J.1 TESTS SOO -Final.pdf

PROCUREMENT SENSITIVE

Attachment J-1

Statement of Objectives

1. ACTIVITY TITLE

The activity title is Transforming the Education System for Teachers and Students in Liberia

(TESTS).

2. GOAL AND PURPOSE

The goal of the five-year TESTS activity is to improve the quality of targeted Liberian Early

Childhood Education (ECE) and primary teachers’ instructional delivery. The purpose of TESTS

(1) strengthen the capacity of selected public, private, and faith-based institutions to train teachers so that they are capable of delivering quality instruction; (2) build critical skills for quality teaching; and (3) improve the enabling environment for teaching practice.

3. SCOPE AND MISSION

TESTS will work with four to ten teacher training institutions in USAID/Liberia’s six priority counties: Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Nimba1. The activity will support up to two years of full-time study for a minimum of 3,000 teachers, comprised of pre-service teachers (referred to as “teacher-aspirants” in this document) and potentially some in-service teachers selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE). Because there are limited opportunities for those not currently on the MOE payroll to be hired as permanent salaried employees, TESTS’ training will be open to teachers in both state and non-state schools. The TESTS award budget is approximately $15 - 25 million, subject to the availability of funds, of which $1.5 million will be targeted to inclusive education training and provision of special needs equipment.

The comprehensive TESTS teacher training program will lead to an Associate’s degree (AA) or

Bachelor’s degree (BA) to prepare teachers for the ECE and early primary grade levels. Support for each teacher-aspirant will be limited to two years; for this reason, candidates for the TESTS training program will be required to enter the program intent to pursue a course of study leading to an AA degree or with two years of prior higher education experience (for those opting for a BA degree). TESTS will assist training providers to update and align pre-service teacher preparation programs at both the ECE and primary levels. Critical cross-cutting themes are the need to address gender imbalances in the teaching force and to strengthen teacher knowledge and practice of disability inclusive education.

4. BACKGROUND

Liberian ECE and primary school teachers struggle not only with inadequate pedagogical training, but also with lack of basic content knowledge of the subjects that they teach. The current Liberian

MOE system and structures for teacher professional development could use additional or complementary support to improve the quality of professional development programs that prepare

1 USAID will consider working outside of the six geographic counties if offerors present a strong justification for doing so.

these teachers for the classroom. Liberian teacher training institutions, such as private or faith-based universities, community colleges, and faith-based organizations, need support to increase their ability to create flexible programs that address teacher needs for both improved pedagogical skills and content knowledge.

Teacher quality. In 2015, the MOE considered only 49.2 percent of ECE and 62.3 percent of primary teachers to be “qualified”, meaning that they possessed the minimum educational credentials necessary to be a primary school teacher2. Seventy-six percent of the “qualified” primary school teachers have a C-Certificate, the minimum required qualification3. Poor teacher content knowledge is demonstrated in data from a national teacher testing exercise conducted by the MOE in all 15 counties from 2015-20174. The MOE administered two exams, one for

Language Arts and one for Mathematics. The troubling results are summarized in Table 1 below.

Of the 16,014 teachers, principals, vice principals and volunteers who sat the exam, only five percent achieved a passing mark for their combined average score. Fifty-one percent failed the examination, and six percent received a score of 15 percent or below and were categorized as

“untrainable.” Nationwide, the combined average score was only one point above the failure threshold. This raises serious concerns about the literacy and numeracy skills of Liberia’s teachers and their ability to educate students in core skills that they themselves lack. Since the majority of

“qualified” teachers have only a high school degree plus the nine-month C-Certificate training, the low level of content knowledge and the dismal performance on the MOE teacher exams are not surprising. The number of males tested out-numbered females tested by a ratio of almost 7:1, reflecting the male-female disparity in overall numbers of primary teachers.

Table 1: Results of National MOE Teacher Testing Exercise 2015-2017

Number of Test

Results Recorded Average

English Score Average Math

Score Average

Combined Score % Passing (70% and above)

Conditionally

Passing (40- 69%)

% Failing

(Below 40%)

16,014 - TOTAL

5%

44%

51%

13,971 - Male

6%

44%

50%

2,043 - Female

3%

41%

56%

Teacher training. While the C-Certificate mechanism is widely used by the MOE to accredit teachers, the mid-term evaluation of USAID's Liberia Teacher Training Project (LTTP) Phase II stated strongly that it is time to end the C-Certificate emergency strategy5. The evaluation recommended exploring teacher training institutions outside of the government-run Rural Teacher

Training Institutes (RTTIs) and using new models for training teachers. A report by the MOE and

UNESCO also argued that the C-Certificate program is inadequate for in-depth content area

World Bank Group/Global Partnership for Education (GPE)/Ministry of Education Republic of Liberia, Liberia Education Sector Analysis, November 2015.

Ibid., pg. 80. Prior to the Liberian civil war, C-Certificate programs were 18-months in duration, equivalent to two academic calendar years of study. During the post-war reconstruction era, efforts were made to certify a large number of teachers quickly. An abbreviated, nine-month C-

Certificate program was developed to address this urgent need.

Testing statistics are from Ministry of Education Republic of Liberia, National Teaching Testing Initiative Report, September 2018. The goal of the testing was to understand the quality and capacity of the existing teacher workforce, to inform future training and professionalization efforts.

Bassie, Mark, et.al, Mid-term Assessment of the Liberia Teacher Training Program Phase II, 2013, pg. 58.

coverage and knowledge6. Despite the findings that cast doubt on the accelerated training strategy, the MOE is continuing to train both ECE and primary school teachers using C-Certificate training.7

Gender representation. There is a need to increase the share of female teachers in the teaching force. While female teachers comprised 57 percent of ECE teachers in 2015, only 21 percent of primary teachers were female8. An LTTP-supported study of women teaching in Liberia contains data from interviews with a wide variety of key informants describing gender-related challenges, including interviews with female secondary school students, almost none of whom wanted to become teachers9. Among the reasons the girls cited for lack of enthusiasm for the profession were lack of encouragement from parents for them to become teachers (mainly stemming from low pay and long delays in payment); parental pressures on females to be a source of income; their experiences with teachers not being respected in class; teachers having to handle students who are abusive, use profane language, and pressure teachers to pass them; feeling peer pressure to earn quick money; and male teachers and boys looking down on them. Female teachers interviewed also added that there are perceptions that females are incapable of teaching, and that male counterparts often look down on them.

Disability inclusive education. The MOE’s current education sector plan acknowledges that few children and young people with disabilities attend school, and that those who are enrolled face significant challenges such as poor infrastructure, lack of toilets, distance from school, and teachers who lack the skills and knowledge to teach effectively10. In addition, the Education

Management Information (EMIS) severely undercounts the number of children with special needs in Liberian schools, and teacher training institutions offer little training for teachers on addressing inclusive education needs. To address this gap, in December 2018, the MOE issued an Inclusive

Education Policy containing a statement of commitment, guiding principles, and seven policy objectives and strategies outlining priorities for work in this area. Directly relevant to TESTS is

MOE Inclusive Education “Policy Objective 3: Develop a cadre of teachers, support staff and school leadership who have the right attitude, practical skills and theoretical knowledge to implement quality, child-friendly inclusive education within the regular education system”. In June

2019, the MOE’s Division of Special and Inclusive Education, which has overall responsibility for managing and monitoring special education provision, issued a module for inclusive education that will be compulsory in ECE and primary C-Certificate training courses.

5. RESULTS FRAMEWORK

The goal of the TESTS activity is to improve the quality of targeted Liberian ECE and primary teachers’ instructional delivery. The Contractor is expected to achieve the Intermediate Results

(IRs) and sub-Intermediate Results (sub-IRs) listed in the Results Framework depicted below:

UNESCO and Liberian Ministry of Education. Assessment of Teacher Education and Development Needs to Ensure Education for All (EFA):

Needs Assessment Report.2014.

Republic of Liberia, Ministry of Education, Primary In-service “C” Certificate Teacher Training Program DRAFT v2, May 2019, funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

Source: EMIS 2015, Op.cit., World Bank/GPE/MOE, 2016, pg. 85.

Snyder, Conrad W.; Hailesalassie, Aberra Makonnen; Chelleh, Morrison; Odharo, Johnson, Females Teaching in Liberia: Motivating, Recruiting, and Retaining Female Teachers in Basic Education, 2011.

Ministry of Education, Republic of Liberia, Getting to Best Education Sector Plan 2017 - 2021, 15th December 2016, pg. 126.

http://moe-liberia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Liberia-Inclusive-Education-Policy.pdf http://moe-liberia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Liberia-Inclusive-Education-Policy.pdf https://www.globalpartnership.org/sites/default/files/getting_to_best_education_sector_plan_2017-2021._liberia.pdf

The Results Framework can be viewed as three types of support to beneficiaries: the Contractor's support to institutions (IR 1); institutions' support to teacher-aspirants (IR 2); and comprehensive support to the teaching ecosystem (IR 3)."

TESTS’ theory of change is as follows: IF teacher preparation institutions are strengthened AND teachers receive high-quality instruction in content knowledge, pedagogy, and practical application, within a robust enabling environment, THEN teacher quality and instructional delivery will improve.

TESTS will support the achievement of the USAID Liberia Country Development Cooperation

Strategy (CDCS) 2019 - 2024, Development Objective 3 “Foundation for growth strengthened through a healthy, productive, and educated population”. It falls specifically under Intermediate

Result (IR) 3.3 “Quality of education services improved”.

6. REQUIRED RESULTS

The Contractor is required to employ a highly collaborative approach to achieve the required results described below, which parallel the Intermediate and sub-Intermediate Results delineated in the TESTS Results Framework. The Contractor must define strategies and key activities that will drive the technical assistance approach and achieve the required results.

Quality of targeted Early Childhood Education (ECE) and primary teachers’ instructional delivery improved

IR1: Capacity of selected public, private, and faith-based institutions to train primary and ECE teachers strengthened

IR2: Critical skills built and applied for quality teaching

IR3: Enabling environment for teaching practice improved

Sub-IR3.1: Consortium of demonstration schools functioning Sub-IR1.1: Capacity to provide quality teacher training enhanced Sub-IR2.1: Teacher-aspirants’ content knowledge increased

Sub-IR1.2: Inclusive education curriculum incorporated into teacher training

Sub-IR2.2: Teacher-aspirants’ evidence-based pedagogical skills strengthened

Sub-IR3.2: Peer support systems strengthened

Sub-IR2.3: Newly acquired teaching skills applied

Sub-IR3.3: Parents’, caregivers’, and communities’ commitment to ECE and primary education strengthened

Sub-IR1.3: Gender-equitable access to teacher training increased

Sub-IR3.4: Ministry of Education's capacity strengthened to support quality teaching

IR 1: Capacity of selected public, private, and faith-based institutions to train primary and

ECE teachers strengthened

Under this IR, the Contractor is required to work with four to ten teacher training institutions to enable them to build their capacity to offer quality training to teacher candidates. The Contractor must assist these institutions to update and align programs at both the ECE and primary education levels that address teacher-aspirant needs for both improved pedagogical skills and content knowledge.

Illustrative indicators for this IR and its sub-IRs may include:

● ES.2-1 Number of host country tertiary education institutions receiving capacity development support with USG assistance

● CLBD-9 Percent of USG-assisted organizations with improved performance

● ES.2-52 Number of individuals affiliated with higher education institutions receiving capacity development support with USG assistance

● GNDR-8 Number of persons trained with USG assistance to advance outcomes consistent with gender equality or female empowerment through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations

● Increased capacity of teacher training institutions to provide support and training for teacher-aspirants on disability inclusive curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment practices

Sub-IR 1.1 Capacity to provide quality teacher training enhanced

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor will strengthen teacher training institutions’ capacity to provide quality teacher training. As part of this process, TESTS will assist the training institutions to align their quality standards for preparing successful graduates with those articulated by the country’s supreme education authority, the Ministry of Education. In addition, TESTS will assist the institutions to align teacher preparation curriculum and standards with each other. In practice, this would mean that teacher training institutions would have similar core requirements and standards for preparing teachers, while maintaining the flexibility to offer their own institutional elective courses. This type of alignment would ensure that there is some consistency across the spectrum of training and would make it easier for students to transfer between institutions and/or have coursework done at one institution accepted by another. Moreover, the training intuitions must be adequately outfitted with resources conducive to quality training and learning.

TESTS will also strengthen the teacher training institutions’ capacity to develop within aspiring teachers a sense of identity and unity as professional teachers. Building on MOE/GOL promulgated ethics codes, TESTS will ensure that all TESTS-participating teacher training institutions teach professional ethics to aspiring teachers, and foster an understanding of and commitment to carrying out those professional ethics in public and private pre- and primary schools. TESTS will build the capacity of teacher training institutions to support principals in modeling good teaching practices and professional ethics, while carrying out proper school supervision. Under this sub-IR, TESTS will also build teacher training institutions’ capacity to train teacher-aspirants in understanding children’s social and emotional learning needs and how to address them in ways relevant to the specific cultural context, prevailing social norms, age, developmental stage, and sex.

The offeror’s Performance Work Statement (PWS) must describe how the Contractor will achieve this result, and the measures it will use to demonstrate that teacher training institutions’ capacity to provide quality teacher training has been enhanced.

It is important to acknowledge that there is some risk to working with local community colleges, as those entities receive GOL funding which can be unreliable, leading to institutional disruption such as strikes and work slow-downs. The Contractor and USAID must evaluate the on-the-ground situation at the time of the TESTS award, and determine on a case-by-case basis whether it will be feasible to include these institutions along with other higher education institutions, or whether the risk is too great. Offerors are highly encouraged to propose ways to address this type of challenge in their PWS.

While the Contractor may choose to assist teacher training institutions across a broad range of subject matter, topics that the Contractor must address are the following: literacy; numeracy;

social and emotional learning (SEL); gender; disability and inclusive education; and teacher ethics and professionalism.

Output 1.1: Four to ten teacher training institutions have updated their teacher training curriculum to align with national standards at both the primary and ECE levels.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach to enhancing the quality of teacher training, the

Contractor is required to:

a) Assist training institutions to update teacher preparation curriculum at both the primary and ECE levels;

b) Assist training institutions to align their programs and quality standards for both primary and ECE teacher training with those articulated by the country’s supreme education authority, the Ministry of Education. (ECE must align with curriculum developed by the

MOE and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA));

c) Provide instructors at the training institutions with short-term professional development opportunities;

d) Assist training institutions to establish professional linkages between Liberian and U.S.

teacher training institutions, including identifying potential opportunities for using the

Fulbright scholar program as a resource;

e) Assist teacher training institutions to establish partnerships with demonstration schools where teacher-aspirants will carry out their practicum, and teacher training institutions build relationships with surrounding communities (sub-IR 3.1 below discusses establishment of demonstration schools);

f) Assist training institutions to develop tracking systems for teacher-aspirants while in the program and for graduates of the TESTS program;

g) Provide teacher-aspirants with assistance in identifying future job opportunities;

h) Develop a system of follow-up support and retention strategies to encourage TESTS graduates to remain in the teaching profession;

i) Enhance infrastructure and equipment of teacher training institutions, where appropriate.

Sub-IR 1.2 Inclusive education curriculum incorporated into teacher training

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor will strengthen teacher training institutions’ capacity to prepare teachers to address special needs and disability inclusion at the ECE and primary levels. TESTS will devote $1.5 million exclusively to inclusive education and disabilities programming. The offeror’s PWS must describe how the Contractor will ensure that inclusive education is incorporated into teacher-aspirant training and how results will be measured.

Output 1.2: Four to ten teacher training institutions implement modules/course offerings addressing disability and inclusive education classroom practices at both the primary and ECE levels.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for incorporating inclusive education into teacher training, the Contractor is required to:

a) Conduct a gender and disability inclusion organizational assessment at program start-up to gauge the baseline status of teacher training institutions’ programs and resources;

b) Ensure that teacher training institutions incorporate content from the MOE’s inclusive education module (developed in June 2019) and/or other relevant content into their course offerings;

c) Ensure that training modules at both the ECE and primary levels incorporate teaching methods that are sensitive to, and differentiate for, the needs of people with disabilities, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) methodologies;

d) Provide teaching and learning materials, and, where appropriate, assistive technologies for disabilities, to teacher training institutions;

e) Work with training institutions and (where possible) local Disabled Peoples’ Organizations

(DPOs) or Disability NGOs to identify appropriate strategies and assistive technologies for use by teacher-aspirants.

Sub-IR 1.3 Gender equitable access to teacher training increased

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor is expected to demonstrate how it will increase enrollment and graduation of female teacher-aspirants at the primary level from baseline levels in the teacher training institutions that TESTS supports11. The offeror’s PWS must describe strategies and activities that it believes will lead to this result, and how results will be measured.

Output 1.3.1: Four to ten teacher training institutions have strategies and incentives in place to increase female participation at the primary education level of pre-service teacher training.

Output 1.3.2: Four to ten teacher training institutions have increased female enrollment and graduation rates significantly from baseline levels at the primary education level.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach to increasing gender-equitable access to teacher training, the Contractor is required to:

a) Conduct a gender assessment of teacher training institutions to determine strategies for recruiting and retaining female teacher-aspirants;

b) Assist training institutions to create and implement strategies to attract and retain female teacher-aspirants;

c) Provide scholarships and other appropriate incentives and approaches to attract female

LTTP’s 2011 study on females teaching in Liberia (Op.cit. Snyder et.al., 2011, pgs. 55-58) generated a number of recommendations that may be useful for the TESTS design.

teacher-aspirants.

IR 2: Critical skills built and applied for quality teaching

Under this IR, TESTS will address improvement of both pedagogical practice and teacher content knowledge, and provide teacher-aspirants with opportunities to apply their newly acquired teaching skills in the classroom. The MOE has defined objectives and competencies for teachers in its Global Partnership for Education Getting to Best (GPE G2B) Accelerated In-service C-

Certificate Training program. The TESTS Activity will align its training with these same objectives and competencies, but will have the advantage of being able to offer teachers much more in-depth training than the short, accelerated C-Certificate program. The MOE-defined objectives with which TESTS will align are:

1. Effectively plan, teach and assess the National Curriculum, with particular attention to

English, Math, Social Studies and Science

2. Use teaching and learning materials, textbooks and teaching aids effectively

3. Include all children in their teaching and support those with special education needs

4. Record and report children’s learning

5. Understand the Ministry of Education’s priorities and policies

6. Reflect on their own teaching and help other teachers improve their teaching

7. Contribute to improving the quality of education at their school

Illustrative indicators for this IR and its Sub-IRs:

● Supplemental-10 Percent of teachers providing quality classroom instruction with USG support

● Supplemental -12 Percent of individuals who pass a context-relevant assessment in a technical, vocational, or professional skill set following participation in USG-assisted programs

● Percentage of trained teachers demonstrating improved ECE and/or evidence-based early grade primary pedagogical practice in the classroom (measured through classroom observation of trained teachers)

● Percentage of trained teachers demonstrating increased use of preferred teaching practices during practicum

● Number of teachers graduating from an accredited program

Sub-IR 2.1 Teacher-aspirants’ content knowledge increased

The minimum criteria for selection into the TESTS teacher training program will be a high school diploma for those pursuing an AA degree, or two years of higher education experience for those pursuing a BA degree. However, it is likely that many teacher-aspirants will not have received a quality primary or secondary education despite having high school degrees. They often start with low levels of content knowledge, even in key subjects such as literacy and mathematics. Under sub-IR 2.1, the Contractor will be responsible for demonstrating that enrolled teacher-aspirants have improved their content knowledge in the key subject areas of literacy, numeracy and SEL.

The offeror’s PWS must describe strategies and activities that it believes will lead to this result, and how results will be measured.

Output 2.1: TESTS’ primary and ECE-level teacher-aspirants have achieved passing grades on critical assessments.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for increasing teacher-aspirants’ content knowledge, the Contractor is required to:

a) Conduct an initial assessment of teacher-aspirants’ content knowledge;

b) Develop individualized education plans for teacher-aspirants that identify areas for improvement in content knowledge and map out pathways for improvement;

c) Ensure that teacher-aspirants have access to courses and/or remedial instruction to strengthen identified content knowledge weaknesses;

d) Ensure that teacher-aspirants have access to courses on inclusive education, with special emphasis on disability inclusion as communicated in the MOE’s Inclusive Education

Policy (December 2018);

e) Assess teacher-aspirants’ content knowledge continuously and on a regular basis.

Sub-IR 2.2 Teacher-aspirants’ evidence-based pedagogical skills strengthened

This sub-IR will focus on offering teacher-aspirants opportunities to strengthen their pedagogical skills for the ECE and primary levels. MOE-defined teacher competencies are relevant to the development of an approach under this sub-IR. The offeror’s PWS must describe strategies and activities that it believes will lead to this result, and how results will be measured.

Output 2.2: TESTS teacher-aspirants have strengthened pedagogical knowledge and skills, as measured by continuous assessment and observation throughout the life of the TESTS program.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach to strengthening pedagogical knowledge and skills, the Contractor is required to:

a) Assist training institutions to provide teacher-aspirants with instruction in evidence-based instructional models at both the primary and ECE levels;

b) Conduct periodic assessments of teacher-aspirants’ skill levels to discern points of deficiency and/or strengths in pedagogy.

Sub-IR 2.3 Newly acquired teaching skills applied

Under this sub-IR, teacher-aspirants will have opportunities to apply the content and pedagogical skills they are acquiring through practice teaching in demonstration classrooms. (Sub-IRs 3.1 and

3.2 below will address the establishment of demonstration schools and other types of guidance and support that teachers will receive.) The offeror’s PWS must describe strategies and activities that it believes will provide teacher-aspirants with ample opportunity to practice their teaching skills, and how results will be measured.

Output 2.3: TESTS’ teacher-aspirants display subject matter knowledge and effective pedagogical skills as measured by observation and assessment of classroom teaching practices.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for assisting teacher-aspirants to display subject matter knowledge and effective pedagogical skill, the Contractor is required to:

a) Ensure that teacher-aspirants receive guidance and support to develop and demonstrate a range of critical teaching skills;

b) Place teacher-aspirants in demonstration schools to practice what they learn;

c) Ensure that teacher-aspirants gain experience working with inclusive education techniques, to include use of assistive equipment for disabled learners;

d) Establish a monitoring and evaluation system for teacher-aspirants’ practicum experience;

e) Track progress of teacher-aspirant’s performance against individual objectives for improvement.

IR 3: Enabling environment for teaching practice improved

Under this IR, the Contractor is required to support an improved enabling environment for teacher-aspirants in a variety of ways. Under sub-IR 3.1, teacher training institutions, with the support of the Contractor, will work with demonstration schools where aspiring teachers will be able to apply their learned content and pedagogical skills in a live teaching setting. These demonstration schools will also be a part of a network of support amongst themselves. Sub-IR 3.2 will provide critical interventions such as coaching and mentoring for teacher-aspirants, so that they have both individual attention to their learning and access to professional networks of peers to support them.

Sub-IR 3.3 recognizes the importance of the community as part of a teacher’s enabling environment. The Contractor will explore strategies for engaging parents, caregivers and communities to enhance engagement in early childhood education, pre-education stimulation, nurturing care and to support teachers who are being trained. Sub-IR 3.3 also allows for other community support like grants under contract (GUC) and incentives to support schools and the teaching ecosystem. Sub-IR 3.4 seeks to engage the Ministry of Education as a critical stakeholder in the TESTS activity, providing limited technical assistance to support its efforts to improve teacher professional development.

Illustrative indicators for this IR and its sub-IRs:

● Number of demonstration schools established and functioning

● Number of teacher training institutions with strong linkages with local demonstration schools

● Number of teacher training institutions providing coaching and mentoring support to teacher-aspirants

● Supp-7 Number of parents or community members trained to support children’s education with USG assistance

● Number of parents and communities providing out-of-classroom learning opportunities for

ECE and early grade primary education

Sub-IR 3.1 Consortium of demonstration schools functioning

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor will assist teacher training institutions to partner with a network of demonstration schools for teacher-aspirants to practice their newly-learned skills. The faculty of teacher education institutions needs to establish and foster close relationships with schools chosen to be demonstration schools, ensuring that the demonstration school staff are respected partners in decision-making processes and that they feel that the relationship benefits the demonstration school. The offeror’s PWS must describe how the Contractor will assist in supporting a consortium of demonstration schools, and how results will be measured.

Output 3.1: All participating TESTS teacher training institutions have functioning relationships with demonstration schools where teacher-aspirants are carrying out teacher practicum.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for establishing a functional demonstration school network, the Contractor is required to:

a) Assist training institutions to be deliberate in their selection of demonstration schools, taking into consideration the school’s location, willingness to participate, commitment to training (and potentially employing) teacher-aspirants, cultural appropriateness, gender balance, and/or other appropriate criteria;

b) Ensure that demonstration schools offer opportunities for teacher-aspirants to implement the principles of inclusive education and learn how to increase access for disabled and special-needs learners;

c) Establish a monitoring and evaluation system and appropriate supervision protocols for demonstration schools that set measurable performance standards;

d) Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of the teacher training institution– demonstration school relationship and identify strengths and areas for improvement;

e) Assist demonstration schools to form a consortium that allows them to network and share lessons learned, good practices, challenges, and opportunities.

Sub-IR 3.2 Peer support systems strengthened

Under this sub-IR, teacher training institutions will ensure that each teacher-aspirant is within a peer support system. The teacher-aspirant could be guided by a coach or mentor who would monitor and observe the teacher-aspirant’s practice teaching sessions. Coaching and mentoring both take a variety of forms; while monthly visits are a widely accepted minimum for effectiveness, there is no set recommendation about the dosage of coaching and mentoring that works best. It is important to note that considering gender in teacher-aspirant coaching and mentoring will be critical. It can help to foster an environment of mutual respect between male and female teacher-aspirants, increase the self-confidence of female teacher-aspirants, and reinforce the importance of gender equality and inclusion in teacher-aspirants’ classroom practice.

The offeror’s PWS must propose an approach for offering peer support to teacher-aspirants that aligns with global good practices and demonstrates feasibility in the Liberian context, and describe how results will be measured.

Output 3.2: All participating TESTS training institutions have in place functioning systems that offer peer support to TESTS teacher-aspirants.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for providing peer support to teacher-aspirants, the

Contractor is required to:

a) Establish criteria and systems for offering coaching and mentoring support to teacher-aspirants;

b) Establish a monitoring and evaluation system to measure coach/mentor performance and determine impact of these services on teacher-aspirants;

c) Create or strengthen a variety of techniques for teacher professional and social/emotional support, e.g., teacher circles, communities of practice, peer observation, etc.

Sub-IR 3.3 Parents’, caregivers’, and communities’ commitment to ECE and primary education strengthened

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor will explore strategies for engaging parents and communities associated with the demonstration schools or teacher training colleges, to increase their commitment to their children’s education, which in turn supports the work of teacher-aspirants.

While the Contractor may choose to work on a variety of topics to emphasize when working with communities, USAID requires that the topic of right-age enrollment of children be included in parent/caregiver work12. Food security and nutrition are also critical issues: Liberia’s

Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey (2018) states that development of rural schools combined with school feeding mechanisms can serve as incentives for children to attend school, and emphasizes the importance of nutrition education13. The grants under contract (GUC) mechanism may be appropriate for community-based interventions under this sub-IR; this mechanism is discussed further in the following section. Offerors should indicate in their PWS illustrative topics to be addressed with parents, caregivers, and communities that demonstrate feasibility in the Liberian context, and describe how results will be measured.

Output 3.3: Targeted parents, caregivers, and communities increase their participation in activities that are supportive of their children’s education at the ECE and primary levels.

In addition to the offeror’s technical approach for increasing communities’ participation in activities supportive of children’s education, the Contractor is required to:

a) Develop awareness-raising, behavior change, and other interventions around critical themes such as nurturing care, with right-age enrollment included as a required theme;

b) Assist parents/caregivers to provide children with out-of-classroom (extracurricular) learning opportunities;

c) Connect schools to school feeding programs where possible;

d) Establish a small grants program that communities can access to benefit schools (e.g. for small infrastructure improvements to improve school safety, hygiene, and accessibility);

e) Use evidence-based approaches and incentives to reduce financial barriers faced by parents/communities in sending children to school;

f) Provide appropriate incentives to encourage teacher-aspirants to remain as ECE and primary teachers;

g) Meaningfully engage and/or contract with local Liberian and U.S. 8(a) small businesses

(e.g., to provide teaching and learning materials and equipment for disabled learners

(assistive technologies))

Sub-IR 3.4 Ministry of Education's capacity strengthened to support quality teaching

Under this sub-IR, the Contractor will provide limited technical assistance (TA) to the Ministry of

Education to support its efforts to improve teacher professional development at the ECE and primary levels. Engaging the MOE in this way is meant to improve chances of reaching the overall

IR 3 objective of improving the enabling environment for teaching practice, as the MOE is a critical stakeholder in any effort involving teachers. While USAID does not anticipate devoting a

Based on the 2015/16 School Census, in all primary grades the majority of enrolled students are three to six years older than the official age for the grade; no one age group accounts for more than 20 percent of enrollment in any particular grade. Seventy-five percent of ECE students are overage for the level in which they are enrolled. Source: Op.cit. World Bank/GPE/MOE 2016.

Government of Liberia. Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey (2018).

large amount of TESTS’ funding to providing technical assistance to the MOE, this sub-IR ensures that there will be flexibility and some resources set aside for engaging the MOE to support TESTS’ work. The MOE has indicated a strong interest in using TESTS as an entry point for advancing teacher licensing.

Offerors should indicate in their PWS illustrative TA support topics for the MOE that demonstrate feasibility in the Liberian context, and describe how results will be measured.

Output 3.4: Ministry of Education has access to technical assistance in support of the TESTS program and teacher education in Liberia.

The Contractor is required to:

a) Respond to relevant MOE requests for TA that are in line with TESTS objectives and goals;

b) Identify and respond to emerging TA needs that arise during the course of TESTS implementation.

7. CROSS-CUTTING THEMES

SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALE-UP

The TESTS approach focuses on system sustainability in that it seeks to help Liberia create a quality system of teacher preparation that has the potential to replace or at least complement the

C-Certificate training programs. TESTS also promotes sustainability on the individual level by giving teacher-aspirants access to quality training they have not had access to previously, allowing them to acquire knowledge and skills necessary in the teaching profession. The Contractor is required to implement cost-effective, replicable, and scalable interventions that will be sustainable and affordable for participating teacher training institutions, and potentially the GOL as well, that can be scaled up in other institutions across the country. During the life of the program, the

Contractor must develop a roadmap and build exit strategies with the teacher training institutions and the GOL that will allow them to identify how to continue programs and absorb program costs through a phased approach.

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

USAID Liberia is in the process of developing a Private Sector Engagement Plan that aligns with the Agency’s Private Sector Engagement Policy, which calls for USAID and its partners to embrace market-based approaches as a more-sustainable way to support communities in achieving development and humanitarian outcomes at scale. USAID highly encourages offerors to provide specific examples in the PWS of how TESTS can collaborate with the private sector to enhance activity goals.

8. GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

USAID believes that the Grants under Contract (GUCs) mechanism is appropriate for TESTS.

Prior to implementation of the GUC mechanism, the Contractor will develop, in consultation with

USAID/Liberia, a GUC Manual that will outline the structure for the selection, award, tracking and evaluation process for the grants. The Manual will also include an award template(s) that will https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/private-sector-engagement/policy be cleared by the Contracting Officer and be revised as and when new guidance and revisions to rules and regulations are proclaimed by USAID. The Manual will be submitted to the USAID

Contracting Officer for its approval.

The Contractor must reserve approximately USD $4 million of its total budget for grant making.

The objectives of the grant fund are to:

(a) Provide a source of flexible funding to be used in support of the objectives of the activity, and fund or cost share specific discretionary items that can lead to increased engagement of parents and communities in their children’s education, supporting the work of teacher-aspirants receiving TESTS training.

(b) Provide grants to teacher training institutions, community or civil society organizations, schools, parents or teachers who will be the main beneficiaries of the grant fund activities.

The need for these targeted services through grant funds will be identified and monitored jointly by the Contractor and USAID. It is expected that these awards largely will be to non-U.S.

organizations, Liberia-based entities, nonprofit and for-profit non-governmental organizations.

The exact structure of the awards will be developed in close coordination between USAID and the

Contractor.

Under the planned grants program, the total amount of funds for a single grant is not expected to exceed $2 million, with the minimum and maximum range expected to be $5,000 to $2 million.

The total grants awarded under the contract must not exceed the grant budget line.

If the Contractor awards grants under this contract, the Contractor must comply in all material respects with USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 303 (including mandatory and supplementary references) in awarding and administering grants, as well as the Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR) 2 CFR 200.

All GUCs under this program will be in compliance with all conditions set forth in ADS

302.3.4.13.

[END OF ATTACHMENT J-1]