Amendment 1- Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity signed.pdf

Amendment No. 1 to the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity - Addendum 5 under El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS)

Annual Program Statement (APS) No.: 72051921APS00001

The purpose of this amendment is to:

A) provide notification that the subject Addendum is hereby amended. Changes in the Addendum are highlighted in yellow, B) provide answers to the questions submitted by interested parties in regards to the to the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity - Addendum 5 under El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) No.:

72051921APS00001 and C) provide notification of extension of Concept Paper Submission Date to April 25, 2022, 17:00 pm local El Salvador time.

Except as expressly herein amended, the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity - Addendum 5 terms and conditions remain the same.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of Concept Papers. Concept Papers are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/El Salvador programs.

A. Revised Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity - Addendum 5

El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) No.: 72051921APS00001- Addendum 5

Issuance Date: March 1, 2022 Deadline for Questions: March 15, 2022 17:00 local El Salvador time Closing Date: April 25, 2022 Concept Paper Submission Closing Dates:

First Round: April 25, 2022 17:00 local El Salvador time Second Round: To be determined

Subject: El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) No.: 72051921APS00001

Program Title: Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity - Addendum 5

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 98.001, Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas

Pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, the United States Government, as represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), USAID/El Salvador, is announcing the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity Addendum to the USAID/El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS), hereafter known as the CDCS APS.

Through this Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity addendum, USAID/El Salvador aims to expand and amplify the Agency’s work in DO.2 “Jobs and Income Potential Increased for Likely Migrants,” of the USAID El Salvador CDCS 2020-2025. Specifically, the resulting award will directly contribute to Intermediate Result (IR) 2.2 Education outcomes improved, particularly Sub IR 2.2.1 Equitable access to quality education increased and Sub IR 2.2.3 Social-emotional learning improved.

This Addendum disseminates information to prospective Applicants so they may develop and submit Concept Papers in response and ultimately to be considered for USAID/El Salvador funding. This Addendum describes and provides:

● The type of activities for which Concept Papers will be considered;

● Available funding, process and requirements for submitting Concept Papers and Full

Applications;

● The Criteria for evaluating Concept Papers; and

● Refers prospective Applicants to relevant documentation and resources.

Issuance of this Addendum does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the U.S.

Government to make an award, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for costs incurred in the https://www.usaid.gov/ preparation and submission of a Concept Paper or Application(s). The actual number of assistance awards, if any, is subject to the availability of funds, as well as the viability of eventual full Applications received.

Based on the submitted Concept Paper(s), USAID/El Salvador will determine whether to request a Full Application from an eligible organization. To be competitive under this Addendum to the CDCS APS, Concept Papers and Full Applications must be fully responsive to all directions under the CDCS APS except when specifically noted otherwise in this Addendum.

It is the responsibility of the Applicant to ensure that the entire CDCS APS and Addendum opportunity has been downloaded from www.grants.gov and USAID/El Salvador bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty accessing the CDCS APS, please contact the grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/El Salvador programs.

Sincerely, Ross Hicks Agreement Officer Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/El Salvador mailto:rhicks@usaid.gov mailto:support@grants.gov

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ANNOUNCEMENT

CALL FOR CONCEPT PAPERS

Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity Addendum

UNDER EXISTING

USAID/El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS)

No.: 72051921APS00001

PLEASE NOTE: This is an Addendum to an existing announcement. All interested organizations should carefully review both this Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity Addendum AND the full announcement, which can be found here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332969. Important information contained in the full worldwide announcement is not repeated in the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity Addendum.

This activity is authorized in accordance with Part 1 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Through the Student Retention and Socio-Emotional Learning activity Addendum to the USAID/El Salvador CDCS APS No.72051921APS00001, USAID/El Salvador seeks to reduce dropout rates, improve performance, and help vulnerable children and youth gain better socio-emotional skills for a successful transition to high school, in support of the efforts and strategies led by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology (MINEDUCyT).

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID/El Salvador anticipates investing approximately $30,000,000 in this area and supporting one or multiple awards. USAID/El Salvador reserves the right to award more or fewer awards than this estimate and is not obligated to make any awards.

Unless otherwise stated herein, all terms and conditions of the CDCS APS apply (https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332969).

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332969 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332969

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ACRONYMS

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION G: FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S)

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ouzDDN8vqmq87Jin5fA2TcNKdPvElQvVOVaB6TA2dKU/edit#heading=h.wt8kmd880cxe https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j2sbgUKqTIm1xTLIWsXHV564Cew-TphG9CojoDqZKGc/edit#heading=h.6d5fcp8dqdqk

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ADS: Automated Directives Systems AO: Agreement Officer AOR: Agreement Officer Representative APS: Annual Program Statement CDCS: Country Development Cooperation Strategy CFR: Code of Federal Regulations CLA: Collaborating, learning and adapting DO: Development Objective DOC: Development Outreach and Communications EGE: Economic Growth and Education Office EMMP: Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan FAA: Foreign Assistance Act GOES: Government of El Salvador INJUVE: Salvadoran Youth Institute IR: Intermediate Result MCC: Millennium Challenge Corporation MEL: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning MINEDUCyT: Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology NGO: Non-Governmental Organizations NPI: New Partnerships Initiative PYD: Positive Youth Development PMP: Performance Management Plan SDG: Sustainable Development Goals SIGES: Education Integrated Information System STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics SUB IR: Sub Intermediate Result UNICEF: United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund USAID: United States Agency for International Development

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

USAID/El Salvador is issuing this Addendum to the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. Any potential resulting award(s) will be subject to 2 CFR 700 and 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and USAID’s Standard Provisions for U.S. and Non-U.S Based organizations per ADS 303.

1. Background

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America.

It is also much more urbanized than most of its neighbors. Seventy-two percent of the country's approximately 6.2 million population live in urban areas. The 2020 Education Census data https://www.mined.gob.sv/2020/11/19/bases-de-datos-por-estudiantes-censo-escolar-inicial/ reports:1

● A total of 280,307 youth ages 8-18 are out of the system, with a large share of those in the upper age range. Forty-one percent (114,819) are ages 17 and 18.

● Enrollment rates tend to decrease in each level of education from 82 percent for primary grades (1th-6th grade) to 58.6 percent for lower secondary (7th-9th) and 37.4 percent for upper secondary (10th-12th).

● Repetition rates grow in the higher grades for the public system -- 4.6 percent for grades 7th-9th and 5.7 percent for 10th-12th.

● Dropout rates also grow as students advance -- 5.6 percent for grades 7th -9th and 8.3 percent for 10th-12th.

● The rural (5.7 percent) areas demonstrated the highest rates of dropout compared to the urban region (4.7 percent).

● Males have higher repetition rates than females- 3.1 percent for 7th-9th, and 4.4 percent for 10th-12th.

● Males have higher dropout rates than females- 5.8 per cent for 7th-9th, and 8.5 percent for 10th-12th.

The 2020 Multiple Purpose Survey released in 2021 reported 304,267 children and adults 10 years and older lack essential reading and writing skills in rural areas. The national illiteracy rate is 9.6 percent (15.1 percent for rural areas and 6.3 percent for urban).

USAID will focus on the demographics of those most likely to irregularly migrate to the United States. People in El Salvador average seven years of schooling, with 7.2 years for boys and 6.9 years for girls.2 Children tend to drop out of school in critical transition years of 4th, 6th, and 9th grades. The links between migration, violence, underemployment, and low levels of education are clear: nearly 70 percent of Central American migrants reported only primary levels or less, with 20 percent reporting no formal education. According to IOM3, the average years of schooling of returnees is under nine years4. Thus, school retention for high school completion is a key objective to address irregular immgation as most formal sector jobs also require at least a high school degree.

For the purpose of this Program Description, please refer to following terminology:

Student survival rates (as defined by UNESCO & MINEDUCYT): The percentage of a cohort of students enrolled in the first grade of a given level or cycle of education in a given school year who are expected to reach a given grade. Increasing survival rates from 4th to 6th and from 7th to 9th grades will be a priority.

Drop-out rate (as defined by MINEDUCYT): Proportion of pupils from a cohort enrolled during the initial school calendar year (January) in a given grade at a given school year who are no longer enrolled at the end of the school year (October).

Repetition rate by grade (as defined by UNESCO & MINEDUCYT): Number of

4 Additionally, and as reference, the average years of schooling among the gang members is seven years, which has remained constant for more than a decade. “The New Face of Street Gangs: The Gang Phenomenon in El Salvador,” (J. Cruz, et al.)

https://lacc.fiu.edu/research/the-new-face-of-street-gangs_final-report_eng.pdf

3 Encuesta de medios de vida a población migrante retornada en El Salvador en el marco del COVID-19. Published in 2020:

http://mic.iom.int/webntmi/descargas/2020/ronda1/DTMCOVID19R1ESVF.pdf

2 Directorate General of Statistics and Census of El Salvador [DIGESTYC] (2019). Multiple Purpose Household Survey 2021 1 https://www.mined.gob.sv/2020/11/19/bases-de-datos-por-estudiantes-censo-escolar-inicial/ https://lacc.fiu.edu/research/the-new-face-of-street-gangs_final-report_eng.pdf https://www.mined.gob.sv/2020/11/19/bases-de-datos-por-estudiantes-censo-escolar-inicial/ repeaters in a given grade in a given school year, expressed as a percentage of enrollment in that grade the previous school year.

Retention (as defined by USAID/El Salvador): Is the measure of students that enroll, continue and finish their academic studies in the same school. It will be reflected in a decrease of dropout rates and increase of student survival rates at a specific level of education (from primary to lower secondary and from lower secondary to high school).

Discussion

Goal four of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for a free, equitable, and good quality primary and secondary education for all girls and boys by 2030, leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. To achieve this goal, every child must complete their primary education without dropping out along the way. There is growing evidence of education's significant social and economic returns – including at the upper secondary level – for individuals and entire societies. The list of benefits is impressive: better lives, better health, greater gender equality, greater social cohesion, higher incomes, more tax leverage for governments, and reduced crime and risky behavior among young people. As well, educational benefits include a lower burden on social welfare, health, and justice budgets (UNICEF, 2017).

Given these benefits, it is not surprising that the prevention of dropouts has become a priority for most governments worldwide. The prevention of early school leaving is a critical strategy to support adolescents and youth and maximize their chances of making a good transition from primary school to high school and into job placement.

In El Salvador, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures from March 2020 to April 2021 when the Government of El Salvador authorized a safe, gradual, and optional reopening. This closure affected over 1.5 million pre-primary to upper secondary students.

Schools in El Salvador were closed for more than 200 days during the pandemic, making it the country with the second most days of school closure in the world - one hundred fifty-eight days was the average in Latin America and the Caribbean. Due to COVID closure of schools, at least

1.6 years of effective learning were lost (World Bank, 2021). As of June 2021, 78 percent of students continued their classes from home (Villeda, 2021).5

To date, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MINEDUCyT) continues to serve most students through a multi-modal approach, relying on virtual and online forms of education, the use of work guides, WhatsApp messaging, radio, and television educational programs. Schools also offer students and their families a blended learning approach, which allows children and youth to attend face-to-face classes on certain days of the week. While these approaches offer school reopening, the MINEDUCyT faces many challenges, especially ensuring that all children and educators continue participating in the hybrid model. Teachers grapple with tracking both hard copy and virtual submission of assignments and maintaining student participation across in-person and virtual environments. Parents are equally challenged, frequently communicating with the schools using WhatsApp yet struggling to connect through online platforms due to a lack of knowledge about technological tools and limited connectivity.

Further stressing the educational system and the students are biosafety requirements.

Schools have implemented biosecurity measures and monitoring systems to track attendance, 5 FUSADES Social Situation Report, El Salvador, 2020-2021.

participation and determine learning instruments. Despite these practices, children at the primary level have missed crucial moments of readiness and are more vulnerable to early school dropout when combined with other risk factors such as illiterate parents. Identifying risk factors and developing the appropriate mechanisms to ensure a safe learning environment will be critical for the 2022 school year.

Recently, the Ministry of Education released the findings for the “Diagnostic Test 2021:

Getting to know my achievements”6 to understand the socio-emotional status of students during COVID pandemia and the effects on learning. The instrument reached 5,651 public and private institutions - 2,213 and 3,438 respectively, covering more than 500,000 of the 800,000 students enrolled from 3rd to 12th grades. The main findings are:

● Enrollment and Dropout

○ Nearly 32,289 students responded that they do not plan to continue studying in

2022 (6.46 percent).

○ Approximately 230,537 students from 7th to 10th grade plan to continue studying in 2022 (46.11 percent).

○ Nearly 19,993 (4 percent) students from 7th to 9th grade responded that “they are still not sure if they will continue studying”; however, 8,501 (1.7 percent) plan to work, 2,681(0.54 percent) plan to migrate abroad, and 1,114 (0.22 percent) plan to “start a family” in the future.

● Academic Achievement (the gap between private and public sectors). The diagnostic test included a section on student learning during COVID closure of schools.

○ Students in public schools fared worse on the diagnostic tests than private school students.

■ Public school students, on average, scored 55.8 percent in Mathematics;

57 percent in Social Studies; 60 percent in Natural Sciences; and 48.6 percent in Language.

■ Private school students, on average, scored 59.5 percent in Mathematics,

65.4 percent in Social Studies, 67.1 percent in Science, and 55.4 percent in Language.

● Socio-emotional development: To determine the degree to which the pandemic affects students’ mental health, the following educational factors were taken into account:

positive perceptions of the electronic device and internet connection; ease of online classes; future projection within the educational system; and high levels of behaviors related to self-awareness, self-regulation and responsible decision making.

○ 9.5 percent of the respondents are affected by high levels of depression, 3.8 percent are at a borderline of depression, and 84 percent are in a normal state of mental health.

○ 13 percent of the respondents reported high levels of anxiety, 8 percent share that they feel close to an increasing but not yet high level of anxiety, and 79 percent responded with no change in anxiety.

○ Students that have better internet connectivity claimed fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

6 Diagnostic Test 2021: Getting to know my achievements, MINEDUCyT, October 1, 2021 https://www.mined.gob.sv/2021/10/01/mined-presenta-resultados-de-pruebas-diagnosticas-2021-conociendo-mis-logros/ https://www.mined.gob.sv/2021/10/01/mined-presenta-resultados-de-pruebas-diagnosticas-2021-conociendo-mis-logros/

● Internet Connectivity

○ Nearly 431,415 students positively evaluated their internet connection.

○ Approximately 41,989 students positively evaluated their electronic device.

○ Nearly 357,679 students indicated having difficulties and challenges receiving online instruction.

Localization and relationship with El Salvador Education priorities

The MINEDUCyT launched its 2019-2024 Institutional Strategic Plan Torogoz in January 2021. The priorities in the plan are:

● Quality and meaningful learning throughout the years of schooling, with relevant and inclusive pedagogy and curriculum;

● Teacher professionalization for the dignity of in-service teachers;

● Science, technology, and innovation to positively impact the educational, productive, and academic sectors;

● Educational infrastructure with quality and safety standards that favor the teaching-learning processes in sustainable school environments;

● A school that promotes education of coexistence, inclusion, and diversity; and

● A transformed institution that responds to the needs of the educational territory.

The MINEDUCyT implements the “La Alegría de Regresar a la Escuela” guidelines for returning students to school, ensuring biosecurity efforts that protect teachers and students. The First Lady of El Salvador launched the “Mi Nueva Escuela” to improve early childhood education and physical environments and provide teachers with adequate resources and tools for a better education. USAID and MINEDUCyT established a collaborative working group to ensure that local priorities in education will be included in this Activity.

USAID will complete a Rapid Assessment by March 2022 to determine the effects of the pandemic on the education system in El Salvador, specifically on attendance/dropout, instruction and learning, irregular migration of students and their families, and inequalities due to gender, geographic area (rural or urban), socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity, and disability.

Recommendations from the assessment will be critical for the implementation of this Activity.

Behavior science7 to protect human capital investments after the COVID-19 pandemic

Recently, donors, including World Bank and USAID, disclosed evidence of designing effective COVID-19 responses using a behavioral science approach. Samantha Power, the USAID Administrator, expressed “USAID will seek to maximize the impact of the USAID work around the world by applying insights from behavioral science and experimental economics to USAID program design, as well as rigorously assess the potential impact of USAID programming by pursuing the best available evidence to determine cost-effectiveness.” 8 While much of the immediate focus has been towards social and behavior change communications to

8 USAID Priority Reforms, Samantha Powers, November 5, 2021, https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/speeches/nov-4-2021-administrator-samantha-power-new-vision-global-development

7 A behavioral approach focuses on mindsets, decision making frames, and the social environment. It draws on a variety of disciplines, including Economics, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, And Neuroscience, World Bank, Mind, Behavior and Development Unit.

manage the health sector including the pandemic, there are other areas of human capital development and protection where insights and actions can benefit from behavioral science including education9.

In 2016, Mettre Tier Damgaard and Helena Skyt Nielsen, in their book "Nudging in Education," connected in evidence-based research on field interventions that involve nudging10.

The overview research on nudging interventions and their effects on student outcomes led to enhancing the common knowledge base and being valuable to both academics and policymakers when designing education interventions. The authors concluded:

"The review suggested that effective interventions can provide broad and long-term effects on overall student outcomes. Leveraging behavioural economics and especially cost-effective nudges gently push children, adolescents, parents, and teachers towards better education decisions and greater educational attainment."

"Interventions involving passive decision-making include pure nudges (defaults, framing, and peer group manipulations) and brief psychological interventions (social belonging, identity activation, and mindset interventions). The former involves (small) changes to the decision environment, whereas the latter adds information to the decision environment. The review suggested that, if effective, these two kinds of interventions can have broad and long-term effects on overall student outcomes".11

Relationship with USG priorities

USAID Education Policy

This Activity contributes to Goal Three of the USAID Education policy: “Children and youth, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable, have increased access to quality education that is safe, relevant and promotes social wellbeing.” The policy builds on:

● Millions of children and youth lack access to quality learning opportunities.

● Reaching marginalized and vulnerable populations requires a deliberate focus.

● Increasing access to quality education in crisis and conflict contexts is paramount.

● Disability-inclusive education improves educational outcomes for all learners.

● Gender disparities differ across regions, contexts, and education levels and require tailored approaches.

U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America

11 Damgaard, Mette Trier & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Nudging in education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol.

64(C), pages 313-342.

10 A nudge is any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. To count as a mere nudge, the intervention must be easy and cheap to avoid. Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press,Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. (2008).

9 Behavioral Sciences to Protect Human Capital Investments During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, World Bank, May 5, https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33718/Behavioral-Sciences-to-Protect-Human-Capital-Investment s-During-and-After-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecoedu/v64y2018icp313-342.html https://ideas.repec.org/s/eee/ecoedu.html https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33718/Behavioral-Sciences-to-Protect-Human-Capital-Investments-During-and-After-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33718/Behavioral-Sciences-to-Protect-Human-Capital-Investments-During-and-After-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

In July 2021, the U.S. National Security Council launched the Root Causes Strategy (RCS) to promote a democratic, prosperous, and secure Central America, a region closely connected to the United States by culture, geography, and trade. COVID-19, extreme weather, and severe economic decline compound long-standing challenges in the area, forcing far too many Central Americans to look for the future they desire for themselves and their children outside of their home countries. Their population has lost hope and is fleeing in record numbers.

The Strategy is organized under five pillars:

● Pillar I: Addressing economic insecurity and inequality.

● Pillar II: Combating corruption, strengthening democratic governance, and advancing the rule of law.

● Pillar III: Promoting respect for human rights, labor rights, and a free press

● Pillar IV: Countering and preventing violence, extortion, and other crimes perpetrated by criminal gangs, trafficking networks, and other organized criminal organizations.

● Pillar V: Combating sexual, gender-based, and domestic violence.

This Activity responds to Pillar I directly under Strategic Objective: 3 - “Enhance workforce development, health, and education by increasing access to quality education”.

Additionally, it aims to provide youth with appropriate, safe, and accessible educational opportunities; and ensure educational and vocational offerings reflect labor market needs so youth can access decent work upon completion of their studies.

USAID/El Salvador Country Strategy

USAID/El Salvador Country Strategy goal is to “Reduce the Drivers of Irregular Migration by fostering a more self-reliant El Salvador: secure, prosperous, and well-governed.”

The strategic vision is to increase the belief among targeted populations to lead safe and prosperous lives, supported by a transparent and accountable government in El Salvador. Over 75 percent of returned migrants cite a lack of economic opportunity as one of the main reasons for migrating. The majority of irregular migrants from El Salvador do not have sufficient education to earn a decent wage. To this point, of adult Salvadorans caught and returned at the U.S. border in 2018, approximately 98 percent only have a high school or less education, with the majority--78 percent--having only a ninth-grade or less education.

USAID is focused on building country ownership, defined as a country’s ability --including the government, academia, civil society, and the private sector -- to plan, finance, and implement solutions to solve its development challenges. This approach is the cornerstone for how USAID/El Salvador orients awards and country partnerships.

USAID will work actively with New and Underutilized Partners to build trusting relationships, learn from local knowledge, and hold candid conversations to improve programmatic design and outcomes. USAID seeks to work in a co-creation effort with local organizations during the elaboration of a multi-step process to:

● Establish innovative approaches;

● Add value;

● Have a better understanding of the system around a development challenge;

● Develop future work objectives;

● Define partnerships and establish coordination with the Ministry of Education (i.e., MINEDUCyT); and

● Define partnerships and establish coordination with local institutions and other government organizations that share project objectives. This includes, potentially, Youth Institute (INJUVE), private sector, and local government.

2. Purpose/Objectives/Outcomes

USAID/El Salvador proposes to work directly with local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and service providers, which meet the requirements in Section B of the CDCS APS, to increase children and youth’s12 retention in school via access to quality education and improved socio-emotional outcomes. USAID will work closely with the MINEDUCyT to select schools, define training prevention tools, coordinate with the departmental offices, and work with management and pedagogical advisors who work directly with the schools.

USAID will fund at least one new activity to contribute to the Mission's highest-level results by pursuing the following Theory of Change:

IF the education community (families, teachers, principals, and students)

● collaboratively identifies students at risk of dropping out of school, and

● provides individualized, targeted, and universal interventions for the learning and well-being of children and youth to increase access to quality education; and

IF schools are enhanced to address student needs at key transition levels;

IF families understand the value of education and are committed to supporting their children;

and

IF children and youth are motivated to continue their studies, possess the academic and social-emotional skills and competencies to access and thrive in a better job market;

THEN potential migrants will succeed first by staying in school when different stakeholders, including parents, community, students, and teachers, work together to coordinate and collaborate in their education.

FURTHERMORE, children and youth will improve their retention and graduation rates in basic education (grades 4th-10th) towards successfully transitioning to high school options.

Expected Outcomes and Outputs

This Activity will advance USAID/El Salvador’s efforts in achieving its five-year CDCS

12USAID uses the term youth and young people interchangeably and while youth development programs often focus on youth in the 15 to 24 year age range, USAID programs also are likely to engage individuals aged 10 -29 as a broader youth cohort, Youth in Development, October 2012.

goal: “Reduce the drivers of migration by better preparing Salvadorans to take advantage of economic opportunities.”

At the highest level, under the El Salvador 2020-2025 CDCS, USAID will endeavor to directly increase student retention survival rates for approximately 100,000 students, and reduce dropout rates in USAID-targeted schools.

Specifically, this Activity will contribute to Development Objective (DO) No. 2: “Jobs and Income Potential Increased for Likely Migrants.” And at the Intermediate Result (IR) and sub-IR levels of the El Salvador CDCS, the Applicant’s assistance will directly contribute to IR

2.2. “Education Outcomes Improved” and sub-IRs IR 2.2.1 “Equitable access to quality education increased” and 2.2.3 “Social-emotional learning improved.”

USAID’s goal for the Activity is to improve student retention and graduation rates in basic education (grades 4th-10th) through evidence-based solutions.

The purpose for any award(s) under this Activity is to promote students' engagement in schools with relevant learning opportunities and to strengthen public schools and the education community (families, teachers, principals, and students) to reduce dropout rates, improve performance, and offer better socio-emotional skills improving transition rates from primary to secondary schooling options (7th- 12th grades) in support of the MINEDUCyT efforts.

This Activity will apply behavioral science to understand how the education community (students, educators, families, communities) and policymakers make decisions to reduce dropout and improve socio-emotional learning. The interventions will have a focus on low cost, easily scalable solutions, effective approaches for low-income students, high impacts of using behavioral science, observing into the value of reforming the system at the classroom level, and looking into the pitfalls and opportunities of providing hybrid learning (online and in-person).

Even though behavioral science for education is in the early stages of application, the Activity will help identify and provide understanding throughout the design, implementation, and monitoring of the four objectives on the reasons and significant challenges towards the following assumptions:

1. A behavioral mechanism can nudge towards inducing active or passive decision-making in students, families, and teachers;

2. Non- educational nudges can affect the decision environment towards reducing dropouts;

3. Socio-emotional learning interventions that target students’ mindsets and beliefs (social belonging, identify activation, and mindset nudges) aim to create self-reinforcing but sub-conscious improvement in motivation and achievement.

Objective 1: An “Early Warning System” established in at least 500 schools enabling education authorities to identify students with specific needs and support them quickly and appropriately

This objective aims to establish an Early Warning System (EWS) in schools to identify students at risk of dropping out of school. The EWS will detect the presence of “red flags,” including specific factors that contribute to dropouts such as attendance, security, and family contexts, behavior, and academic performance. The EWS will build on efforts funded by the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and UNICEF through the Education Integrated

Information System (SIGES), tracking specific indicators including the “ABCs” of the EWS:

Attendance, Behavior, and Course Grades (Mathematics and Language).

The school community will provide follow-up to identify students at risk of dropping out and define strategies and interventions to meet individual and group needs. This objective will incorporate parent-teacher associations (PTAs) or community-based school governance structures to be engaged in primary or secondary education by revising school management and governance systems. A community social mobilization campaign will be developed and launched in these communities to educate on the importance of student retention and reduce irregular migration. Under the USAID Education for Children and Youth Project implemented from 2013-2020, USAID initiated a pilot program in EWS and then expanded this approach to other at-risk schools located in insecure municipalities. This Activity will take into consideration lessons learned and results under this project.13

If possible, schools should embed dropout prevention in the regular classroom and practices that address all students. UNICEF recommends using a three-tier approach: For some groups, individualized measures are required, including academic reinforcement for low-achievers, mentoring, and parent-student-teachers commitment. For students facing the most complex situations, tailored individual and intensive support is necessary, such as additional one-to-one teaching and individual student plans supported by multi-disciplinary teams, including psycho-social support. Universal support services within and outside schools will be included to access a broader approach for all children and youth.14 This Activity will set first response strategies to prevent children and youth from missing excessive amounts of school, causing them to do poorly on their coursework. Stress at home will also lead to withdrawing from classes.

Outcome 1A: The EWS implemented in 500 targeted schools to identify students at risk of dropping out of school.

Illustrative activities

● Contextualize the EWS strategy for the El Salvador school system by selecting main risk factors, dropout predictors, and indicators established in the SIGES, which will include the following:

○ Absenteeism: Not attending virtual or in-person classes or not accessing on time, or a lack of participation;

○ Behavior: Lack of interest, an indication of stress, hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention;

○ Academic performance: Weak performance, turning poor assignments, or not turning assignments, repetition, over-age15 students;

○ Socio-economic status: Difficult home/family situation (living conditions, migration, substance misuse, health issues, pregnancy);

○ Learning environments: Lack of internet connectivity and technological supplies;

15 “Students who are older than the official school-age range for the educational program they are enrolled in”, UNESCO Institute for Statistics

14 UNICEF Early Warning System, 2016.

https://www.unicef.org/eca/sites/unicef.org.eca/files/2018-11/Early%20warning%20systems%20for%20students%20at%20risk% 20of%20dropping%20out_0.pdf

13 USAID Education for Children and Youth Project Final Report: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X8C4.pdf https://www.unicef.org/eca/sites/unicef.org.eca/files/2018-11/Early%20warning%20systems%20for%20students%20at%20risk%20of%20dropping%20out_0.pdf https://www.unicef.org/eca/sites/unicef.org.eca/files/2018-11/Early%20warning%20systems%20for%20students%20at%20risk%20of%20dropping%20out_0.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X8C4.pdf

○ Personal socio-emotional factors: A lack of the sense of belonging to the school, bullying, poor perceived level of acceptance by peers and teachers, violent behavior; and

○ Teen pregnancy: focus on health care and prevention.

● Develop a student needs assessment and plan in close collaboration with the teachers, students, and families to be implemented under Objective 2.

● Engage families, educators, and students to provide solutions for at-risk students through the three tiers (tailored, targeted, and universal) levels of interventions proposed by

UNICEF.

● In coordination with MINEDUCyT, supports the institutionalization of the EWS in public schools nationwide.

Outcome 1B: Governance and school management capacity enhanced in 500 schools to address student needs through a collaborative approach.

Illustrative activities

● Identify gaps, barriers, and conditions in the critical transition years (6th to 7th grade and

9th to 10th grade) for youth at risk of dropping out early in the school year to provide second-chance opportunities.

● Strengthen the use of MINEDUCyT information platforms in the SIGES to monitor progress and review benchmarks.

● Implement a school-community management plan to address the needs of students and families.

Outcome 1C: An awareness campaign developed with families, teachers, and students towards reducing dropout and irregular migration, improving retention and academic performance.

Illustrative activities

● Design and implement an awareness campaign to increase the visibility of dropout problems and mobilize the community to act and engage.

● Seek partnerships with municipalities, NGOs, and the private sector to leverage additional funding and collaborate with the public schools.

● Use social media and other innovative communication approaches to address the importance and value of education.

Outcome 1D: Increase access to education by removing barriers to school participation and learning through alleviation of economic hardship, food insecurity, and technology-related disparities (i.e., digital gap).

Illustrative activities

● Ensure that the reopening of schools reaches the most vulnerable populations, including disabled, LGBTQI+, and indigenous children and youth, and follows a safe operation focused on learning, well-being, and protection.

● Design and implement an incentive program based on socio-economic status, social inclusion, and gender equality, which might include stipends to improve internet accessibility, transportation, meals, soap, or other personal protective equipment (PPE) related supplies for a safe return to school for those students who do not enroll at school due to the economic limitations presented by their families.

● Collaborate with MINEDUCyT to roll out their “Back to School” priorities, ensuring students return in a healthy manner.

High-Level Results for Objective 1 - Contributions to North Stars16

● Increase survival rates by 3 percent, approximately 100,000 children in targeted schools.

● Stop an additional 50,000 youth from dropping out of school.

Illustrative Intermediate Results

● Governance and school-community management capacity enhanced in 500 schools to address student needs through a collaborative approach.

● At least 500 schools implementing the EWS.

● At least 500 parent-teacher associations (PTAs) or community-based school governance structures engaged in primary or secondary education supported with USG assistance (Illustrative indicator ES.1 -13).

● At least 5,000 parents, families or community members trained in socio-emotional learning to support children's education with USG assistance (Illustrative indicator Supp-7).

● At least 500 schools and communities implement an awareness campaign to motivate children and youth to continue studying.

● At least 5,000 families engaged in decisions towards improving the education of their children and youth.

Objective 2: Dropout prevention plans implemented in 500 schools using a student-centered focus to meaningful and effective retention, performance, and well-being.

The focus of this objective is to support the school community to provide follow-on to students at risk of dropping out and define strategies and interventions to meet individual and group needs. This Activity will use UNICEF recommendations on three tiers:

1. Tailored (individual at high risk) high-intensity individualized interventions for a few students at high risk regarding attendance, positive reinforcement, academic, behavior, and socio-emotional well-being, for which multi-agency coordination is usually required.

2. Targeted (groups of students at risk) early intervention: additional support for students at-risk regarding attendance, academic, behavior, and socio-emotional well-being.

3. Universal (all students): school-wide regular prevention interventions in academic, attendance, behavior, and socio-emotional well-being support.

Students at risk will receive individualized support through academic reinforcement, mentorship, and life plans. Youth will also have second chance interventions to improve their academic performance and socio-emotional learning. The creation of safe learning environments will reduce violent situations and enhance the resilience of children and youth.

Outcome 2A: Tailored support plan developed for at-risk students through individualized learning approaches.

Illustrative activities

● Implement the “Accelerated Education Strategy” for primary education students to include well-designed tutoring and academic reinforcement programs that utilize

16 “North Stars” are meaningful changes in the country's prosperity that may have a significant impact on likelihood to increase hope and decrease likelihood to use irregular migration means to the U.S.

volunteers as tutors (peer-to-peer, support groups, and individualized approaches) to promote remedial activities for underperforming students. This output will be implemented through close coordination with other USAID education programs that improve basic foundational skills in Language and Mathematics.

● Support community mobilization campaigns and counseling programs to increase awareness of the importance of supporting vulnerable populations, such as disabled and LGBTQI+ students and students with learning disabilities and/or overage.

● Monitor student academic and social-emotional progress with families.

Outcome 2B: “Second chance” activities implemented for out-of-school children and youth to increase student’s academic performance and improve socio-emotional learning.

Illustrative activities

● Increase the access to public and affordable non-state schools17 alternatives through flexible modalities for those not enrolling back to school18.

● Work collaboratively with other donors, including the Inter-American Development Bank

(IDB), to promote strategies to increase access and quality of out-of-school options.

Outcome 2C: Dropout prevention embedded in regular classroom practices focused on fostering positive relationships, teamwork, collaborative approach, and maintaining high standards of academic performance.

Illustrative activities

● Train at least 1,000 teachers to become mentors and facilitators for better classroom management, including teamwork, collaboration among peers, communication, and coaching.

● Establish a classroom level plan to engage students in using technology and other MINEDUCyT learning platforms (radio, television, student guides, Whatsapp, and Google Classroom) to reduce the digital divide (connectivity, access, and availability) for the marginalized population.

Outcome 2D: Safe return to learning promoted in 500 schools, including referrals to psychosocial support to reduce bullying and improve adaptation for change.

Illustrative activities

● Implement a school management plan with key MINEDUCyT staff at the departmental level, including working with pedagogical advisors to promote resilience.

● Provide counselors, psychologists and behavior scientists with needed skills to a leading role to provide the first line of support to students while partnering with families, teachers, and community leaders.

● Train teachers and students to improve social skills, behavior, communication, and self-esteem.

● Organize a plan for the creation of safe, healthy, and protective educational environments

18 USAID Education Policy, November 2018, https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/2018_Education_Policy_FINAL_WEB.pdf

17 Affordable Non-State Schools In El Salvador | Education in Crisis and Conflict Network:

https://www.eccnetwork.net/resources/affordable-non-state-schools-el-salvador-508-compliant https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/2018_Education_Policy_FINAL_WEB.pdf https://www.eccnetwork.net/resources/affordable-non-state-schools-el-salvador-508-compliant with the active participation of children, youth, and their families in support of children’s rights.

● Promote anti-bullying, inclusive and respectful interventions towards unacceptable behaviors towards reducing gender-based violence, and promoting gender equality and social inclusion.

● Refer cases for mental health or psychosocial support with multidisciplinary teams when relevant and appropriate.

High Level Results for Objective 2

● At least 28,000 out-of -school youth transition to further education or training through accelerated education in USG assistance programs.

● At least 120,000 targeted students participated in distance learning programming funded with USG education assistance.

Illustrative Intermediate Results

● At least 5,000 education administrators and officials who complete professional development activities with USG assistance (Illustrative Indicator ES.1-12).

● Al least 35,000 children and youth receiving psychosocial support

● At least 500 learning school environments supported with USAID have improved safety, according to locally defined criteria (Illustrative Indicator ES.1-51).

● At least 200 counselors and psychologists trained to provide school counseling and psycho-social support to at-risk children and youth.

Objective 3: At least 150,000 students meaningfully engaged with positive youth development activities to increase the attractiveness of education, attendance, and learning.

The focus of this objective is to engage youth and families in Positive Youth Development (PYD) activities to build youth's competencies, soft skills, and abilities to grow and flourish throughout life. PYD is both a philosophy and an approach to adolescent development. PYD views youth as precious assets to be nurtured and developed rather than as problems to be solved. The process that flows from this philosophy works on building mutually beneficial relationships between youth and their family, peer groups, school, workplace, community, government institutions, society, and culture to provide opportunities for youth to enhance their knowledge, interests, skills, and abilities. This Activity will ensure that at-risk students receive academic and social-emotional support to overcome learning difficulties.

Children and youth will have the opportunity to be engaged in the community through volunteering and…