Panel The status of Reading In Uganda Primary Schools : Evidence and Way Forward

1. PanelThe status of Reading In Uganda Primary Schools:  Evidence and Way Forward

2. Introduction 10 minutesDr. Daniel Nkaada (chair)Commissioner Basic EducationPresentations20 minutes eachProvision of Instructional MaterialsDr. Robinah KyeyuneUSAID/Uganda School Health and Reading ProgramBest Practices in Teacher TrainingLydia Nakijoba and Peter MuyingoUSAID/Uganda Literacy Achievement and Retention ActivityUWEZO Household Level Efforts to Measure Reading AchievementDr. Mary GorettiNakabugoUWEZO UgandaThe Role of National Assessment for Progress in Education - NAPE and EGRAHarriet NantezaUganda National Examinations BoardDiscussion30 minutes

3. USAID/ UGANDA School Health and Reading Program The Status of Reading Instruction in Uganda’s Schools: Provision of Instructional Materials Dr. Robinah Kyeyune

4. Issues to Discuss • Low literacy (reading) achievement among primary school learners • Explanation of low literacy achievement levels, with reference to home and schooling experiences • Available solutions, emphasizing mother tongue reading and writing programs in lower grades • Evidence of gains from systematic mother tongue reading instruction demonstrated by SHRP • Recommendations for Government’s institutionalization of the observed gains

5. Problem and Background NAPE (2014) : 64.2% of P3 learners proficient in English literacy and 48.6% in oral reading SHRP EGRA 2013: P1 children in Atɛsͻ, Lëblaŋo, Luganda and Runyankore-Rukiga reaing 0 – 0.3 words per minute UWEZO (2013): only 47% of 10 year olds in Uganda reading Threatens learning failure, given the critical role of reading in learning. In spite of the Thematic Curriculum’s emphasis on familiar language as LoI.

6. Causes • Classroom practice contrary to Thematic Curriculum • Classroom practice ignores mother tongue speaking and listening competences “Vernacular stinks!” • Children joining P1 are exposed to content in an unfamiliar language • Few teachers equipped with knowledge of how children learn to read and EGR methods • Children have had no print to read from in class, and generally no exposure to print media.

7. Reversing the situation RTI | Uganda MoES | USAID School Health and Reading Program Primers are based on the Thematic Curriculum, featuring the themes (and sub-themes) of the entire year over the first four years of school Validate 12 Ugandan language orthographies with speech communities, NCDC, language boards, language panels and Department of Basic Education Reading in English is introduced in P1 upon the foundation of reading in LL, emphasizing oral competences

8. Reversing the situation • Scope and sequence based on the highest frequency letters and sounds in each language • Content reflects 5 components of reading • Phonemic Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension • LL reading extended to P4, to scaffold transition to English • Lessons incorporate the value of Oral Literature and News • Lessons incorporate continuous assessment – in-lesson, weekly, end of term – and remedial teaching. • Teachers’ guides aid understanding of the underlying philosophy and application of the EGR methodology.

9. Materials Reach Teachers, head teachers, deputies and CCTs trained to deliver EGR instruction 2 million P1 to P4 learners with Primers and teacher guides in 12 languages 3,476 20,000+ Schools receiving alphabet charts, orthography guides and quick referenece guides

10. Benefits: Reading Comprehension

11. Challenges • Institutionalizing development and production of quality EGR instruction materials • mandates, expectations and requirements • specializationsdon’t necessarily account for the way children learn • demand has notbecome a priority. • Shifting enrolment data and random transfer of teachers and head teachers discrepancies in provision of materials. • Migration of children to program-supported schools places unreasonable demands on implementing teachers • Unreliable head teachers who do not provide curriculum leadership and teachers who refuse to teach reading • Schools reject the methodology, emphasis on examination grades, belief that LL is backward, poor resource management

12. Government’s responsibility to institutionalize • Integrate EGR reading methodology into teacher education curriculum • Blend the phonics approach into the Thematic Curriculum. • Provide adequate primers (1:1) and teachers’ guides • Make continuous assessment an express requirement • Provide classroom support for reading teachers • EGRA to scale for feedback and feed forward into teaching • Make district local governments structure supervision and inspection to cater for reading

13. USAID/ UGANDA Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity Best Practices in Teacher Training Lydia Nakijoba and Peter Muyingo

14. Project Overview LARA USAID funded Education Expansion Activity 2015-2020 3352school in 28 districts 1.3 million children in 3 local languages Support the MoES to: • improve the literacy of early primary grade learners • Improve retention by reducing incidents of School Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) in schools.

15. Learners at Baseline: P1 LARA

16. Learners at Baseline: P2 LARA

17. Can you read this? LARA Wapwoyo bino. Tin wa be pwonyo kit me kwan ki coc.   

18. Making Meaning out of Text LARA TEACHING READING is not as simple as sounding out the words “My learners are reading but they don’t understand” Teachers must be able to guide learners to both read with fluency AND make meaning (comprehension) out of what they are reading So… How are we training teachers to do this?

19. TRAINING LARA Similar training model with SHRP: • Lead Facilitator training • Training of EGR Trainers • Teacher Training • However, USAID Uganda Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity rolled out EGR methodology to P.1 and P.2 at the same time • To date, over5,400 P1 and P2 teachers trained in the EGR methodology

20. Evidence of Best Practice: Teachers as Trainers • In addition to CCTs and Inspectors, LARA is using competent P1 and P2 teachers as trainers • Convincing to the teachers being trained. Teachers as trainers can testify that the methods they are sharing have worked in their own classrooms • Deep understanding of the methodology- use it day in and day out in their own classrooms • Adaptation- teachers as trainers also know best how the methodology can be adapted in small ways to meet the needs of the learners in that context

21. Support supervision LARA • After training, teachers are supported first by a team of MoES staff, LARA staff, FAs and district staff. • Teachers working as Field Assistants then go to a different school to support P1 and P2 teachers every two days, with the CCT whenever possible

22. Evidence of Best Practice: Support Supervision Follow up visits to trained teachers are critical to reinforcing the skills learned • When in groups at training, teachers will not always share what they have not understood. They will share in a one-on-one support meeting. • Some people don’t know what they don’t know! Sometimes it takes a lesson observation to identify where teachers are struggling. • We see adifferencebetween teachers modeling at the training, and how they actually teach in front of learners • Its easy for teachers to fall back to their regular approach- they need in class support to keep trying the new methodology.

23. Challenges • Teacher deployment and management • General lack of leadership support • Underage learners • Pupil-teacher ratios • Selection and replacement of teachers for EGR training • transfers of trained teachers

24. Strategies for mitigation • Continued liaison with district education officials so that the program is owned and supported • Continue working through FAs and PCs to offer support to teachers • Engage head teachers in support supervision so that they learn more about the program and own • continued work with and through MoES to ensure ownership of program activities

25. Uwezo household level efforts to measure reading achievement Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Uwezo at Twaweza gnakabugo@twaweza.org National Annual Literacy Conference Kampala, July 20-21, 2016 www.uwezo.net www.twaweza.org

26. Context and Purpose • Enrolments are high in primary schools • Education budget considerably high • Quite often government and communities preoccupied with visible challenges in education: inputs, access and provisions • Learning outcomes low, many children struggling with reading: how do me make this visible for citizens to take action?

27. Uwezo: Making the Invisible Visible • Drawing lessons from ASER India, Uwezo developed a simple tool, which could be used to measure and enhance literacy [and numeracy] by ordinary citizens. • We have assessed learning outcomes (reading and numeracy) of children aged 6-16 since 2010

28. What do we assess? • Needed to define learning, especially early grades and make it visible e.g. importance of basic reading: Without the basics, children cannot progress. • Reading assessment: Foundation skills for literacy acquisition in early grades such as letters, words and connected text areof central focus.

29. Test Design • Tests developed by a panel of experts • Tests have distinct levels • Level of difficulty increases in each subsequent level • Easy to define the specific competency level: easy to implement by ordinary people

30. Literacy Test Letter/Sound Word Paragraph Story Comprehension

31. PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF CHILDREN’S COMPETENCIES IN PRIMARY 2 LEVEL ENGLISH, BY GRADE, 2013 AreOurChildrenLearning?|LiteracyandnumeracyinUganda| 2014

32. Benefits of assessing reading at household level • Reaching ALL children, including the most excluded. Children relax from the tensions linked with school • Engaging with parents and communities to discuss learning: The benefits of instant feedback • Volunteers find greater purpose in developing their skills and engaging meaningfully with their communities: example shared

33. Uganda National Examinations BoardHarriet nantezaexaminations officer THE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR PROGRESS IN EDUCATION (NAPE-UNEB) ASSESSMENT OF LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT/ORAL READING PROFIENCY: NAPE SURVEYS NAPE INVOLVEMENT IN IMPROVING CLASSROOM - BASED PRACTICES REPORTING FOR EVALUATION AND STAKEHOLDER ROAD MAPS: NAPE DISSEMINATION UTSEP INTERVENTIONS: EGRA – UNEB

34. NAPE – UNEB (Background) • Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) is mandated to conduct and manage examinations at Primary and Secondary School level. • UNEB hosts National Assessment for Progress in Education (NAPE) and Continuous Assessment • NAPE has been used to assess Numeracy, Literacy and Oral Reading at the Primary Education Level in P.3 and P.6 from 1996 to 2015 • Since 2003, NAPE assesses oral reading in P.3 in English and Local Languages by testing letter sounds, words, sentences and a short story • Assessment in Oral Reading is done every three years. In 2014, P.3 learners were assessed in English Language.

35. Oral Reading Proficiency: NAPE Surveys BUT LESS THAN HALF OF P3 LEARNERS ARE READING WITH PROFICIENCY WE ARE SEEING IMPROVEMENT

36. The above scenario was attributed to the following: -learners have less contact with teachers -inappropriate approaches to the teaching of reading - lack of guidance to independent reading and writing -lack of appropriate reading materials.

37. UNEB PLE performance trends are assumed to be indicators to the literacy levels. Learners who have not attained the desired levels of proficiency are likely to find it difficult to read and interpret the tasks across all subjects.

38. UNEB IN ACTION: HOW WE RESPONDED • The NAPE 2011 report revealed the LOWEST performing districts – these became the basis of Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project (UTSEP). • NAPE 2011 classroom observation was used to inform policy about the teacher practices especially in regard to adherence to the timetable and methodology for reading. • NAPE 2014 Contextual instruments were applied to monitor teachers’ performanceand efforts made to plan for lessons and ability to develop tests independently. • NAPE 2015 Contextual instruments to monitor availability, storage and accessibility of textbooks

39. UNEB IN ACTION: HOW WE RESPONDED (continued) • NAPE 2015 assessors had Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with P.3 pupils about pupils’ involvement in the learning process. • NAPE 2015 (FGD) stakeholders’ workshop to generate the action-oriented recommendations for primary school teachers and PTC tutors. • NAPE 2015 observation checklist for monitoring the learning environment and support supervision in primary schools and PTCs. • Training of PTC tutors in assessment skills during dissemination.

40. DISSEMINATION ROAD MAPS • Road maps are generated for school-based and cost-neutral interventions at each district. • Intensive dissemination of NAPE 2015 reportin primary schools and Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) • Target: Teachers, Head Teachers, School Management Committee representative, Parents’ representative and Centre Coordinating tutors. • Training of PTC staff in assessment skills during dissemination • NAPE has engaged NCDC, TIET and DES who have participated in the development of an effective dissemination plan and training materials such as brochures and charts.

41. UTSEP INTERVENTIONS: EGRA – UNEB • The NAPE 2011 findings indicated that 74% of the districts were performing below the desirable proficiency level in literacy and oral reading. • MOES in collaboration with GPE developed a strategy known as UTSEP to address the reading gaps in the worst performing districts. • Teachers are to be trained and materials for early grade reading are to be provided.

42. UTSEP INTERVENTIONS: EGRA – UNEB • Under UTSEP, UNEB is to streamline EGRA into the assessment system. • EGRA for English and local languages is to become an established program under NAPE – UNEB even beyond the UTSEP life span. • NAPE received technical support from RTI/SHRP in preparation for EGRA. This included assessment tools for English and local languages, training of assessors and field conduct. • EGRA tools have been developed and pre-tested. The base-line surveys for P.1 and P.3 will be conducted in September-October 2016

43. Reflection • Promote reading by instituting reading into the “homework” concept instead of the dominance of writing tasks. This will ensure that learners have more time to readindependently.

44. DISCUSSION