USAID Rwanda Early Grade Reading Portfolio Overview - Questions & Answers.pdf

USAID Rwanda Early Grade Reading Portfolio Overview – June 3, 2020

Questions & Answers

1. Thanks for the great presentation. Are the resources and tools from the projects available?

Including coaching resources?

The slide deck from the USAID/Rwanda Early Grade Reading (EGR) Portfolio Review session will be posted on grants.gov, as well as any related questions and answers.

In terms of resources and tools, USAID/Rwanda’s role is to support the Rwanda Education

Board (REB) in their core business to deliver quality instruction to Rwandan schoolchildren.

Any resources developed for classrooms are either with REB or in some stages of being integrated into the system, and they can be made available through REB and also through

Soma Umenye, who shares resources with other partners.

2. I really appreciate this coordination (USAID/USDA), and the chance to hear more about

Rwanda's work in EGR. I have a few questions: (A) could you please share a bit on how the

USAID/Rwanda program is shifting to align with the Reading Matters Framework? (B) Can you please identify any critical gaps that remain in the overall work to support the GOR in improving EGR? (C) Could you briefly mention any key resources / tools that are publicly available about USAID's work?

(A) The Reading Matters Framework is a relatively new way of looking at our literacy work, and

USAID is learning and evolving. The current Rwanda EGR portfolio is due to wrap up in mid-2021. With current activities, USAID/Rwanda efforts over the next year will be focused on where gains can be made and how to ensure sustainability. USAID/Rwanda does not anticipate any big changes with the current EGR program, which is due to end mid-2021.

The alignment with the Reading Matters Framework will be more evident in the next set of activities developed under our new Country Development Cooperation Strategy (2020-2025).

(B) The response we would have given 3-4 months ago would have looked different from what we can say today because of global and country-specific events. The Government of Rwanda has decided to shift its academic year starting this year, moving to a September start rather than a school year that aligns with the calendar year. This creates a lot of logistical challenges. In addition, the government announced in December 2019 that the language of instruction for

P1-P3 would shift from being Kinyarwanda to English. MINEDUC leadership has taken this mandate seriously and are working to make this shift in language of instruction starting with this next school year (September 2020). Additionally, there is no reason not to believe that due to COVID-19, there could be more intermittent school closures over the next school year.

In addition to these challenges in the system, there is always more we can learn about why some children have trouble attaining the skills needed to be strong readers and why some are able to grasp it more quickly, despite environmental and other barriers. This is a complicated issue, but we know, for example, that the teacher is certainly core. In addition to having materials in the classroom, the teacher needs to be trained in an evidence-based manner about effective approaches to reading instruction; empowered with tools that focus on equity and inclusion; teachers need to have data on a regular basis so that they can understand where their children are doing fine and where they are falling behind; and teachers need to be empowered to balance working through the curriculum with taking the time to support students with remediation. There is still a lot that we need to do with teachers. Moving forward, there is going to be a lot of shifting around because of language of instruction and the move from subject to classroom teachers. For USAID/Rwanda’s work going forward, all of our interventions will be informed by a learning agenda and focused around learning more about what else we could be doing to improve teaching and learning.

(C) Any reporting that comes out of implementing partners is available on the Development

Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) at dec.usaid.gov. USAID/Rwanda has also undertaken external performance evaluations and that information is available on the DEC as well.

3. Will you consider nutrition literacy as part of the learning of reading?

This question is best submitted to PPDED@usda.gov

The Government of Rwanda looks at literacy in a number of different ways (e.g. including digital literacy) but nutrition is likely not included. When discussing “literacy,” while

USAID/Rwanda recognizes and is interested in the comprehensive set of skills that helps kids to be strong learners, USAID/Rwanda’s efforts are primarily referring to a traditional meaning of “literacy” as reading and writing.

4. Is there an expectation that the USDA program/design should consider adding additional resources or activities to what USAID is already planning for 2020-2025 or are we just expected to align with the activities and funding they push forward?

This is a question for USDA. I believe that the NOFO directs potential applicants to consider how they will demonstrate a value-added, a coordination, a “filling the gap” and/or whatever is appropriate for the context.

5. Both donors have learning agendas. Is there an expectation of any alignment of learning agendas around reading?

For expectations on learning agendas in USDA McGovern-Dole programs, please review what is stated in the NOFO.

USAID/Rwanda is developing a learning agenda through our current design processes. It will certainly roll back up to the Agency-level learning agenda. At the country level, USAID/Rwanda wants to have a learning agenda that is of interest to other development partners and to the Government of Rwanda, and for it to help guide thinking and research, monitoring and evaluation, as we implement the next USAID/Rwanda Early Grade Reading five-year strategy.

For reference, USAID/Washington education sector learning agendas can be found on the

Edu-Links website (link here).

mailto:PPDED@usda.gov https://www.edu-links.org/learning-agendas