1. Teaching Community Assistant Initiative
A project with:
Ghana Education Service
Ghana National Association of Teachers
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

2. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
Context
Program Design
Research Design
Research design

3. Low Quality of Education
Progress in participation rates but not in quality
Pratham-JPAL 2005 – Among 7-14 year olds children :
15 % do not recognize letters
61 % cannot read and understand a story
38% do not recognized numbers
Pratham: “All children in school AND learning”

4. Evidence from Elsewhere
Improving the quality of education “inputs” without other reforms do not necessarily contribute to better children learning if basic knowledge was not previously acquired.
Intervention
Impact on Basic Skills
Providing free textbooks
Marginal (high achievers only)
Add other supplies, inputs, e.g. flipcharts No

5. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
The context
Program Design
Research Design
Next steps

6. Teacher Assistant in India
Balsakhi (“friend of the child”)
Teach children lagging behind separately for 2 hours during regular class time
Teachers are community volunteers (high school education level)

7. Project Design and phases
Sample frame: a.. Schools in in Vadodara, India
122 Schools
Approx 6,000 children
Preliminary Tests :
Math and language

8. Baseline Comparison of Students

9. Project Design and phases
122 schools
Randomization
61 schools
61 schools
Program G3
Yes G4
No (Control)
Program G3
No (Control) G4
Yes

10. Project design and phases
Implementation and monitoring
Implementation by Pratham
Researchers worked with Pratham to provide monitoring (Directly monitored attendance reports)
Final Test
Assess for a second time knowledge in math and language
Important: Assess all children having taken part in preliminary test
Important Impacts:
0.25 std dev in average;
At least 0.6 for children lagging behind (= 38% to 50% NEA)

11. Follow-Up Comparison
Point our that what matters is the follow-up survey

12. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
Program Design
Research Design

13. Extra teacher in Kenya Primary Education in Kenya Challenges
Class size
Teacher absenteeism
Heterogeneous Classes
Few teaching and learning material
Low completion rates
Program “Extra Teacher”
Recruits and renewed contract for school committees
In some classes, divided the group by knowledge level.

14. Research design 210 schools 121 schools: Extra Teacher Program
Randomization
121 schools:
Extra Teacher Program
89 schools
No ETP
Randomization
60 schools:
Spilt by ability
61 schools:
Split randomly

15. Tracking and Extra Teachers
Dividing the class by knowledge level is the most efficient– results are best for all children (two groups)
After 18 months, 0.14 sd difference in test scores
One year after program ended, 0.16 sd difference in test scores
Why?
Possibly, children benefit from a more targeted instruction to their level and from more efforts from the teachers

16. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
Program Design
Research Design

17. Key Insights
It is relatively easy to teach how to read and count to children, in a short period, with simple and cheap learning and teaching material (India)
It is important to target instruction to the right level. E.g. in dividing classes by knowledge level (India, Kenya)
It is this important to have a simple method to identify knowledge levels of each child (India)
Low qualified individuals can be trained in a relatively short period (4 to 15 days) to teach basic language and math knowledge (India).
Giving school committee authority to recruit and supervise assistant and contractual teachers is efficient (Kenya).

18. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
The context
Program Design
Research Design

19. The Quality Gap in Ghana
As enrollment has swelled, quality of primary education has fallen
Less than 20% meet proficiency standards in Math and English in P3 (NEA)
Large regional differences – proficiency in Greater Accra 33.5%, Upper East 6.3%
General Situation:
Teachers coping with children at a wide range of levels
Disparities in PTR between urban-rural areas: from 38:1 to 57:1
As a consequence:
Full classes being led by untrained teachers
High teacher absenteeism 21 to 27%
Only 39% of time spent in direct instruction

20. The Initiative The Teaching Community Assistant Initiative The context
Problem of quality evidence through results of a national test (NEA)
It is possible to recruit low qualified individuals in the system
There already exist some initiatives aimed at improving quality
Recruiting “assistant” with the Program of Youth Employment
Assign them a school
Role: teacher basic knowledge to children lagging behind.
10 days training and simple teaching and learning material
Supervised by School Management Committees

21. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
The context
Program Design
Research Design

22. The intervention process
Recruitment
Orientation
and
Training
Children
Identification
and class
Monitoring of
intervention
Mainstreaming
NYEP, GES
and SMCs
GES Teachers
Colleges
Assistants and
Teachers
SMCs, GES,
GNAT and NYEP
GES and NYEP
SMC Training
NYEP
collects
Applications
SMCs identifies
qualified
Candidates
GES tests and
screens (criteria)
NYEP finalizes
Assistants:
10 days
Teachers:
2 days
1 day
orientation for
Districts reps
Using a simple
5 scale oral test
Simple materials
based on NALAP
Focusing on
basic skills –
Reading and
Maths
Regular testing
A part of teaching
SMC: daily
Checks on
attendance and
assigned task
GES Circuit
Supervisors,
NYEP Coord:
as part of
routine job
GNAT
Coordinators:
regular checks;
Feedback from
teachers
Training for
NYEP
“graduates”?
Having been
an assistant a
condition?
Facilitate entry
In Teachers
Colleges

23. Why is this interesting for a government?
Focus on quality and basic knowledge in P1, P2, P3
Collaboration between Union, Ministry of Education et Youth
Concepts de “remedial” were rigorously tested
Complementarities with the Strategic Plan et other initiatives– NALAP
Test children regularly
Opportunities of an entry positions for youth
Cost Effectiveness

24. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
The context
Program Design
Research Design
Next Steps

25. National Pilot – Impact Evaluation
Randomly allocate 440 schools into one of the following group: A
TCAI: Remedial education during school B
TCAI: Remedial education after school C
Add an assistant. Split Class randomly D
Train teachers only in testing and teaching low performing E
Control
Randomly allocate students to teacher or assistant.
A.1
Lowest performers
B.1
Lowest performers
D.1
Lowest performers
CB.1
Students assigned to regular teacher
CB.2
Students assigned to the assistant
A.2
Best performers
B.2
Best performers
D.2
Best performers

26. Education Quality: Evidence from elsewhere
The problem
Remedial Education in India
Extra Teachers in Kenya
Key Insights
Teaching Community Assistant Initiative Ghana
The context
Program Design
Research Design
Next Steps

27. Next Steps May-September: Logistics Pilot
September-December: Preparations for National Pilot
December onwards: National Pilot

28. Benefits: Improved Basic Skills16 50
Benefits: Improved Basic Skills
32%
50%
35%
20%
37%
24%
Upper
East
Lower
Half*
63% can read at
least letters**
98%
20% can read stories**
2 years
3-6 months
Remedial
No change
68%
46%
28%
*Approximation based on NEA report
** Estimated specific literacy competencies at NEA score cut-offs