The results of the KG assessment showed that students demonstrated varying levels of proficiency in pre-literacy skills. For example, 44% of students were able to identify the initial sound of a letter, while 27% were able to recognize familiar words. The assessment also found that there were significant gender differences in pre-literacy abilities, with girls performing better than boys in most areas. In the primary grades, the assessment found that students were not meeting the benchmarks set for reading and writing ability. For example, only 22% of grade 1 students were able to read a simple story, while 35% of grade 2 students were able to write their name. The assessment also found that students from urban areas performed better than those from rural areas in reading and writing skills. The report presents a range of recommendations to improve reading and writing skills in the West Bank. These include providing teacher training and support, developing and implementing a reading curriculum, and increasing access to reading materials and technology. The report also recommends conducting regular assessments to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. The baseline assessment provides a critical foundation for the EGR activity, which aims to improve reading and writing skills in the West Bank. The assessment's findings will inform the development of interventions and programs to support teachers, students, and parents in improving reading and writing skills. The assessment used a range of instruments to measure students' reading and writing skills, including the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) instrument. The EGRA instrument was adapted and pretested for use in the West Bank context, and was implemented by trained assessors and leaders. The report presents a range of data and analysis to support the findings of the baseline assessment. This includes tables and figures that present the results of the assessment, as well as annexes that provide additional information on the methodology and instruments used in the assessment. Overall, the USAID West Bank Early Grade Reading Baseline Report provides a comprehensive overview of the reading and writing skills of students in the West Bank. The report's findings will inform the development of interventions and programs to support teachers, students, and parents in improving reading and writing skills, and will provide a critical foundation for the EGR activity.