Improving Teaching and Learning in Classrooms by Reducing Teacher Absenteeism in Uganda Impact Evaluation Team AFRICA IMPACT EVALUATION INITIATIVE, AFTRL Africa Program for Education Impact Evaluation

Questions What is the impact of strengthening the school management committees (SMCs) to monitor and report on teacher attendance? What is the impact of strengthening reporting linkages between the coordination centers (CCs) and the district education office? What is the impact of combining the two types of interventions Overall Question: Which is the most cost-effective intervention for increasing teacher attendance?

Impact Evaluation Design The proposed evaluation with employ multiple treatments at different levels. Randomized assignment shall be done at two levels: –Random assignment of the Coordinating Centers to TREATMENT or CONTROL for CC monitoring –Within each CC, random assignment of the schools to TREATMENT or CONTROL for SMC monitoring

Indicators Teacher absenteeism Student Performance (Learning competencies (using the National Assessment of Primary Education and the Primary Leaving Examination) Pupil attendance Completion rates Wastage –Repetition rates –Dropout rates Monitoring visits and Reports by the SMCs Monitoring reports send to DEO by the CCTs Increase follow-up (e.g. sanctions) taken in reaction to teacher absenteeism cases Increased reports of conflict between the SMCs and the head teachers Visits and reports by the District Inspectors

Sample and Data A sample size of 64 CCs and 8 schools per CCs (so 512 schools) will be enough to detect, with a power of 0.8 and a level of 0.05 : –A reduction in teacher absenteeism of 10% –An increase in average school performance at national exams of 0.1 standard deviation Baseline Survey Spot checks by SMC Quarterly Surveys School administrative records Monthly reports by CCs Reports by District Inspectors Annual School Census (EMIS data) National exams results by school (PLE) National Assessment of Primary Education (NAPE) –Competency Tests*

Summary of Program Design No CC MonitoringCC monitoring 32 CCs No SMC monitoring 128 schools (CONTROL) 128 schools SMC monitoring128 schools

Staffing Plan Impact Evaluation Team Intervention Piloting Team –Education Planning (M&E Section) Policy Selling—Champion –Policy Analysis Unit

Timeline Process that you will follow to gain acceptance –Concept Note –Present Concept Note Permanent Secretary—July 4, 2007 Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group—July 18, 2007 Education Sector Consultative Committee—August 1, 2007 Submit Proposal to EPDF—August 2007 Visit for Impact Evaluation Group (1 to 2 weeks)—August 2007 Baseline—November, 2007 Pilot Implementation—February through November, 2008 Follow-up—November, 2008 Evaluation Results—February, 2009

Budget TBD