Policies

Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) Plus

Context and Issue

Expanding from the accomplishments of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) as an evaluation instrument, numerous nations are now considering shifting from mere assessments to interventions aimed at reshaping teaching methods, thereby enhancing student reading proficiency. Liberia's journey towards enhancing standards in reading and mathematics commenced with a pilot assessment financed by the World Bank employing EGRA in 2008, serving as a diagnostic tool at the systemic level. The outcomes of this pilot highlighted the low reading levels among Liberian children, prompting action towards improvement.

Solution

The Ministry of Education (MOE) and USAID/Liberia opted to finance a two-year initiative, EGRA Plus: Liberia, aimed at enhancing student reading abilities by implementing a research-backed reading instruction program. EGRA Plus: Liberia was structured as a randomized controlled trial, with the World Bank overseeing the trial's design process. This led to three groups, each comprising 60 schools, randomly assigned to full treatment, light treatment, and control groups.

Impact

The evaluators discovered that with full treatment, EGRA Plus improved math scores across various areas such as number identification, quantity discrimination, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and fraction knowledge. Conversely, under light treatment, scores saw increased multiplication and fractions but decreased number identification. Further investigation is needed to ascertain whether the positive effects of full treatment are attributable to the interconnectedness of reading skills with outcomes in other subjects or if the pedagogical techniques acquired by teachers in EGRA Plus also proved effective across different subjects. Nonetheless, this underscores the perspective that reading can be a foundational element for enhancing quality across various subjects, even at higher levels within the education sector.

Analysis

The local context and language requirements are vital for the intervention to be successful. Each country or region may have specific language requirements.