The Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR) Initiative: midterm impact evaluation

This midterm evaluation report focuses on the impact of the Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR) Initiative on pupil outcomes in Classes (grades) 1 and 2. PRIMR, a task order under the USAID Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) project, is a randomized controlled trial that operates as a collaboration between the Kenyan Ministry of Education (MOE) and USAID/Kenya, with technical inputs from RTI International. PRIMR is supporting 502 schools in three cohorts from 2011 to 2014; this report compares the impact of PRIMR in 126 Cohort 1 schools (60 nonformal [private slum] schools, and 66 public schools) against the Cohort 3 (control) schools. Teachers and head teachers in Cohort 1 of PRIMR were given training on reading (Kiswahili and English) in January 2012, combined with full sets of lesson plans and school materials. Final sets of reading books were provided to schools in March 2012. After a slight delay in the development of materials, the same educators were trained on math books and lesson plans in July 2012. This summary analyzes the causal effects of PRIMR between the baseline evaluation in January 2012 and the midterm evaluation in October 2012. At both time points, student performance was gauged using a combined Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), which allow rapid oral assessment of foundational skills in these two subject areas. The school and classroom learning environments were evaluated using the Snapshot of School Management Effectiveness (SSME), consisting of checklists, observation tools, and brief interviews. All tools were adapted specifically for Kenya and the PRIMR Initiative.