Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report JANUARY 2021—SEPTEMBER 2022 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report JANUARY 2021—SEPTEMBER 2022 © 2023 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. 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Cover design: Will Kemp, Global Corporate Solutions, World Bank Group. Contents Abbreviations vii Foreword ix Executive Summary xi Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Context 1 FLC Overview and Development Objectives 4 Program Description 12 Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The Early Learning Partnership 18 The Accelerator Program 20 The Learning Data Compact 31 Policy Linking 35 Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels for the SDG 4.1.1.b 39 Regional Assessments 41 Global Education Policy Dashboard 42 The Effect of COVID-19 on Learning and Schooling 53 Teachers 54 Coach 54 Teach-Coach 55 EdTech 62 EdTech Hub 62 EdTech Policy Academy 65 The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program 69 Risks and Challenges 75 Section 3. Looking Ahead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Section 4. FLC Financials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Annexes 93 Annex 1A: List of FLC Trust-Funded Activities or Projects Funded 94 Annex 1B: List of ELP Trust-Funded Activities or Projects Funded 99 Annex 2: Results Framework 101 Annex 3: UNICEF—Accelerator Transfer Out 112 References 115 Endnotes 120 Acknowledgements: This Progress Report was prepared by Kanae Watanabe, Mabel Martínez, Priyal Gala, Raiden Dillard and Kelly Davies, under the guidance of Halil Dundar (Practice Manager, Global Engagement and Knowledge). The team received inputs from João Pedro Azevedo, Halsey Rogers, Robert Hawkins, Amanda Devercelli, Jason Weaver, Saamira Halabi, Michael Trucano, Ana Teresa del Toro Mijares, Shwetlena Sabarwal, Ezequiel Molina, Diego Luna Bazaldua, Ella Victoria Humphry, Sergio Venegas Marin, Maryam Akmal, Changha Lee, Adrien Ciret, Molly Jamieson Eberhardt, Caitlin Coflan, Prachi Patel, and Jayshree Thakrar. The team also received much assistance from a number of country task team leaders (TTLs) and others too numerous to list here. Will Kemp designed the report, and Franklyn Vardon-Ayensu copyedited it. This progress report examines the progress made by the activities under the Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) Multi-Donor Umbrella Trust Fund from January 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. Photo Credits Page ix. © Martin De Simone/World Bank Page xi. © Accelerator program/World Bank Page xiii. © Yagazie Emezi/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment Page 3. © Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment Page 7. © Brandon Payne/Scrandom Media Page 8. © Ana Teresa Del Toro Mijares/World Bank Page 13. © Visual News Associates/World Bank Page 17. © Bangladesh Secondary Program/Bishwo Sahitto Kendro (BSK) Page 20. © World Bank Page 25. © Emmanuel Ikwuegbu/unsplash.com Page 26. © Abubakar Balogun/unsplash.com Page 27. © Insiya Sayed/World Bank Page 28. © Maha Mustafa Khogali Mohamed/World Bank Page 29. © Stefano De Cupis/World Bank Page 34. © Stefano De Cupis/World Bank Page 36. © Curt Carnemark/World Bank Page 37. © Curt Carnemark/World Bank Page 38. © Ministry of Education – The Gambia Page 40. © Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) - Sierra Leone Page 41. © Bangladesh Secondary Program/Bishwo Sahitto Kendro (BSK) Page 47. © Marca G9 - Peru Page 48. © Innovative Hub for Research in Africa (IHfRA) - Niger Page 53. © Education/World Bank Page 55. © Sarah Farhat/World Bank Page 57. © Ana Teresa Del Toro Mijares/World Bank Page 74. © Martin De Simone/World Bank Page 76. © UNICEF/UN0499532/Potter Page 89. © Bangladesh Secondary Program/Bishwo Sahitto Kendro (BSK) vi Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Abbreviations Acronym Description ACER Australian Council for Educational Research AMPL Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels AMPL-b Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels for the SDG 4.1.1.b ASA Advisory and Analytical Services ASER Annual Status of Education Report BMGF Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation CONFEMEN Conference of the Ministers of Education of French speaking countries CPG Country Program Grant DNFP National Director for Teacher Training DLI Disbursement-Linked Indicator DPL Digital Personalized Learning ECD Early Childhood Development ECE Early Childhood Education EdTech Education Technology EGMA Early Grade Mathematics Assessment EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment ELP Early Learning Partnership EMIS Education Management Information System FCDO (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (formerly DFID) FCV Fragility, Conflict and Violence FGD Focal Group Discussion FLC Foundational Learning Compact FLN Foundational Literacy and Numeracy FTS Foundational Teaching Skills FY Fiscal Year (for World Bank, July 1 to June 30 of subsequent year) GALOP Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project GEPD Global Education Policy Dashboard GPE Global Partnership for Education GPF Global Proficiency Framework HCI Human Capital Index IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IDA International Development Association INDE National Institute for the Development of Education KLI Knowledge, Learning, and Innovation LAYS Learning-Adjusted Years of School LIRE Learning Improvement for Results in Education (LIRE) LLECE Latin-American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education LPP Literacy Policy Package Abbreviations vii Acronym Description MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning MILO COVID-19: Monitoring the Impacts on Learning Outcomes (project) MoBSE Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education MoE Ministry of Education MPL Minimum Proficiency Level NaCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment NASS National Assessment of Secondary Students NAT National Assessment Test NEA National Education Assessment NST National Standardized Test PASEC Program for the Analysis of Education Systems PC Partnership Council PIRLS Progress in International Reading Literacy Study PISA Programme for International Student Assessment PMA Program Management and Administration PMT Program Management Team REACH Results in Education for All Children RBF Results-Based Financing RF Results Framework SABER-UF Systems Approach for Better Education Results Umbrella Facility SCALE Strengthening Coaching and Adapting to Local Languages in Education SDG Sustainable Development Goal SDIs Service Delivery Indicators SEA-PLM Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics STC Short-Term Consultant SUNSET Scaling Up National Support for Effective Teaching TTL Task Team Leader TES Transforming Education Summit (TES) TF Trust Fund TIMSS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ToC Theory of Change TPD Teacher Professional Development UF Umbrella Facility UIS UNESCO Institute for Statistics UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development viii Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Foreword by the Global Director The World Bank’s fund for early childhood, primary, and secondary education, the Foundational Learning Compact, is more than just a financing mechanism. It Jaime Saavedra, Global Director, is a compact for the future of children that develops, Education Global Practice deploys, and implements evidence-based initiatives at the country level to improve learning outcomes for all children—everywhere. I am pleased to introduce the first Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) Progress Report. This covers the period from January 2021 to September 2022. The FLC is a World Bank, multi-donor, umbrella trust fund dedicated to strengthening global and country-level efforts to improve foundational learning for early childhood, primary and secondary education. Foundational learning is at the heart of the World Bank’s work in education. It includes reading, writing, and numeracy, together with socioemotional skills. These are the critical building blocks of a child’s education and essential for children to maximize their potential. The FLC funds complementary education initiatives aimed at bolstering foundational learning while simultaneously pursuing lasting systemic change to education systems so that all children—everywhere—can achieve quality learning. Never has an objective been so mission-critical in global education. We are currently facing the biggest education crisis of the century with more than two-thirds of children under 10 unable to read and understand a simple text. According to new data from the jointly released1 The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update report, the learning poverty2 rate increased by a third in low- and middle-income countries between 2015 and 2022, from 53 percent to 70 percent. Put simply, 70 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10. They lack the foundational learning, literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills they need to move on successfully to other elements of learning and skills that they need to thrive. Foreword ix The magnitude of this human capital emergency underscores the urgent need for action. In September 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General convened the Transforming Education Summit (TES) during the 77th UN General Assembly to mobilize a coalition of the willing in the fight to recover pandemic-related learning losses, to reimagine education systems, and to revitalize national and global efforts to reduce by half the share of 10 year old children unable to read and understand a simple text by 2030. With the strong advocacy of the World Bank, in close collaboration with our global partners in education, including USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, foundational learning became a main theme of TES. Dedicated to ensuring that foundational learning remains a political priority at the global, regional, and national levels, the World Bank and its allies invited countries around the world to endorse the Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning to ensure that all children, including the most marginalized, develop foundational learning to realize their full potential. And now, the Coalition for Foundational Learning will become a Global Initiative under the High-Level Steering Committee for Education. The World Bank’s fund for education, the Foundational Learning Compact (FLC), is an important tool in our arsenal to combat the education crisis and help the global education community mobilize and unite around our commitment to improving the learning outcomes of this generation of children. The FLC Progress Report showcases initiatives that have helped create tools and knowledge for countries to improve foundational learning through their educational systems. Since it is the first such report for the FLC, it will cover the transition to the FLC from the previous SABER3 program to its incarnation as the FLC umbrella trust fund. It will also examine recent and current challenges, including the slowdown in the pace of implementation during the COVID- related school and ministry closures. The pandemic both stymied and shaped how the FLC initiatives worked, where we worked, and when we worked. We have had to adapt. Fortunately, implementation has picked up in the last year and technical teams have been working tirelessly to accelerate implementation. During this time of crisis, the FLC Program and the World Bank technical team have worked to provide cutting-edge analysis of what was happening in education due to COVID-19 and provide pathways to recovery to help countries respond to the pandemic. I am proud of the work the FLC has accomplished. I would like to thank the FLC’s Partnership Council, as well as our technical partners. None of the FLC’s work is possible without the support of our development partners and technical allies. A progress report offers a chance to look back, but it also provides a snapshot of what is to come. We are at a crossroads in education. If we are to lift millions of students out of learning poverty, it will take all of us working together. Jaime Saavedra Global Director Education Global Practice The World Bank x Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Executive Summary In the last few years, the World Bank has significantly stepped up its efforts to protect and build on gains made in global education, with a focus on improving learning outcomes, particularly in foundational learning. The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on children and learning, raising the learning poverty rate in low- and middle-income countries from 57 percent before COVID-19 to nearly 70 percent. To address this, there is a need to support countries to reorient their education systems to focus more on foundational learning and learning outcomes. Largely in response to this, the World Bank’s lending for education has doubled in the last three years compared with the preceding decade. With a portfolio of about $24 billion in 95 countries, the World Bank is the largest source of external financing for education in developing countries. The Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) offers development partners a platform for collaboration and a way to leverage the World Bank’s vast portfolio and deep policy dialogue to accelerate the achievement of learning outcomes. The Foundational Learning Compact multi-donor Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 presents an update on progress in the FLC activities, introduces its newly associated Trust Fund (TF), the Early Learning Partnership (ELP), and provides highlights from its closed associated TF, Results in Education for All Children (REACH). It picks up where the last SABER Progress Report ended and brings us through September 2022. This includes progress in achieving the development objectives and respective outcomes under the FLC’s three pillars during the reporting period based on the Results Framework (RF), as well as country updates, collaboration with development partners, and updates on the components of the different activities. Executive Summary xi The FLC was designed to enhance global- and country-level efforts to pursue systemic and sustained improvements in early childhood, primary, and secondary education that lead to better learning outcomes for all. This will contribute to the higher-level objectives of reducing learning poverty and increasing learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS). Both the FLC Anchor TF (the centerpiece of the Umbrella) and the associated ELP contribute to these higher-level objectives. The ELP focuses on early childhood development (ECD) services for children ages 0–5, while the FLC Anchor focuses on primary and secondary education. To support the achievement of these ambitious goals, the FLC is designed around three pillars: (i) measurement—to improve country-level capacity to measure and monitor learning outcomes and drivers of learning; (ii) evidence-based policies and systemic reforms—to distill the best evidence on what works in education, develop resources to inform systemic reforms with lessons learned from what works, and provide support for implementation of those systemic reforms; and (iii) capacity building—to improve the effectiveness of the education systems. Five cross-cutting themes within the FLC are Gender, Climate, Technology, Inclusion, and Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) affected states. The FLC is a vehicle for collaboration with donors to jointly contribute to addressing the tremendous challenges in global education. The FLC Anchor TF donors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF or Gates Foundation); the LEGO Foundation; the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland; and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The FLC also works closely with other partners, namely, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS); and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD); the government of Germany; and the US government. With the support of these key actors in global education, the FLC finances several activities to accelerate foundational learning, increase learning data, improve teaching quality, and improve the use of effective education technology (EdTech). Below are short explanations of the activities along with a summary of the main results as of September 2022, including for ELP: xii Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Early Childhood Education The ELP—Associated Trust Fund: The ELP has awarded a total of $15.3 million in the form of 119 grants in 63 countries since 2012, leveraging $4.1 billion in World Bank financing as part of a learning agenda to promote cross-country knowledge sharing and ensure that countries can access the latest evidence, bespoke technical assistance, and support to measure impact. Under the ELP, the World Bank has developed tools to scale up early childhood development measurement that have been used in 15 countries across the World Bank’s seven regions: Anchor Items for Measurement-Early Childhood Development (AIM-ECD), Teach for Early Childhood Education (Teach ECE), and a COVID-19 phone survey for caregivers to assess ECD outcomes and the home environment. In May 2022 the World Bank launched the volume Quality Early Learning: Nurturing Children’s Potential, in which a group of multidisciplinary experts cover critical elements underlying childhood learning. In 2022, the Invest in Childcare work program was launched to expand the size, and improve the quality, of World Bank investments in childcare, improve women’s economic empowerment and child development outcomes, and yield broader benefits for families, businesses and economies. Initial streams of work were initiated, including the competitive funding round for childcare grants, which received 38 proposals requesting $8.9 million in total. From 2017 to 2021, two cohorts of 45 Fellows have supported 47 countries. Cohort 3, with 15 new Fellows working in 15 countries, has been selected and started work in September 2022, with an orientation planned afterwards in Washington, DC. Finally, the ECE Policy Academy was launched in early 2021: 12 countries were selected from over 40 applications, representing 100 participants and 6 languages. Executive Summary xiii Primary Education ACCELERATOR PROGRAM The Accelerator Program, launched in late 2020 by the World Bank in partnership with UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, FCDO, UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), and USAID, supports governments to accelerate the achievement of foundational learning outcomes through focused, evidence-based interventions. An initial global cohort of 10 countries or subnational entities has been selected and engaged as “Accelerators” in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia—in alphabetical order, Brazil (state of Ceará), Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria (Edo State), Pakistan, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. The governments of each of these countries have a large-scale program to improve foundational learning financed by IDA/IBRD, the GPE, government funds, and development partners. Currently, FLC Accelerator grants support six of the 10 countries, Edo Sate (Nigeria), Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan, and Rwanda. More countries are expected to be added over time, as well as more funding. Many elements of the Accelerator (target setting, Investment Case, and capacity building) are in progress in Edo Sate (Nigeria), Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan, and Rwanda. LEARNING DATA COMPACT (LDC) The LDC is a joint effort with UNESCO and UNICEF, under which the World Bank works with governments to increase learning data to help them focus on improving learning outcomes. This global coalition was launched in 2021 and consists of three pillars: (1) measuring learning progress; (2) measuring the drivers of learning; and (3) measuring learning in the classroom and teachers’ teaching skills. As of September 2022, the FLC has covered activities related to Pillars 1 and 2, specifically, support to countries on the availability of internationally comparable learning data (Policy Linking, Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels for the SDG 4.1.1.b or AMPL-b, and Regional Assessments); and on the Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD), and the effect of COVID-19 on learning and schooling—more information below. Policy Linking: This is a method used to link different student assessments to a common scale. The World Bank finalized the implementation of the Policy Linking methodology in Ghana and The Gambia in April–May 2022. This work involved the identification of national learning assessments of literacy and numeracy skills in primary school grades amenable to be benchmarked against learning standards described in the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) developed by UIS, USAID, and other partners. The methodology involves workshops with teachers and curriculum experts to determine the content alignment of learning assessments to the learning standards described under the GPF and, in turn, express student learning outcomes in proficiency levels consistent with the SDG 4.1 target and indicators. The outcomes of this project xiv Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 are two reports that summarize the findings of each country and help in assessing their progress toward the SDG 4 goals. This work also promoted the development of technical capacity in the national assessment units of both countries, which can now conduct learning assessment benchmarking activities to describe student performance and produce learning indicators. AMPL-b: This instrument was designed to measure key aspects of reading comprehension and mathematics at the upper primary level. AMPL-b was administered as a standalone module in Sierra Leone in 2022, and is also scheduled to be implemented in Jordan and Pakistan. Regional Assessments: As part of the LDC, the World Bank has helped to convene regional and country teams in the Middle East and North Africa as well as in sub- Saharan Africa to raise awareness of the SDG 4.1.1 reporting data gaps and the possibility for the countries to join the 2024 Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC) study. Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD): The GEPD is a multi-dimensional dashboard that measures, tracks, and links the progress of the key drivers of learning outcomes. Through the work of the Dashboard, which was started in 2019, three new data collection instruments—the School Survey, Survey of Public Officials, and Policy Survey—have been developed, streamlined, field-tested, and are ready for use. The Dashboard also offers an easy-to-use data manipulation and visualization platform that is currently being enhanced through the incorporation of user feedback. There are also training materials (survey manuals, logistics guides, training presentations, quizzes, in-class activities, and agendas) that have been translated into multiple languages. Strategic materials and resources such as a GEPD Reference Guide, a GEPD Technical Note, and a GEPD Implementation Brief have been created to enhance the usefulness of the data and can be found on the GEPD website. The World Bank has completed the implementation of the Dashboard in Peru, Jordan, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Rwanda and it is close to completing implementation in Sierra Leone and Niger. It is also working on its implementation in Jordan for the second time, and across four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory of Pakistan. The Dashboard is conducting research with the innovative data collected and has been enabling the piloting of measurement in new areas such as EdTech-readiness, socioemotional skills, student learning calibrated to the GPF, socioeconomic background, and FCV-specific tools. The effect of COVID-19 on learning and schooling: Useful resources have been developed such as a report on the impact of COVID-19 on school choice in Chile, that is, the choice parents had to decide which school they would send their children to after COVID-19 hit. Other resources, such as a COVID learning loss report in the Dominican Republic and a note on learning losses in Ceará, Brazil, are being finalized. Executive Summary xv TEACHERS Teach-Coach: The Teach tool is both an instrument under Pillar 3 of the LDC since it measures teaching practices in the classroom and a tool to improve teaching quality through that feedback. Teach is a classroom observation tool to assess teaching practices that support good-quality learning, nurturing children’s cognitive and socioemotional skills. Coach, launched in late 2021, builds on Teach and is a set of global public goods in the form of tools and resources that provide guidance on how to design, implement, and evaluate high-quality teacher professional development (TPD) programs. The World Bank is now supporting the use of these resources and tools in different projects around the world, focused on raising the quality of teaching through improved TPD. One significant pilot is the Coach Mozambique pilot program, which was launched in two provinces in Mozambique (Niassa and Manica) during summer 2022. The World Bank has deepened support to teachers at the country level by leveraging both Teach and Coach to assess and improve teaching quality, financed through a set of Scaling Up National Support for Effective Teaching (SUNSET) grants. Twenty-two SUNSET grants were awarded to countries, focused on developing projects that link teaching practices, learning outcomes, and socioemotional learning. EDTECH EdTech Hub: EdTech Hub is a global research partnership sponsored by FCDO, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Bank to empower the global education community with evidence and policy advice on the effective use of digital technologies for developing countries. The Hub was established in 2019, and its activities include: (1) research—qualitative and quantitative research to support decision making; (2) innovation— “Sandboxes” exploring how to scale up successful EdTech pilots; and (3) technical assistance. EdTech Hub launched its research portfolio in March 2022, which represents the largest public-private investment in primary research around EdTech evidence in low- and middle-income countries. The studies focus on and are taking place in the Hub’s six focus countries. Between June 2020 and March 2021, EdTech Hub completed five sandboxes, in Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, Malawi, and Lebanon, each responding to school closures caused by COVID-19. They were designed to rapidly test promising EdTech interventions using a mix of funding, support, and access to evidence. Under technical assistance, the EdTech Helpdesk has offered just-in-time support to the World Bank, FCDO and UNICEF, in close coordination with governments—Ministries of Education— across 70 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It also provided concentrated, sustained, multi-year technical assistance in six focus countries: Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. The World Bank is supporting the identification of demand from World Bank client countries and directing them to the Helpdesk for just-in-time support. xvi Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 The EdTech Policy Academy: This policy academy is a learning and capacity- building initiative designed to provide World Bank and partner staff, and government counterparts with opportunities to deepen knowledge and skills for EdTech policy design and program implementation. Since its launch in December 2021, the World Bank has hosted 13 policy academy events that have benefited 16 countries around the world. This corresponds to a total of over 50 hours of learning benefiting more than 400 participants on topics such as digital skills for girls, blended learning, technology for teachers, leveraging technology or preschool literacy, and smart labs. Secondary Education Bangladesh Secondary Education Program: This program is unique for two reasons. It is currently the only single country grant in the FLC that is not under a global initiative. And, it is focused on secondary education. This program is helping to build back better the country’s secondary education system to protect and boost learning after COVID-19, by identifying core areas to address COVID-related disruptions and learning losses and improve the overall secondary system. The World Bank conducted a large- scale learning assessment in Bangladesh from May to June 2022 to assess the learning level of students after 14.5 months of school closures. The World Bank also conducted a standardized teacher phone survey to elicit teachers’ current practices, normative beliefs, and willingness to spend extra time in activities for recovering from COVID- related learning losses. Additionally, the World Bank designed a program that provided virtual outreach to adolescents, through two phone-based interventions. The World Bank also collaborated with Brown University, the MoE, and FCDO Bangladesh to design and implement a randomized evaluation of an online teacher training program during COVID 19-related school closures. In addition, a mixed-method study was initiated by the World Bank to yield information about teachers’ knowledge of their students’ foundational skills and learning levels. Overall, during the period covered by this Progress Report, despite pandemic school and ministry closures for extended periods, the FLC was very active. When schools and ministries reopened, the World Bank immediately reestablished the workflow and accelerated implementation. Executive Summary xvii A silent learning crisis is unfolding that has become a devastating shock to human capital. We need to work to prevent further damage and build more effective education systems. World Bank president David Malpass at the Transforming Education Summit, September 2022 xviii Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights Context Even before the COVID pandemic, there was already a learning crisis, with learning poverty at 53 percent in low- and middle-income countries. This means that over half of 10-year-old children were unable to read and understand a simple written text. In sub-Saharan Africa, the learning poverty rate was close to 90 percent, which was also the case in low-income countries. The COVID-19 crisis, the worst shock to education in recorded history, deepened the global learning crisis and worsened education outcomes. Today, the learning poverty rate has increased by a third since 2015 in low- and middle-income countries, reaching an estimated 70 percent according to The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update, jointly published by the World Bank and UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, FCDO, and the Gates Foundation.4 As a result of the school closures, the current generation of students risks losing $21 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value, or the equivalent of 17 percent of today’s global GDP. Worse yet, the impact of the crisis has been highly unevenly distributed, given that the most disadvantaged children and youth already had the least access to schooling, the highest dropout rates, and the largest learning deficits even before the crisis. Inequality begins in the initial years of life, and many of the differences in learning outcomes that emerge during primary school have deep roots in children’s early preschool years. Just one in five children have access to preschool in low-income countries, and high rates of malnutrition and poverty impact children’s readiness for school. The world is far off track from reaching Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 1 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4—to ensure that “all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.” During the TES convened by the UN Secretary-General in September 2022, foundational learning became a theme that ran through the entire summit. This was prompted and driven by the advocacy of an unprecedented Coalition for Foundational Learning comprised of some of the largest funders of global education, including FCDO, the Gates Foundation, UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank, three of which are FLC donors. As part of this push for foundational learning, countries, and other stakeholder organizations were invited to endorse the Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning to ensure that all children, including the most marginalized, develop foundational learning and learning poverty is reduced by half by 2030. Subsequently, the SDG 4 High Level Steering Committee has endorsed the Coalition for Foundational Learning as one of the Global Initiatives under the TES follow-up. The Foundational Learning Compact is uniquely positioned as a vehicle through which the World Bank can work with partners to deepen country-level focus on foundational learning and to support countries to implement evidence-based interventions that can contribute to reducing learning poverty and increasing learning-adjusted years of schooling. Foundational learning constitutes the bedrock that secures and anchors a child’s education (see Box 1). This Progress Report covers from January 2021 through September 2022. The year 2020 marked a transition from the Systems Approach for Better Education Results Umbrella Facility (SABER-UF) to the FLC Umbrella TF. This FLC Progress Report picks up where the last SABER Progress Report ended, in January 2021, and covers through September 30, 2022. 2 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Box 1. Foundational Learning Foundational learning (literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills) constitutes the fundamental building block that children and youth must have in order to be able to acquire all the other learning, knowledge, and higher-order skills that they attain through education, and in general, through lifelong learning. Yet, too many children leave school without having mastered these must-have foundational skills. Foundational skills improve all subsequent learning, especially reading. Children who cannot read and understand a simple text will struggle to learn anything else in school. They are more likely to repeat a grade and more likely to drop out of school. They are less likely to benefit from further training and skills programs, or develop the skills they need to enter the 21st century workforce, contribute to society, and fulfil their potential. Early literacy therefore is a signal of the quality of education in a country. At a national level, failing to ensure foundational learning for all leads to worse health outcomes, greater youth unemployment, and deeper levels of poverty. 3 FLC Overview and Development Objectives OVERVIEW The FLC is an umbrella Trust Fund created to finance education activities to strengthen global and country-level efforts to make systemic and sustained improvements that lead to improved learning outcomes. The activities under the FLC are implemented at the early childhood, primary, and secondary education levels. The geographic scope is global: many of the countries receiving grants are in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. The FLC enables donors to contribute TF resources to be used for evidence-based interventions that leverage World Bank financing and high-level policy dialogue to jointly tackle the tremendous challenges that face global education in order to achieve more meaningful impact. The World Bank’s education portfolio of $24 billion for 95 countries consists of financing through the International Development Association (IDA)—the part of the World Bank that gives grants and credits to the poorest countries— as well as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)—the World Bank’s original concessional lending facility. The FLC became effective in August 2020 as the World Bank’s TF Reform was being rolled out. The transition of the SABER-UF5 to the FLC multi-donor Umbrella TF was carried out in agreement with SABER’s donors. This has allowed better alignment of TF activities with the World Bank’s most up-to-date priorities in education, particularly in foundational learning, including the focus on measurement, teachers, education technology, and other evidence-based interventions such as the Accelerator initiative. In terms of structure, the FLC TF consists of an Anchor multi-donor TF as the centerpiece of the Umbrella Program, and an associated ELP TF. The Results in Education for All Children (REACH) TF was also associated for a short period, but has since closed. All activities financed by the associated TF support the Umbrella Program’s development objectives. Figure 1, below, depicts the program architecture as it currently stands. This Progress Report will focus on the FLC Anchor, but also includes a summary of ELP; it will briefly cover the REACH TF because it was associated before it closed, but has its own evaluation. The ELP multi-donor TF was linked to the FLC in July 2022. Within the FLC Umbrella, the ELP focuses on early childhood, while the FLC Anchor focuses on primary and secondary education. The ELP was originally established in 2015 as a multi-donor TF working with countries to promote increased investment in children’s early years through research, policy planning, project design, and finance. The ELP provides resources and technical assistance to support ECD. It launched a major new global work program, “Invest in Childcare,” to catalyze a whole-of-World-Bank-Group approach to increase investments in quality childcare. 4 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Figure 1. Structure of the FLC Umbrella Trust Fund FLC Partnership Council FLC Anchor Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Education System FLC Umbrella Trust Fund Program Management Anchor FLC Trust Fund Results in Early Learning Education for All Partnership (ELP) Associated Associated Children (REACH) Early childhood REACH ELP Trust Fund Trust Fund The REACH multi-donor TF was associated with the FLC from February 2022 until June 30, 2022, when it closed. REACH helped countries strengthen their education services by focusing programs and initiatives on results, with the goal of boosting learning outcomes especially among the most vulnerable populations. It was originally established in 2015 as a multi-donor TF to support results-based financing projects and provide technical support and advice for results-based financing in education for the World Bank, as well as for development partners. One of its goals was to contribute to the evidence base for results-based financing in education, gathering data and knowledge that can be used to develop better education programs and policies (see Box 2 for more information). Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 5 Box 2. Highlights from the Results in Education for All Children TF The World Bank’s $29 million REACH TF explored results-based financing (RBF) approaches in education projects from 2015 to 2022. This TF was established to (i) support capacity building activities by investing in the preconditions for RBF; (ii) promote innovation and learning by piloting innovative approaches to improve teaching and learning; and (iii) build political support for RBF. To achieve these goals, REACH funded Country Program Grants (CPGs), Knowledge Learning and Innovation (KLI) grants, and capacity building and learning activities around RBF. Country Program Grants (CPGs) REACH provided large grants in two countries (approximately $4,000,000 per country) to RBF- related projects that sought to strengthen country systems to design and implement RBF mechanisms in collaboration with the World Bank. REACH CPGs funded activities tied to results, specifically to disburse payment when targets of specific indicators, called disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs), were achieved. REACH contributed funds linked to DLIs in Nepal’s School Sector Development Program (SSRP), which incentivized the government to prioritize an Education Management Information System (EMIS) and financial management in response to audit findings that highlighted financial irregularities. REACH also contributed funds linked to a DLI in Lebanon’s Reaching All Children with Education in Lebanon Support Project (RACE-II) to expand the supply of high-quality and sustainable education services. The TF provided an additional $450,000 to each World Bank country team for technical assistance and implementation support (REACH Annual Report 2020). Knowledge, Learning, and Innovation (KLI) grants REACH provided financing to expand knowledge about how RBF could be used to strengthen education systems in low- and middle-income countries. There were six topic areas for the KLI grants: teacher incentives, students and family incentives, school incentives, incentives for subnational governments, information and data systems, and the book chain. The selected KLI grant projects implemented a wide variety of RBF projects in 24 countries—ranging from low- income, fragile, and conflict-affected areas to middle-income economies—across multiple regions (REACH 2020 Annual Report, and REACH 2021 Annual Report forthcoming). REACH issued eight calls for proposals between 2015 and 2022 and awarded funding for 42 KLIs. Most of the grants were awarded to World Bank country education programs with the exception of several book chain grants. The approval criteria for grant selection included an assessment of the technical merits of the proposed activities, methodological rigor, potential for contribution to global knowledge, strategic opportunities for long-term engagement with governments around RBF, demonstrated client commitment, and potential for impact on country systems (see, for example, the June 2020 report, “The State of Ceará in Brazil is a Role Model for Reducing Learning Poverty”). At the end of the KLI grant cycle, grantees were expected to develop a policy note or other knowledge products to contribute to the global evidence base around RBF in education. Most grants were typically up to $200,000, although some projects received multiple grants for different project phases, such as piloting, data collection, scaling, and so on. Grants related to the book chain were somewhat larger, ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 (REACH 2021 Annual Report, forthcoming). 6 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 (Box 2 continued) Capacity building and learning around RBF REACH was committed to sharing knowledge to increase understanding of RBF among global practitioners and policy makers in education. To achieve this objective, REACH developed knowledge products and organized a range of capacity building and learning events. In its final years, REACH used remaining funding to fund knowledge products and dissemination, such as commissioning studies to fill gaps in the literature (for example, on the equity implications of RBF), creating assessment tools to determine system readiness for RBF, and developing an online training program to share the results of REACH activities with broader audiences. REACH supported the creation of knowledge products and hosted knowledge-sharing events to contribute to the evidence base for RBF in education and to support practitioners. Flagship Event The World Bank’s Global Conference on Funding Education for Results: Lessons for Accelerated Learning took place on May 5 and 6, 2022. At the conference, leaders in education financing from around the world discussed findings on the use of RBF and considered responses to the global education crisis. The conference showcased REACH’s work and how policy makers can draw from a toolbox of diverse instruments, from teacher incentives to performance-based school grants to incentives targeting mid-level managers, supplies, and others in order to focus more sharply on the effective use of funds and to boost learning outcomes. Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 7 The current donors of the FLC Anchor include the Gates Foundation, the LEGO Foundation, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and FCDO. The donors to REACH were Germany, Norway, and the US. Additionally, the FLC works closely with other partners, namely the GPE, UNESCO, UIS, and UNICEF. The FLC Partnership Council (PC) and the Program Management Team (PMT) are at the core of the FLC Umbrella governance, management, and administration (see Box 3). 8 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Box 3. In a nutshell—governance, management, and administration of the FLC Umbrella The FLC PC comprises the World Bank, donors, and in some cases other relevant stakeholders. All donors contributing to the FLC Anchor and associated TFs within the FLC Umbrella are part of the PC. The PC meets annually to discuss the strategic direction of the TF, update its members on the progress of activities, and discuss annual workplans and budgets. The FLC had its inaugural PC meeting on April 15, 2021, when the FLC was formally launched, and partners discussed core documents that would guide the structure, governance, operations, and communications of the FLC, as well as how to work together within the Umbrella TF structure. At the second PC meeting, held on May 4, 2022, key elements of the core documents were discussed to finalize the documents. World Bank management and team leads also presented the status of various activities, and the Budget and Workplan for the FLC Anchor was endorsed by Anchor donors. The finalized documents—Partnership Document, Concept Note, including results framework, and Communications and Visibility Plan—were shared with donors in early September 2022. The FLC Umbrella TF PMT comprises professional and administrative World Bank staff who support program management and administration, progress reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and communications and outreach. Core tasks for the PMT include organizing the annual PC meeting, producing annual Progress Reports, daily managing the TFs, work planning and budgeting, communications and visibility, and designing and monitoring the RF (see Annex 2). Program Management is funded out of contributions from donors. Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 9 DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES The FLC is fully aligned with and contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education. SDG 4 ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. The FLC is particularly aligned to two targets under SDG 4: (i) By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to good-quality, early childhood development, care, and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education; and (ii) by 2030, ensure that all girls and boys can complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. The FLC’s high-level objective for medium-term impact is to help reduce learning poverty and help increase LAYS through evidence-based interventions (see Figure 2). Figure 2. FLC’s high-level objective to reduce learning poverty and increase LAYS Reducing Learning FLC activities will contribute to reducing Learning Poverty through Poverty targeted actions focused on measuring foundational skills that improve all subsequent learning. The Learning Poverty rate is the share of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a simple story. The metric was developed in a collaboration between UIS and the World Bank. Learning Poverty offers a good indication of how effectively the education system is delivering services, and it brings together schooling and learning indicators at the end of primary education in one easy-to-understand measure. Increasing LAYS FLC activities will contribute to increasing LAYS. LAYS is an indicator embedded within the World Bank’s Human Capital Index (HCI) that combines data on the quantity (years of schooling) and quality (how much children know at a given grade level) of general education, including early childhood, primary, and secondary education. LAYS combines access and learning outcomes into a single, easy-to-understand summary metric of progress that allows for comparisons across different kinds of interventions. LAYS is calculated as the number of high-quality-equivalent years of schooling a child can expect to receive by age 18. 10 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 To prioritize activities, the FLC uses the World Bank’s Strategic Education Policy Approach,6 which articulates the key areas of intervention that contribute to improving learning outcomes. This approach focuses on activities that lead to lower learning poverty and higher LAYS (see Figure 3). Figure 3. The World Bank’s Strategic Education Policy Approach OUR APPROACH TO REALIZING THE PROMISE OF EDUCATION FOR ALL To guide our policy advisory and operational support to countries, we focus on policy actions that are needed to accelerate learning and that characterize the way many successful systems operate. These are presented within five interrelated pillars of a well-functioning education system that underpin the World Bank’s strategic education policy approach: learners, teachers, learning resources, schools, and system management. LEARNERS ARE TEACHERS AT CLASSROOMS SCHOOLS ARE EDUCATION PREPARED AND ALL LEVELS ARE ARE EQUIPPED SAFE AND SYSTEMS MOTIVATED TO EFFECTIVE AND FOR INCLUSIVE ARE WELL LEARN VALUED LEARNING SPACES MANAGED • Quality childcare • Meritocratic • Simple, effective • Eliminate all types • Enhance implementation profession curriculum of violence and capacity, from schools to • Nutrition discrimination in central ministries • Effective human • Books and supportive schools • Early stimulation resource function technology • Career track for school • Early childhood of Ministry of • Students with leaders Education • Coaching and disabilities have education structured pedagogy • Clear mandates and access to and can • Continuous school­ participate in learning accountability based professional • All students are taught development at the right level • Ensure universal • Learning is measured access in built and • Merit-based professional virtual environments bureaucracy Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 11 Program Description THREE PILLARS AND FIVE CROSS-CUTTING THEMES The FLC Anchor multi-donor TF is organized around three pillars: Measurement, Evidence-Based Policies and Systemic Reforms, and Capacity Building (see Figure 4). Figure 4. The FLC Design ● FLC Pillar 1—Measurement: to improve country-level capacity to measure Foundational Learning Compact and monitor learning outcomes and drivers of learning. The FLC supports activities to improve the measurement of learning, drivers of learning, and classroom observation. The activities are being conducted within the Measurement Evidence-Based Capacity framework of the LDC, which is a Policies & Building Systemic collaboration among UNICEF, UNESCO, Reforms UIS, and the World Bank to increase learning data measurement (for more information, see “Implementation Progress, Outcomes and Outputs”). Gender ● FLC Pillar 2—Evidence-Based Climate Policies and Systemic Reforms: to Education Technologies improve policies to deliver better Inclusion learning outcomes. This pillar includes Fragility, Conflict, & Violence (FCV) supporting governments to increasingly adopt evidence-based interventions to improve foundational learning. This is grounded in the Literacy Leverage global lending, policy, dialogue, Policy Package—a set of World Bank- and operational knowledge developed interventions that have been followed by most countries that have achieved rapid and sustained improvements in foundational literacy at scale.7 ● FLC Pillar 3—Capacity Building: to improve the effectiveness of education systems. This pillar increases government capacity to implement effective programs. This includes capacity to measure and use measurement data for policy making, improving in-service TPD and teacher capacity to implement evidence- based teaching practices, and strengthening implementation capacity of EdTech interventions to improve learning outcomes. The ELP’s Early Years Fellowship and Engaging Policymakers in Early Childhood Program build capacity, share knowledge, and strengthen the demand for ECE and childcare at the country level. 12 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 The FLC’s Anchor activities are broadly grouped under the three pillars. However, many activities straddle the pillars in order to be more impactful and for the results to be more sustainable. This can also be seen in the results framework. While strategically focusing on the three pillars, the FLC also includes the following five cross-cutting themes or areas of special emphasis into which the FLC, with donor support, would like to expand in the coming years: ● Gender: Ensuring that all girls and young women receive one is a strategic priority of the World Bank. The World Bank prioritizes four interventions in girls’ education: (i) removing barriers to schooling, (ii) promoting safe and inclusive schools, (iii) improving the quality of education, and (iv) developing skills for life and labor market success. FLC activities will mainstream gender as much as possible, and activities such as the Accelerator and the Bangladesh Secondary Education Program will conduct evidence-based student outreach to promote girls’ retention in school and improve their learning. The ELP activity will also provide increased access to quality childcare to support women’s economic empowerment. In particular, the Investment Case component of the Accelerator Program will incorporate, where applicable, a gender-based lens to improving foundational reading outcomes and help make informed recommendations to address gender disparities in those results. ● Climate: Poor countries and communities are likely to be disproportionately impacted by climate change and to bear significant costs during transitions to greener economies. There are three core dimensions along which education can boost climate action: (i) behavior change for climate adaptation and mitigation; (ii) resilient education infrastructure; and (iii) green innovation. With future funding, the World Bank plans to build on intersectoral knowledge and rapid data collection in different contexts, as well as global public goods on actionable interventions at the country level. Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 13 ● Technology: The World Bank promotes the appropriate, cost-effective use of EdTech and supports countries in expanding access and improving quality— both inside and out of the classroom—so that education reaches all students. Countries can effectively harness the power of education technology, or EdTech— encompassing hardware, software, digital content, data, and information systems— to support and enrich teaching and learning and improve education management and delivery. The World Bank is furthermore committed to supporting countries in adopting digital technologies to improve teaching and learning and to bring education to all learners—anytime, anywhere. ● Inclusion: Equity and inclusion are at the core of the World Bank’s strategic education policy approach. Marginalized children and youth from poor and less educated households suffer the largest learning losses. In addition, girls are more likely to drop out, and students with disabilities may not have had any learning support during the pandemic if accessible remote-learning opportunities have not been provided, and they may have found it harder as schools have reopened. The World Bank has focused support on accessible, remote-learning technologies, dropout prevention, learning recovery, practical, effective and inclusive pedagogy, foundational skills, and socioemotional support. The FLC activities will endeavor to mainstream broader inclusion and disability inclusion as much as possible. With future funding, the World Bank would like to deepen the work in this area to support countries in making their general education system more inclusive. The World Bank also would like to develop global public goods on actionable interventions at the country level to engage and equip teachers and other school staff to use inclusive teaching pedagogies and practices to ensure that all learners can access education and participate in learning. ● FCV: The World Bank is focused on ensuring a safe environment for children to learn in, and in 2020 the Bank launched the 2020–2025 Strategy for Fragility, Conflict, and Violence as an important milestone to serve populations living in FCV situations, as well as an FCV White Paper.8 The strategy rests on four pillars: (i) preventing violent conflict and interpersonal violence, (ii) remaining engaged during crises and active conflicts, (iii) helping countries transition out of fragility, and (iv) mitigating the spillovers of FCV. With future funding, the World Bank would like to create a hub for what works in FCV setting, as well as country grants for learning recovery and for out-of-school children. In all these areas, the World Bank has a broad and deep portfolio of activities that are expected to be reflected in the FLC as it evolves. These are discussed below. 14 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 ACTIVITIES FLC Umbrella activities are either World Bank-executed or Recipient-executed. All of the activities in the FLC Anchor are Bank-executed, while ELP has both Bank and Recipient-executed activities.9 The FLC Anchor includes the following activities that are being implemented around the world with support from FLC’s donors: the Accelerator Program; the Learning Data Compact (LDC), including Policy Linking, Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels for the SDG 4.1.1.b or AMPL-b, and Regional Assessments, the Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD), and the Effect of COVID-19 on Learning and Schooling); support to teachers through Teach and Coach; Education Technology, including EdTech Hub and the EdTech Policy Academy; and the Secondary Education Program. These activities are discussed in the section titled “Implementation Progress, Outcomes and Outputs” (see Figure 5). Figure 5. FLC Activities Early Childhood Primary Secondary Education Education Education​ Measurement Accelerator Measuring Learning Loss Childcare Learning Data Compact Learning Recovery ECE Fellow Teachers Psycho-social support FCV Grants EdTech Teachers The FLC Anchor activities are being implemented in 48 countries around the world. As Map 1 shows, the greatest number of the countries impacted by the FLC— approximately half—are in Africa, followed by South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Two of the FLC activities are being implemented in Ethiopia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. Three or more activities are being implemented in Brazil, Mozambique, and Pakistan. Section 1. FLC Overview and Highlights 15 Map 1. FLC Anchor Activities—Implementing Countries 1 2 3 Middle East and North Africa Latin America & Caribbean East Africa Algeria Teach Brazil Accelerator, Teach, EdTech Burundi Teach Djibouti Teach Policy Academy Eswatini Teach Jordan GEPD Ecuador Accelerator Ethiopia GEPD and EdTech Policy Lebanon GEPD and EdTech Policy El Salvador Teach Academy Academy Honduras Teach Kenya Accelerator Morocco Accelerator and Teach Mexico Teach Madagascar GEPD and EdTech Tunisia EdTech Policy Academy Peru GEPD and EdTech Policy Policy Academy Academy Mozambique Accelerator, GEPD, Europe and Central Asia Coach Albania EdTech Policy Academy West Africa Rwanda Accelerator and GEPD Armenia Teach Cabo Verde Teach Somalia Teach Romania Teach Cameroon Teach South Sudan GEPD Uzbekistan Teach Central African Republic Teach Tanzania Teach and EdTech Policy Türkiye EdTech Policy Academy Côte d’Ivoire Teach Academy Gambia International Assessment South Asia Linking East Asia & Pacific Bangladesh Bangladesh Ghana International Assessment Cambodia EdTech Policy Academy Secondary Education Program Linking Indonesia Teach India Teach Mali EdTech Policy Academy Lao PDR GEPD Nepal Teach Niger Accelerator and EdTech Malaysia EdTech Policy Academy Pakistan Accelerator, GEPD, Teach, Policy Academy Pacific Islands Teach EdTech Policy Academy Sierra Leone AMPL-b Togo EdTech Policy Academy Source: Designed by the World Bank FLC program management team, with the support of the World Bank cartography team and the report’s designer. October 2022. IBRD 46842  |  October 2022 Note: The shade of blue reflects the concentration of activities in the country: The darker the shade, the more activities are being implemented in the country. 16 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs This section is presented in the order of levels of education. For ELP, because it was only recently linked to the Umbrella in July 2022 and there was been separate reporting until now, the following section will focus on describing the activities. The next progress report will cover implementation progress. In the other subsections, there will be a description of the activity, followed by an update on implementation, including progress and outputs developed. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 17 EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES The Early Learning Partnership CATALYTIC FINANCING TO BUILD THE PIPELINE AND IMPROVE THE PORTFOLIO QUALITY The ELP hosts competitive funding rounds to support ECD services through project preparation and supervision, pilots, evaluation, and upstream analytical work (up to $250,000 per grant). Since 2012, the ELP has awarded a total of $15.5 million in the form of 117 grants in 63 countries, leveraging $1.8 billion dollars in financing. ELP funding rounds focus on specific topics and each round has a learning agenda to promote cross-country knowledge sharing and ensure that teams can access the latest evidence, tailored technical assistance, and support to measure impact. A funding round in 2022 includes the topics of Childcare, Read@Home, and ECD in fragile contexts. Across all three rounds, 78 proposals for a total of $18 million were received. The substantial number of requests from country teams reflects the continued increase in demand from countries for support on ECD across a range of topics and regions. HIGH-VALUE GLOBAL ANALYTICAL WORK Scaling Up Measurement in Early Childhood supports countries to measure early childhood outcomes (primarily ages 4–6) and the quality of early learning environments, while simultaneously working toward the generation of globally comparable data. The World Bank is developing tools and materials to scale up ECD measurement, namely, AIM-ECD, Teach ECE, ECD and a COVID-19 phone survey. These tools have been used in more than 15 countries in 7 regions. The next steps are focused on roll out, including household surveys. Read@Home aims to expand opportunities for children to read at home in the languages spoken at home. To date, the World Bank has provided support to 13 countries to source, select, develop, and procure good-quality reading materials, engage caregivers and communities, improve the efficiency of the book supply chain, and lower the unit costs of books. The Bank has developed a range of global public goods to support quality implementation. Quality Early Learning identifies the crucial elements of effective ECE to provide policy makers and World Bank country teams with actionable, evidence-based and cost-effective strategies to deliver high-quality ECE at scale. The main deliverable is a volume, launched in May 2022, that brings together a group of multidisciplinary experts to cover the breadth of critical elements underlying child learning in ECE. Invest in Childcare is a broad World Bank work program across operations, research and global partnerships to increase investments in, and access to, childcare. In 2020, 18 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES the World Bank released “Better Jobs and Brighter Futures: Investing in Childcare to Build Human Capital,”10 a paper that reviews the evidence on the benefits of childcare and its current status worldwide, including the global need. The paper makes the case that investments in childcare are central to building human capital, with substantial potential benefits for women, children, families, businesses, and economies, and it presents a series of policy goals and potential solutions to expand access to quality and affordable childcare. In the process of writing the paper, staff from various relevant sectors within the World Bank worked together to identify the constraints and opportunities to expand World Bank investments in childcare, and to develop a broad work program across operations, research and global partnerships. The Invest in Childcare work program and accompanying paper have attracted high-level attention from stakeholders and funders in both the ECD and gender communities. To date, a total of $104 million has been committed from a group of seven foundations and four bilateral funders to finance this work program, and it was referenced in the 2022 G7 Communique. In 2022, the World Bank has focused on recruiting key team members and launching initial streams of work, including the competitive funding round for childcare grants, which received 38 proposals requesting $8.9 million. The World Bank has worked to identify a strong portfolio of impact evaluations across regions, working with the Bank’s Gender Innovation Labs, and worked to increase data on childcare in partnership with external partners such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Bank’s Women, Business and the Law team and others. The World Bank has also invested substantial time in partnerships, communications, and civil society engagement. CAPACITY BUILDING (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) The Early Years Fellowship selects young professionals to work as short-term consultants (STCs) for two years in their home countries on cross-sectoral ECD work programs. Through this work, these young professionals have played an important role in bringing more ECD expertise into the Bank’s work at the country level and increasing country-level, cross-human development collaboration on ECD. These Fellows are simultaneously enrolled in an extensive professional development program (20 percent of time). From 2017–2021, two cohorts of 45 Fellows have supported 47 countries. Cohort 3, with 15 new Fellows working in 15 countries, has been selected and started work in September 2022, with an orientation to follow. The Engaging Policymakers in Early Childhood Program (within the Education Policy Academy) is a multi-year effort to build policymaker capacity, promote South– South learning, and generate positive peer interactions for more and better ECE investments. It was launched in early 2021 with 12 countries selected from over 40 applications, representing 100 participants and six languages. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 19 PRIMARY EDUCATION The Accelerator Program The Accelerator Program is designed to improve learning outcomes at scale, through focused evidence-based interventions. The program provides recognition and additional technical and financial assistance to countries to help them focus on and improve foundational learning skills, particularly early-grade reading. With the initial cohort, the program aims to demonstrate that with technical support and specific evidence-based activities, it is possible to improve foundational learning outcomes at scale over a relatively short period. The Accelerator Program was launched in late 2020 by the World Bank in partnership with UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, FCDO, UNESCO UIS, and USAID.11 This initiative provides support to countries that have demonstrated strong political and financial commitment to tackling learning poverty, a willingness to measure and monitor learning outcomes, and readiness to implement large-scale, evidence-based reforms to improve foundational literacy and skills. An initial global cohort of 10 countries or subnational entities have been engaged as “Accelerators” in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia: Brazil (state of Ceará), Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria (Edo State), Pakistan, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. Each of these countries have a large-scale program to improve foundational learning financed by IDA/IBRD, GPE, and/or government funds, (and development partners) that the program complements and provides focused supports to improve impact on foundational learning outcomes. These Accelerators can motivate other countries to join the program by demonstrating how evidence-based action and commitment can lead to tangible improvements in learning outcomes. The current Accelerator grants provide support to six of the ten countries (Kenya, Niger, Mozambique, Rwanda, Edo Sate (Nigeria), and Pakistan) with funding ranging from $250,000 to $2.6 million for technical and financial support. The World Bank is actively advocating for more countries to join this important initiative and for more funding to support the countries. The intensive technical assistance provided with the funding is critical to the country level focus on implementation of activities that are known to improve foundational learning outcomes. The Accelerator model contains three elements: (i) target setting, (ii) developing an Investment Case, and (iii) capacity strengthening. See Figure 6. 20 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION Figure 6. The World Bank’s and UNICEF’s collaboration under the Accelerator Program Target Building an Strengthening Setting Investment Case Implementation Setting foundational Developing a technical and Capacity learning targets and financial plan to implement Building the government’s monitoring outcomes key interventions to reach implementation capacity to the targets, and to align reach the set targets internal and external actors and funding Communications and Advocacy Informing and engaging national stakeholders in support of the targets Analytical and Advisory Services Supporting governments as they plan and implement Partner Alignment and Accountability Aligning development partners around the program Target Setting Target setting in the context of the Accelerator Program involves setting foundational learning targets and monitoring outcomes. Given the critical importance of foundational skills, before the pandemic the World Bank set an ambitious but achievable global Learning Target to guide its operational engagements with countries: by 2030, reduce by at least half the share of children who cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.12 To support near-term progress toward this target, the institution has developed a Literacy Policy Package (LPP) to complement broader, longer-term system reforms.13 While the Learning Target is a global one, it is critical for each country to establish its own path to improve learning outcomes. The objective is for Accelerator countries to demonstrate significant progress toward their own targets. Focusing the government and education stakeholders in a country on a core set of outcomes is a path to acceleration. This effort involves identifying a few key outcome indicators related to foundational skills that are easy to communicate and act upon. Countries define the indicators that their collective efforts hope to move and establish monitoring systems for these key outcome indicators. Figure 7 shows how targets help countries such as Rwanda and Niger to focus on foundational learning skills and subskills. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 21 PRIMARY EDUCATION Figure 7. Target Setting—examples of proposed indicators/targets Rwanda Share of P3 students in public and government-subsidized schools achieving grade-level proficiency in English. Niger Proportion of second and fourth graders who meet the minimum level of proficiency in reading. Building an Investment Case The Investment Case is the second core element of the Accelerator Program and entails developing a clear, realistic, evidence-based, and costed plan for achieving the determined learning targets, which is also used to strategically align all key stakeholders. This plan builds on the existing government education sector plan, but with a narrower and more specific focus on foundational learning. It diagnoses the key reasons why children are not currently learning, starting from the classroom and building outward; proposes concrete solutions in order of priority; describes government and development partner resources, and promotes coordination; and draws on the most relevant evidence and success cases to advance specific priority actions to improve reading. The government, the World Bank, together with UNICEF, USAID and FCDO, review how existing activities and plans match up against the evidence-backed interventions to reach the target. This alignment exercise allows the government to leverage technical and financial resources both from the domestic budget and from development partners toward the common learning target. This process actively engages other partners to join in support of the outlined investment plan to reach the government’s targets. The Investment Case also analyzes existing capacity vis-à-vis what is needed to improve foundational learning based on evidence-based activities. 22 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION Capacity Strengthening Capacity strengthening, the third element of the Accelerator Program, has to do with building the government’s implementation capacity to reach the set targets. The Program supports Accelerators with tools to build capacity to implement the interventions identified in their Investment Case. A central aspect of the program is to give governments opportunities to learn from each other and apply practical lessons from how other countries have tackled similar challenges. Different forms of support in the program include: (i) enlisting of country-specific technical assistance to respond to identified needs (such as creating and revising lessons plans or providing effecting coaching and support to teachers); (ii) creating a Community of Practice where countries and global experts can exchange and share knowledge; (iii) making practical materials and tools easily accessible online; and (iv) helping countries access other technical support, analytics, and implementation capacity development. UNICEF is a key technical partner in the Accelerator Program. It oversees Communications and Advocacy, and Analytical and Advisory Services. Partner Alignment and Accountability This exercise involves working proactively through Local Education Groups (LEGs) and other coordinating bodies among development partners in the Accelerator countries as platforms to achieve tighter alignment with the learning targets and the Accelerator Program. This involves reviewing progress regularly, adapting, and learning from each other. The World Bank and UNICEF have also been coordinating with UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report team as well as other DPs. On the one hand, the World Bank has provided contributions to the country case studies shared in the “Spotlight on Basic Education Completion and Foundational Learning in Africa, 2022: Born to Learn report”. UNICEF has been advocating and orienting the coordinating bodies to focus on the learning targets and to identify evidence-based initiatives more explicitly. This is critical to align development partners with the targets, the Investment Case, capacity strengthening, and funding to push synergistically toward improving learning outcomes. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM The Accelerator Program has Theory of Change (ToC) and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks at the global level, which are being tailored for each country. Table 1 summarizes the program’s country progress as of September 2022. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 23 PRIMARY EDUCATION Table 1. Accelerator Program—country progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Edo State​ Mozambique​ Niger​ Pakistan​ Rwanda ​ Learning targets are developed by the In Progress​ Initiated​ Completed​ Initiated​ Completed​ Government with support from the World Bank. Learning target baselines are In Progress​ In Progress​ Completed​ Initiated​ Completed​ established by the Government with support from the World Bank. An Investment Case that outlines a In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress​ strategy for meeting learning targets is co-created by the Gov’t and facilitated by the World Bank. The Investment Case is costed with a Initiated​ Initiated​ Initiated​ Initiated​ Initiated​ realistic budget which includes TA by the World Bank. Resource and capacity gaps for project In Progress​ Initiated​ In Progress​ Initiated​ In Progress​ implementation are identified among government and local implementors by the World Bank. Technical assistance to address In Progress​ Initiated​ Initiated​ Initiated​ In Progress​ identified resource and implementation capacity gaps is provided by the World Bank. A community of practice focused In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress​ In Progress on sharing data and lessons from the accelerator experience and learning poverty reduction efforts is implemented and supported by the World Bank. ​ oxes 4 to 9 present a summary of country implementation progress of B Accelerator grants. Box 4. Mozambique Accelerator Grant ● The expected outcomes of the Accelerator Program in Mozambique include: (i) develop greater alignment across the Mozambican government and key partners toward the government’s targets to accelerate learning; (ii) bring in other partners to support the Investment Case; (iii) capacity built in government to plan and implement programs to improve foundational learning. ● World Bank and UNICEF are engaging with the Ministry of Education to support them to develop the Investment Case for Recovering and Accelerating Foundational Learning, as well as strengthening the government capacity to design, implement, and monitor effective programs to accelerate progress towards learning targets 24 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION (Box 4 continued) ● The Accelerator Program has strong synergy with the MozLearning Project (P172657) funded by the World Bank and GPE ($299 million), which aims to improve learning in the first grades of primary education through evidence-based innovative interventions. These include structured materials for literacy, teacher training focused on pedagogical practice, effective use of learning assessments, and results-based incentives programs for schools and districts. Box 5. Niger Accelerator Grant ● Niger, where half of all children are yet to meet minimum reading and writing requirements, is simplifying its school programs to focus on reading, writing, and numeracy skills, and providing additional support to pupils at risk. ● The third Accelerator workshop was held in June 2022, with participation of the Secretary General of the MoE. ● The Accelerator Program has provided technical support to the MoE to advance the selection of learning targets to monitor foundational learning outcomes. With the support of the program, the government will develop lesson plans inFrench, Hausa, and Zarma for teachers to improve the delivery of early grade reading instruction. This will include a robust implementation plan to guide the rollout. ● On July 22, 2022, learning targets were validated by the government, endorsing the following learning indicators: (i) the proportion of second graders meeting the minimum level of proficiency in reading, and (ii) the proportion of fourth graders meeting the minimum level of proficiency in reading. The government also opted to include two other access-related targets as part of this exercise: the preschool gross enrolment ratio and the gross intake ratio in the first grade. All the four indicators are included in Niger’s Sahel White Paper implementation plan, which followed the Nouakchott Summit and the launch of the Sahel Education White Paper in December 2021. ● The Investment Case and advocacy strategy will be validated during the next workshop planned for end of 2022 in partnership with UNICEF. ● Niger will use the GEPD for key data. Results will be integrated with Accelerator work, particularly on the proportion of fourth graders meeting the minimum level of proficiency in reading, and on the indicator on teachers’ pedagogical practices. The school and public official surveys for the GEPD were completed before end Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 25 PRIMARY EDUCATION (Box 5 continued) of school year (June 2022). Implementation was especially challenging because of conflict areas and inaccurate Ministry data on schools in the sampling frame (which required some replacements). As of September 30, 2022, the Bank was working on analyzing the data. ● The Accelerator has catalyzed the flagship IDA-funded Learning Improvement for Results in Education (LIRE) project, which will focus on foundational learning. The targeting and investment case have helped to identify core elements for foundational learning that will be funded through the project. It will also use GEPD to track progress on drivers of foundational learning and learning outcomes. Box 6. Nigeria (Edo State) Accelerator Grant In Edo State, Nigeria, the Accelerator Program is complementing and catalyzing government-led programs, including the IDA-funded Edo Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation (EdoBESST) Operation, to strengthen foundational learning: ● The World Bank has held several workshops on target setting and developing the Investment Case. A preliminary draft has been prepared for discussion and is under review by government. The draft identifies nine priorities and the targets are defined in terms of words read per minute. ● Assessment frameworks and learning standards have been developed for math and reading comprehension for grades 3, 6, and 9, aligned with the GPF, and a pilot has been conducted for more than 3,500 students. ● The program is also supporting the development of a state learning assessment strategy and system to support target setting and monitoring of foundational learning outcomes. The program will also support the recruitment of experienced specialists to assist the government in these endeavors. The Bank has had ongoing dialogue on learning data, particularly with regard to word reading and oral reading fluency outcomes. This is expected to enable the government to track and report foundational learning outcomes with increased regularity and accuracy. Progress includes the following: • A guidance note produced for establishing and administering a learning assessment system in Edo. • Assessment frameworks and learning standards have been developed for Mathematics and Reading Comprehension for grades 3, 6 and 9. 26 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION (Box 6 continued) • Four workshops have been conducted with item writers (teachers) selected by the government, with the objective of building the capacity of the government to create assessment tools. ● There has been a focus on building government capacity to ensure that interventions are institutionally and financially sustainable. For instance, an Education Week is being planned for January 2023 to showcase activities in foundational learning and to convene peer Accelerator countries, as well as to serve as a model for other states in Nigeria. ● The Bank and UNICEF have been fostering greater collaboration at the country level among stakeholders working in Edo State/Nigeria. To facilitate this, UNICEF has drafted an advocacy strategy for foundational learning and the Accelerator. Box 7. Pakistan Accelerator Grant The Accelerator Program in Pakistan has advanced the dialogue and action on foundational literacy, in the following ways: ● Provincial-level workshops were carried out to support engagement and preparation for the national workshop on foundational learning. ● The first high-level Accelerator workshop was held on June 20, 2022 and included technical and political provincial- level representatives and development partners to discuss how to prioritize foundational reading. The participation of the Federal Minister for Education and British High Commissioner set the stage for building the Investment Case, which is currently being drafted. ● GEPD will be used to support the Accelerator with data. Implementation is planned for all four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory of Pakistan in 2022–2023. The implementation began in the Fall of 2022, in the first two provinces, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 in all provinces. ● Two working groups were formed with representatives from provincial and federal education departments for the following: diagnostics about reading outcomes, and the mapping of existing and past reading-focused interventions. ● The Grant has also enabled deeper coordination among USAID, FCDO, UNICEF and World Bank in terms of prioritization of foundational learning activities and alignment of interventions. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 27 PRIMARY EDUCATION Box 8. Rwanda Accelerator Grant Rwanda has been taking proactive measures to improve the learning opportunities for all children. The Accelerator Program has had a catalytic effect on Rwanda’s focus on foundational learning, and there has been sustained high-level commitment. ● Accelerator Program has delivered deep-dive workshops to senior government representatives and development partners on target setting and the Investment Case, which in Rwanda take the form of the National Foundational Learning Strategy. The priority areas outlined in the Strategy include improved quality of instruction; monitoring, assessment and quality assurance systems; parent and community support for learning; effective textbooks and learning materials; and evidence-aligned foundational skills curriculum. ● The second national symposium on foundational learning, held in July 2022, convened national stakeholders to discuss foundational learning, including improved quality of instruction, parent and community support for learning, best practices for mathematics instruction, research insights from the L1–L2 transition, and TPD. L1 refers to the students’ first language (native language or mother tongue), while L2 refers to their second language or the language they are currently learning. Among key takeaways is the need to build momentum to promote foundational skills and to coordinate whole of society for greater scale and impact. ● The target-setting exercise identified the following indicators: (i) share of P3 students in public and government-subsidized schools who achieve grade-level proficiency in English, ii) share of P3 female students in public and government- subsidized schools who achieve grade-level proficiency in English, (iii) share of P3 students in public and government-subsidized schools who achieve grade- level proficiency in numeracy, and (iv) share of P3 female students in public and government-subsidized schools who achieve grade-level proficiency in numeracy. Proposed learning targets have been incorporated in the recently approved World Bank Additional Financing project. ● The draft National Foundational Learning Strategy, currently under validation review, will serve as Rwanda’s Investment Case and is expected to inform interventions and practices in the short–medium term. ● The Accelerator is complementing and catalyzing World Bank operations. The Additional Financing to Quality Basic Education IPF reflects key elements of the Investment Case, including remedial education, textbooks to support equity in learning outcomes, TPD focusing on English, and pedagogy. The recent Human 28 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION (Box 8 continued) Capital Development Policy Financing aims to remove policy bottlenecks for quality instruction and learning. Among several systemic reforms, the program is strengthening the annual teacher performance contracts to improve the alignment of foundational learning results and teacher performance reviews. Box 9. Kenya Accelerator Grant ● Implementation has been delayed due to merging the Investment Case with the GPE Partnership Compact and its development process. However, this has created a focus on foundational learning in the Compact and facilitated the alignment process with donors. ● The procurement process has been launched for a study to help strengthen the School-Based Teacher Support Initiative, which provides sustained support to teachers at the school level on how to improve content mastery and pedagogical skills in grades 1–3. The process is expected to be finalized by January 2023. Knowledge Sharing and Coordination The World Bank has been organizing fora, seminars, council meetings and other high-level meetings with development partners to ensure a common understanding of the initiative, share updates on progress toward the components of the program and on specific countries, and promote collaboration. The following is a summary of these and other key events that were organized between January 2021 and September 2022. June 17, 2021: Accelerator Exchange Forum. Six sub-Saharan African governments (Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria [Edo State], Rwanda, and Sierra Leone) shared their education reform experiences online and introduced their approaches to tackling learning poverty, with more than 100 participants. The sharing of experiences, lessons learned, and strategies included the creation of “curriculum support officers,” and engagement with parents to support home learning.14 Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 29 PRIMARY EDUCATION March 8, 2022: Accelerator Global Coordination Council meeting. The World Bank and UNICEF country teams in Niger, Nigeria (Edo State), and Sierra Leone provided updates to the global coordination council. May 18, 2022: Internal seminar. This information-sharing session helped raise awareness and reflect on the program with regional leadership and staff. The event helped generate greater awareness and ownership on the regional side of the World Bank’s matrix. Although there is always room for improvement, feedback on the partnership model from the global and country teams was very positive. June 13, 2022: Global Coordination Council meeting. Deep-dive to reflect on the findings from a mission to Sierra Leone to advance the objectives of the Accelerator Program. This meeting also included an update on the Advocacy Approach within the Accelerator Program (UNICEF and BMGF) and Emerging Plans Data for Foundational Learning (FCDO). June 30, 2022: Pre-TES Summit Meeting of Accelerator Cohort. Hosted a moderated discussions with Ministers of Education from Accelerator countries in order to feature the Program and share examples and lessons learned on improving foundational learning outcomes and discuss evidence-based actions that are under way or being planned. OUTPUTS OF THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM The World Bank Accelerator Program—April 2022 Accelerator Program Brief Investment Case Guidance Note Target Setting Guidance Note Target Setting Checklist 30 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION The Learning Data Compact Despite the growth of national and international assessments, collecting comparable learning data over time and across countries is still a major challenging. This is because most assessments ● do not measure what matters most: Most assessments do not measure the specific subskills that lead to reading with meaning, and often prioritize the measurement of content knowledge. The measurement of subskills is important to allow identification and targeting of specific deficits in learners who are unable to read with comprehension. ● are not comparable over time: Many assessments are not designed to be psychometrically comparable over time. When the subject and grade assessed change, it also prevents comparability. ● are not comparable across countries: Different countries’ assessments test different skills in different grades. It is difficult to learn or benchmark across countries because difficulty levels are not the same. Furthermore, ● International assessments may enable comparability, but they have low coverage in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, particularly for the early grades of primary school. Moreover, primary grade international assessments take place in cycles, typically every 5-6 years, which is too long of a gap to provide meaningful information and inform decisions. This contrasts with lower-secondary assessments that are conducted every three years. ● Learning assessments within donor projects are often limited to the beneficiaries and timeline of the projects, limiting the sustainability of these efforts. This explains why data gaps are still so high. For example, 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa did not report data in The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update report. The UIS map below highlights the data gaps. In addition, in a business-as-usual scenario, the next global update of the learning poverty number will only be possible in 2027, once the 2024 round of regional assessments such as PASEC, Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), and the Latin-American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education (LLECE) have been disseminated. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 31 PRIMARY EDUCATION Map 2. Data gaps in learning at the end of primary school in the world15 Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. IBRD 46848  |  October 2022 Note: This map captures assessments administered in 2016 or after that measure learning (reading or mathematics) at the end of primary education. Only national assessments that met a certain threshold of quality using Item-Response Theory were included. The Learning Data Compact (LDC) is a global framework designed jointly with UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank to improve the availability, frequency, relevance, and timeliness of learning data to inform better education policy and practices. It was launched in 2021 as a commitment to close the learning gaps and ensure that all countries, especially low- and middle-income countries, have at least two quality measures of learning in two grades in two areas by 2030, so that all countries can have relevant data with which to make sound decisions to strengthen their national assessment systems and improve their learning outcomes. The LDC is meant to be an equitable, flexible, and efficient mechanism to support the expansion of country-level capacity for data collection and inform policies and practices at the country level. Multiple rounds of temporally comparable data is needed in order to identify what is working to improve learning, determine and rectify gaps and needs, and support the efforts of teachers and parents to recover the learning losses caused by COVID-19. Such data are invaluable to direct the response of governments and the international community to address the learning crisis that predated, but was aggravated by, the COVID-19 pandemic. 32 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 PRIMARY EDUCATION The LDC is organized around three main pillars to improve data collection and use: (i) measure learning progress; (ii) measure the drivers of learning; and (iii) measure what happens in the classroom (see Figure 8). The various measurement activities that are supported by the FLC, which range from support to Policy Linking to the Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD), fit under the LDC. Figure 8. LDC pillars Pillar 1: Pillar 2: Pillar 3: Measure learning Measure the drivers of Measure what happens progress learning in the classroom​ Provide support to Measure inputs and Formative assessments temporally comparable intermediate outcomes for teachers’ classroom national/international/ using administrative use regional learning records and school assessments surveys Classroom observation tools to measure teaching Provide new tools and Integrate the practices methods in the short measurement of learning run to efficiently assess in household surveys learning, including COVID-related losses Measure learning for at least 2 subjects, 2 grades, and 2 rounds by 2030 (2x2x2) IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE LDC The LDC is a multi-pronged effort across the three pillars: (i) advocacy for learning data; (ii) the development and dissemination of global public goods to guide policy makers and stakeholders on the use of data to inform interventions; and (iii) the provision of country support and grants to promote the production and use of learning and teaching data. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 33 PRIMARY EDUCATION Knowledge Sharing and Coordination The World Bank has hosted public events to raise awareness about data gaps, explore the most pressing data needs, and discuss the LDC’s collaborative initiatives. These gatherings have encouraged cooperation between implementers and policy makers. The following is a summary of these and other key events organized between July 2021 and September 2022. July 1, 2021: LDC launch. The World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF agreed to a Learning Data Compact, which is a commitment to ensure that all countries, especially low- income countries, have at least one quality measure of learning by 2025. July 26, 2021: Global Education Summit: Financing the GPE 2021–2025. The World Bank, UIS, and UNESCO presented the LDC during a side event of the Global Education Summit. October 8, 2021: First development partner meeting. The World Bank hosted potential donors to present the FLC. December 14, 2021: LDC gains global attention at Dubai’s RewirEd Summit. The World Bank, with UNESCO and UNICEF, organized a high-level session at RewirEd, a global education summit hosted by Dubai Cares. Jaime Saavedra, Global Director of Education, presented the LDC to a global audience of nearly 100 education stakeholders. February 24, 2022: LDC meets with new GPE Acting-CEO. The principals of the Compact met with the new Acting-CEO of the GPE to discuss new phase of joint consortium with LDC. June 29, 2022: Pre-TES Summit. The World Bank, UNESCO, UNHCR, and UNICEF hosted a hybrid presentation of the LDC to advocate for the need for learning data. 34 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress Under the leadership of the UIS, and with support from partner organizations, solutions have been developed in the last few years to enable countries to improve the comparability of their learning data building on their existing assessments. These new methods include Policy Linking, Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels (AMPL), and regional assessments. Policy Linking The World Bank has supported the implementation of Policy Linking. This is a benchmarking methodology developed by USAID, UIS and other development partners to link and compare national, large-scale, student assessment results to global or international student learning standards and outcome indicators, including SDG 4.1.1 (a, b, and c) indicators. By linking national assessment results to global results, this methodology allows countries to report on SDG 4.1.1 indicators and improve the comparability of results reported for these indicators. As part of this global effort, the World Bank has joined UIS, USAID, and other international organizations in piloting this methodology in countries that have available national assessment results but that have not reported on SDG 4.1.1 and learning poverty indicators in recent years. Previously, implementation in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria was supported by UIS and USAID. Policy Linking methodology involves workshops with teachers and curriculum experts. These workshops help determine the content alignment of learning assessments with the learning standards described under the GPF and, in turn, express student learning outcomes in proficiency levels consistent with SDG 4.1 target and indicators. Because of the involvement of local experts and assessment units in the complete methodology implementation, Policy Linking increases the likelihood of attaining stakeholders’ perceived ownership of any results achieved. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE POLICY LINKING During the implementation period, the World Bank has completed Policy Linking in Ghana and The Gambia. The presence of the World Bank on the ground offers provides a comparative advantage in the implementation of Policy Linking. The World Bank finalized the implementation in the two countries in April–May 2022, with a Ghana Policy Linking Pilot workshop report developed in May 2021 and the final results report for The Gambia in June 2022. Policy Linking has ToC and MEL frameworks at the global level. Table 2 summarizes the program’s country progress as of September 2022. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 35 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress Table 2. Policy Linking—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Ghana The Gambia Policy Linking pilots are completed Completed Completed Analysis of Policy Linking pilots Completed Completed prepared Lessons based on the two pilots Completed Completed identified for incorporation into Policy Linking Toolkit Country Reports developed Completed Completed Boxes 10 and 11 present a summary of country implementation progress to date in both countries. Box 10. Implementation of Policy Linking in Ghana Ghana has taken part in numerous learning assessment studies, including EGRA and EGMA administered in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and a National Education Assessment (NEA) in 2016. However, these are all relatively dated and/or not benchmarked to international assessments. It also participated in the TIMSS international assessment in 2003, 2007, and 2011, and intends to participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2022, which will provide data on internationally comparable learning outcomes. Students also take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at the end of basic education, then take the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at the end of the higher secondary education. However, these high-stakes examinations do not provide information on core numeracy and literacy competencies, and are not designed to be used for monitoring educational achievement in the education system. Ghana’s National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) developed the National Proficiency Learning Assessment Framework in 2020, which provides the grade levels, time frames and implementation mandates for both national and international assessments. However, proficiency levels are set with arbitrary cutoff scores. This does not allow for large-scale national assessments to be internationally benchmarked. The proficiency scales should produce their cutoff scores based on the judgement of panelists (teachers and other pedagogical experts) who define the minimum proficiency that students should exhibit to correctly answer each item of these tests. The international assessment linking pilot was undertaken to build NaCCA’s capacity in standards setting, which will allow the determination of the proficiency levels of NSTs and other assessments. 36 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress (Box 10 continued) The MoE is currently implementing the IDA-funded Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), which supports learning assessment and accountability frameworks. The Ghana policy linking pilot for P4 and P6 English and Mathematics was supported by the FLC under the overall framework and coordination of GALOP. It was agreed that the MoE, NaCCA and the World Bank would jointly organize the workshops in Ghana. NaCCA provided assessment tools and data sets, selected workshop participants, participated in pre-workshop orientations and training, and supported the facilitation of workshop sessions. Over the course of the workshops, the NaCCA specialists and panelists developed an in-depth understanding of the GPF and its global content and common measurement scale. Conclusions: ● Based on the results of the pilot, Ghana is now able to report educational progress on SDG 4.1.1.b indicator. ● The facilitation of workshops has promoted the development of the capacity of teachers, curriculum specialists and the NaCCA staff. In the future, Ghana will be able to carry out its own workshops to continue the monitoring and international reporting of learning outcomes. ● Results can provide Ghana with an estimate of student performance in international and regional large-scale assessments in grades P4 and P6. This information is relevant for policy makers as they plan and adjust educational reforms and programs to improve the quality of the education system. ● To maintain a trend of student achievement over time, assessment experts in Ghana should consider including a set of common items with robust psychometric properties in their next national large scale assessment study. The existence of a set of common items will allow assessment experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders to determine if and how learning progress has improved over time. ● A large proportion of learners in grades P4 and P6 currently achieve the “Partially Meet” performance level. They have the potential to increase their achievement levels if the country continues making the right investments in its education system, including opportunities for teacher professional development, effective monitoring of learning outcomes and their progress over time, and adequate learning materials for students and teachers, which are supported by the GALOP. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 37 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress Box 11. Implementation of Policy Linking in The Gambia The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), together with the World Bank and Cito Institute for Educational Measurement conducted a series of hybrid policy- linking workshops from April 11-20, 2022. Before the workshop, the content facilitators and other MoBSE staff received training on Policy Linking and their roles in the workshop. The goal was to set global benchmarks for the 2018 National Assessment Test (NAT) in grade 5 in English and Mathematics. MoBSE had indicated before the workshop that a second objective of the workshop was capacity building with a view toward strengthening the knowledge base of their staff regarding assessment in the country, and toward conducting possible future workshops. This ownership enhanced the overall quality of Policy Linking. The participants’ work showed that the NAT for English is only minimally aligned to the GPF for grade 5 in depth, and not aligned in breadth. Only 10 (out of 55) items on the NAT were on reading comprehension. The NAT for mathematics is strongly aligned to the GPF for grade 5, both in depth and in breadth. The final benchmarks of the panelists show an adequate consistency, which would make the “Meets” benchmark useable for comparing, aggregating, and tracking learning outcomes for the NAT. Conclusions ● Based on the results of the pilot, The Gambia may be now able to report educational progress on SDG 4.1.1.b indicator after consultation with UIS; ● The participation and facilitation of the workshops have promoted the development of the capacity of teachers, curriculum specialists and the MoE staff. In the future, The Gambia will be able to carry out their own workshops to continue the monitoring and international reporting of learning outcomes; ● Results can provide an estimate of student performance in international and regional large-scale assessments in grade 5. This information is relevant for policy makers as they plan and adjust educational reforms and programs to improve the quality of the education system; ● To maintain a trend of student achievement over time, assessment experts in The Gambia should consider including a set of common items with robust psychometric properties in their next national, large-scale assessment study. The existence of a set of common items will allow assessment experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders to determine if and to what extent learning progress has improved over time. 38 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress OUTPUTS OF POLICY LINKING The Gambia Policy Linking Pilot Workshop Report Ghana Policy Linking Pilot Workshop Report Assessment for Minimum Proficiency Levels for the SDG 4.1.1.b Assessments for Minimum Proficiency Levels (AMPLs) are ground-breaking and robust tools targeted at measuring the attainment of a single proficiency level for each of the reading and mathematics domains at a given level of the education cycle. AMPL tools allow the user to identify the proportion of children and young learners at each level of education who are achieving at least the MPL. This allows countries to produce international comparable learning outcomes data to report on the global indicator SDG 4.1.1. The administration of AMPLs allows countries to preserve the integrity of the national assessment, while strengthening their capacity and producing data that are comparable at the global level. Participating countries are engaged from the very beginning in the consultation and discussion regarding the implementation of the AMPL. They have full ownership of the assessment process, of administration of the test, and of data, outputs and results, and they have full access to all the materials and documentation that will be used for developing the study. AMPLs are designed to integrate the tools and methodologies in the national assessment systems and processes, keeping country ownership as a guiding principle. They can be administered as a standalone assessment, or integrated into a national assessment either in whole booklet form or as a rotating booklet through national forms. The AMPL-b instruments were designed to measure key aspects of reading comprehension and mathematics at the upper primary level. AMPL-b, the first AMPL, was developed in 2021 in both English and French and was implemented in six African countries as part of the UIS-led COVID-19: Monitoring the Impacts on Learning Outcomes (MILO) project—Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal and Zambia.16 Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 39 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF AMPL-B The World Bank supported the administration of the AMPL-b assessment as a standalone module in Sierra Leone in August 2022. The goal of this activity was to identify the proportion of Sierra Leonean students in grade 5, by gender, who meet or exceed the MPL17 set for the end of primary education in reading and mathematics. Another output under AMPL is the translation and psychometric validation of the AMPL booklets to different languages. Currently, the AMPL assessment is available only in English and French. The translation and validation of AMPL-b for Pakistan, including translation into Urdu, is being finalized. AMPL-b in Sierra Leone: Stage 2 report AMPL-b in Sierra Leone: Stage 2 item on preliminary data quality (internal analysis, conditioning and student document) outcomes 40 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 1: Measuring Learning Progress Regional Assessments The upcoming PASEC 2024 regional assessment is in its third assessment cycle (the first cycle was conducted in 2014, the second in 2019). The PASEC 2024 assessment package includes (i) an assessment of student aptitude at the beginning and end of primary school; (ii) an assessment of students at the end of lower secondary education; and (iii) an assessment of the content knowledge and teaching skills of teachers at the surveyed schools. This package aims to provide countries with comprehensive data on SDG 4.1.1. Participating countries will benefit from support from the World Bank on capacity-building on technical issues relating to the design of survey tools, field data collection, data entry, processing and analysis, and the use of the results of large-scale assessments. This work was done in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, UIS, and UNICEF. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS ● Three regional meetings (Middle East and Northern Africa as well as in sub-Saharan Africa regions) were convened to raise awareness on the opportunity for countries and answer questions regarding PASEC 2024 costs, timelines, and main design aspects. ● Several bilateral conversations were held with teams from Mozambique, Angola, São Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Tunisia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Djibouti to further explore whether PASEC is a good fit for the country. OUTCOMES FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS ● Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Djibouti have signed up to the PASEC 2024 Expression of Interest for the first time. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 41 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning Global Education Policy Dashboard In terms of country support under the LDC, the GEPD (or Dashboard) measures, tracks, and links progress of the key drivers of learning outcomes in basic education. It looks at the practice (or service delivery), policy, and political levels, with specific attention to their impact on policy dialogue and decision making. The Dashboard (i) highlights gaps between what the evidence suggests is effective in promoting learning and what is in fact happening in each system; and (ii) gives governments a means to track progress as they act to close those gaps. The GEPD includes measures of student school-readiness in grade 1, literacy and numeracy learning outcomes in grade 4, and classroom observations of teachers’ teaching behaviors with the use of the Teach primary tool. Although every country needs to identify priorities for investment and policy reforms that are best suited to its own context, the Dashboard can provide a much stronger evidence base for prioritization of reforms. The Dashboard started in 2019 and offers timely, cost-effective, comprehensive, and contextualized current information on the specific areas in which countries need to act to improve learning outcomes. According to the 2018 World Development Report, struggling education systems lack one or more of four key school-level ingredients for learning: prepared learners, high-quality teaching, learning-focused inputs, and the skilled management that pulls all these elements together. But these deficiencies are typically signs of deeper systemic problems such as education policies that are not well designed or implemented to promote learning for all children and youth. These misalignments, in turn, reflect problems caused by political challenges or a lack of bureaucratic capacity. To tackle the learning crisis and to achieve and sustain learning gains at scale, countries need to know where they stand on all these dimensions. The Dashboard collects new data in each country using three new instruments: a School Survey, a Policy Survey, and a Survey of Public Officials (see Figure 9). The Dashboard identifies gaps in administrative systems either because data were not collected (for example, school-readiness) or are unreliable (for example, teacher presence in the classroom). Collecting data through the instruments involves school visits, classroom observation, legislative reviews, teacher and student assessments, and interviews with teachers, principals, and public officials. In addition, the Dashboard draws on certain existing data sources, such as the MICS and DHS databases, to complement the new data it collects. 42 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning Figure 9. GEPD uses 3 Types of Surveys School Survey This survey is carried out in a representative random national sample of schools; it takes 4 hours to complete per school. It includes 8 modules: School Information, Roster, Principal Questionnaire, Teacher Questionnaire, Classroom Observation, and Assessments for Teachers and for 1st- and 4th-Grade Students. Policy Survey​ This survey involves a legislative review conducted by a senior consultant in each country, drawing on their knowledge to identify the country’s choices in policy areas highlighted in the dashboard. Survey of Public Officials This survey uses 45-minute interviews with education officials at the central and subnational levels. The sample of surveyed officials is representative at the targeted levels. Using the three surveys, the Dashboard uses indicators that can show progress relatively quickly (in about one to two years). Figure 10 captures the structure and tools of the Dashboard with the outcome indicators at the center capturing learning for all (meaning learning combined with access). These are ringed by indicators representing the four main school-level service delivery factors, labeled as “practices”: prepared learners, effective teaching, appropriate inputs and infrastructure, and capable school management that brings the other factors together to produce learning. The next set of indicators is a proxy for the policies that affect each of these areas, and the final set captures the political context and bureaucratic capacity of the system. There are 39 indicators in total (see Figure 11 for the different categories). Sustained system-wide improvements in learning will likely depend on better performance in these policy and political domains. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 43 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning Figure 10. Structure and Tools of the Dashboard A variety of sound tools are available to measure each of these indicators— the Dashboard project brings them together to create a streamlined unified instrument. Politics Policies Service Delivery Surveys (SDI) Practices Classroom 1. School Survey rs Le ar Observation Tool he c ne a Te rs Development World Management Survey 2. Policy Survey LEARNING Child Development Scho Measurement Tools ts ol pu M na In 3. Survey of Public ol a ge SABER Policy Officials me ho nt Sc Measurement Tools Bureaucracy Lab Survey Figure 11. List of GEPD indicators Financing Characteristics of Bureaucracy Impartial Decision-Making Mandates & Accountability National Learning Goals Teaching Learners Attraction Nutrition Programs Teachers’ Skills Selection & Deployment Content Knowledge Readiness for Learning Health Programs Support Early Childhood Pedagogical Skills Student Attendance Education Evaluation Caregiver Skills Capacity Monitoring & LEARNING Caregiver Financial Accountability Capacity Teacher Presence Intrinsic Motivation School Management Core School Functions Inputs & Infrastructure Operational Management Clarity of Functions Basic Inputs Standards Instructional Leadership Attraction Managerial Skills Basic Infrastructure Monitoring Selection & Deployment School Knowledge Support Management Practices Evaluation 44 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE GEPD The GEPD has a ToC and MEL framework at the global level. Table 3 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 3. GEPD—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Results Develop a revised version of all instruments, Initiated Initiated as part of the 2nd round of data collection indicators, and other relevant documents to be in Jordan. used during the second round of data collection Revise the GEPD interface to integrate all feedback In Progress Listening Labs and structured interviews are under received during Listening Labs way to collect feedback. Website adjustments to follow in January–June 2023. Complete the 1st round of data collection in any In Progress Seven systems completed, and eight more are remaining countries ongoing, or are in the pipeline for the near future. Develop a short note outlining evidence on use and Not started To be completed after the 1st round of data has influence through key stakeholder survey been completed in at least 13 systems. Complete the 2nd round of application of data Initiated A 2nd round of data collection is planned in Jordan. collection in the 8 new countries In other countries, a repeat survey will be done if funding becomes available. Develop a report outlining progress between the Not started This activity is conditional on funding becoming two rounds of data collection available for 2nd round of data collection. Develop training materials Completed Add at least one country beyond the original group In progress The current number of completed, ongoing, and to join the GEPD pipeline systems exceeds the 13 originally planned. Develop data processing programs Completed Automate training (development of Massive Open Not started This activity is conditional on funding becoming Online Course) available. Analyze micro-data for 3–5 countries in the 1st Draft cohort, and finalize a report on findings and Completed disseminate it The Dashboard is currently divided into three distinct stages with results to be achieved. This has entailed the development of tools as follows: (i) the development of the indicators, the data collection methods as well as the mockup of the Dashboard; (ii) the operationalization of the Dashboard with a set of 13 countries; and (iii) tracking progress, expanding coverage and enabling the scale-up through engaging with a large number of countries and developing materials that will allow the regular collection of data at low cost. The GEPD project has reached numerous milestones since its inception, in particular: The first stage/result, on the technical front, is the creation of the Dashboard with a comprehensive set of all the indicators operationalizing the 2018 World Development Report framework. This first stage took place under SABER (before it transitioned Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 45 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning to the FLC). The draft indicators were refined through a series of consultations with experts on education and governance to shine a light on learning and its drivers. The second stage, which is the current stage, is the implementation of the Dashboard in at least 13 education systems. Although COVID-19-related school and ministry closures significantly impacted the timeline for data collection, implementation has since accelerated significantly with the GEPD being fully implemented in Peru, Jordan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Madagascar as of September 30, 2022. The fieldwork was recently completed and the data analysis is under way in Niger. Data collection is currently going on in the five provinces of Pakistan (Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and fieldwork is planned in five additional education systems for the coming year (Lebanon, Chad, South Sudan, Nigeria (Edo State), and Lao PDR). In addition, the GEPD is being implemented in Jordan for a second time this year (see Table 4).18 The third and final stage/result is the Dashboard scale-up. This will take place in 2023 and is presented in the “Looking Ahead” section. Table 4. GEPD country progress at a glance Country/Province Status Notes Peru​ Completed​ High engagement from counterparts/country team to use the data (and the instruments). Timely data to inform school closures. Jordan Completed Interested in 2nd round. Ethiopia Completed Positive response from Minister. Resumption after fieldwork disruption offered COVID insights. World Bank team building on results. Madagascar Completed Validation scheduled. Very positive response with Ministry staff working jointly on report. Combined implementation with SDI. Rwanda Completed Awaiting validation. Sierra Leone Close to Fieldwork is completed. Awaiting data validation with completion government counterparts. Niger Close to Fieldwork is completed. Niger, an Accelerator, will use GEPD completion for LIRE project monitoring and capacity building. Awaiting data validation with government counterparts. Pakistan:​ In Progress Fieldwork is ongoing. Country team co-financing effort. • Islamabad​ • Balochistan​ • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa​ • Punjab​ • Sindh Jordan In Progress Procurement is ongoing. Fieldwork should start in December 2022. Lebanon In Progress Discussion with Ministry of Education is ongoing. Fieldwork should start early 2023. 46 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning Boxes 12 to 14 present a summary of country implementation progress to date in Peru, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Niger. Box 12. Implementation of GEPD in Peru Peru was the first country where the GEPD was implemented. The collection and availability of the Dashboard data were very timely for Peru, as it coincided with the preparation and provided input to two projects to support investment in human capital—a Development Policy Loan and an Investment Project Financing. The GEPD added value by providing a streamlined set of indicators on factors that have been shown to matter for learning. The Dashboard data help to focus on what matters for learning and provide just-in-time technical support to the MoE. Training started in August 2019, with 45 enumerators and six supervisors trained for two weeks—one week on the School Survey, and a second week on the Survey of Public Officials. The fieldwork lasted five weeks with data collection completed in September. Once the data were processed, the indicators highlighted the main bottlenecks in the education system. In all, the set of indicators explained 78 percent of the variation among schools in learning outcomes. In addition, it was the only source that provided a snapshot of bathrooms in primary schools. The data were presented to the government in a stakeholder validation meeting in February 2020. Since then, the data have been leveraged to inform country-level dialogue and have provided useful insights during the pandemic. Box 13. Implementation of GEPD in Ethiopia In Ethiopia, implementation of the GEPD required considerable adaptation to changing circumstances. Data collection was conducted in two phases: the first phase started in early 2020 but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities resumed in 2021 once it was deemed sufficiently safe but, unfortunately, the sample had to be adjusted because, at that point, conflict had made some areas of the country inaccessible. In total, 300 schools were visited, and the instruments deployed covered five languages: 150 schools were visited prior to the pandemic in 2020, while the remaining 150 schools were visited in 2021. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 47 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning (Box 13 continued) Although it was not possible to rigorously compare the schools visited before COVID-19 with the ones visited afterward, the data were helpful in shedding light on possible changes in important drivers and obstacles of learning and helped identify priorities for action. For instance, the results suggested that teachers’ and students’ attendance rates had fallen significantly because of schooling disruptions, and that teacher support and rural schools might need to be prioritized for investment and focus. The conclusions were validated with counterparts and presented to and well received by the Minister in January 2022. The World Bank has further leveraged these findings in a policy brief on learning poverty, aimed at turning these data into actions. Box 14. Implementation of GEPD in Niger ● The GEPD was implemented in 270 schools, and 200 public officials were interviewed across the eight regions of the country. In total, 14 enumerators were trained to conduct the survey of public officials and 30 enumerators were trained to administer the school survey. Seventy schools were added to the regular 200 GEPD school samples to include schools that are part of the IDA funded LIRE project. ● Data collection for both surveys began in May 2022 and was completed before the end of the academic year in June 30. The fieldwork was made difficult by the volatile security situation. For example, the region of Tillabery surrounding the capital, Niamey, was the scene of multiple terrorist attacks and the regional governor issued a letter on May 11, 2022, officially barring access to several districts because of the high security risks. To adapt to fast-changing circumstances, the sample of schools was later adjusted to account for these circumstances. ● All the activities were conducted in close collaboration with the MoE, which expressed a strong interest in the data, especially in the classroom observation tools. ● The LIRE project, which aims to improve teaching practice, broaden learning for all children, tackle the most critical learning gaps, particularly for girls, and strengthen the overall management of the education system through the improved monitoring of education outcomes, will leverage the GEPD data as a baseline for the project. 48 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning OTHER COUNTRY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS Rwanda The GEPD was fully implemented in Rwanda in 2019. At the Ministry’s request, additional reports were created to further explain and highlight the results. A notable element of this GEPD implementation is that the World Bank was able to experiment with different translations of the assessment to gauge how that might affect the observed learning outcomes—the assessment was translated into two languages (Kinyarwanda and English) to test for any difference in learning due to the language of instruction. Jordan A first round of data collection was completed in Jordan in 2020. In coordination with the Ministry of Education, a second round will be implemented in-country by the end of 2022. Jordan is the first country in which a second round of the GEPD will be done, and it represents a unique opportunity to gauge how well the instruments enable the monitoring of key indicators over time (over a three-year period) and assess changes in learning outcomes because of the COVID-19 school disruptions. In addition, the World Bank will use this opportunity to pilot other innovations such as AMPL-b. Mozambique Data collection began in early 2020 but had to be interrupted because of COVID-19. By the time activities stopped in the field, enumerators had been able to visit only a small fraction of the sampled schools (40 out of 170). The GEPD could still be implemented fully in Mozambique as part of its activities under the Accelerator Country initiative, although this will depend on government demand. Madagascar In partnership with the World Bank SDI team, the GEPD was implemented in Madagascar in 2021. The data revealed that public schools were lagging on most indicators and that infrastructure and inputs could be improved significantly. Likewise, teachers’ knowledge of the curriculum emerged as being extremely low and needed to be improved through more training and support. The collaboration between the SDI team and the GEPD team was very fruitful and the wealth of data that were collected enabled further analysis. In a joint report, the main conclusions were presented along with some policy recommendations for how best to address the identified bottlenecks. The conclusions were presented to the Ministry during a workshop in May 2022. Partnerships The World Bank has also built important partnerships to strengthen the work of the GEPD. Notably, Japan (not currently part of the FLC) has contributed $1 million directly to GEPD, which will cover part of Phase 3, as well as additional costs associated with Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 49 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning Phases 1 and 2. Imaginable Futures has contributed $472,000 for the prototype of an EdTech Readiness Index, which is being piloted through the GEPD in some countries. In addition to country implementation, the FLC supported the development of a new approach for measuring socioemotional skills. It also supported the strengthening of student learning elements. The World Bank created a Technical Advisory Board, which was convened to provide strategic guidance. The Board meets once a year and consists of 15 technical experts, as well as relevant policy makers and advocates on education performance, reform, management and analysis. The feedback provided by the Board during its first meeting in April 2019 helped finalize the instruments before their testing in Peru and Mozambique. A second meeting was held at the end of 2020 to review all data and resources before the public launch of the initiative in 2021. OTHER OUTPUTS OF THE GEPD To facilitate the scale-up of the GEPD, many global public goods and resources have been created to make the process of implementation as streamlined as possible for countries, including the following: Framework The GEPD’s framework is the first to report on Outcomes, Practices, Policies, and Politics, all of which are vital for countries in order to tackle the learning crisis and to achieve and sustain learning gains at scale. With nearly 40 indicators (and over 200 sub-indicators), the information provided presents a full picture of how the system is working and offers a unique way of identifying bottlenecks. In addition to taking a comprehensive approach, the Dashboard incorporates the latest research on education such as growth mindset, the importance of coaching, the coherence of policies, school leadership, socioemotional skills, and the integration of EdTech into the curriculum, among others. In areas where further research is needed, such as the impact of socioeconomic factors on the school experience, or the assessment of curriculum quality, the GEPD is working to push the knowledge frontier with measurement innovations. Data Collection Instruments A major objective of the GEPD project was to develop focused, cost-effective instruments and data-collection procedures so that it can be affordable enough to be applied (and re-applied) in many countries. This was achieved by streamlining and simplifying existing instruments, thereby reducing the time required for data collection and the training of enumerators. The School Survey has eight short modules and takes about four hours to complete per school. To develop the School Survey, the World Bank streamlined existing 50 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning instruments such as the SDIs and Measuring Early Learning and Quality Outcomes (MELQOs). It has also involved extensive analyses (including psychometric analyses), the design of new modules (for school management and others), and the introduction of many innovations to reduce time and cost. To further capture the reality of the school environment, the School Survey has also been adjusted to allow for joint implementation with the EdTech Readiness Index in order to better capture how well EdTech is being integrated into teaching and learning processes. The Survey of Public Officials includes four short modules and takes 40 to 60 minutes per interview. The development of this Survey represents the first direct application of the innovative work of the Bureaucracy Lab to a specific sector. As part of this process, new questions and indicators have been generated, and econometric analysis was conducted on data from existing questions. In the case of the Policy Survey, data collection is undertaken via legislative review (with some de facto information coming from the School Survey). To develop the Policy Survey, the World Bank carried out extensive literature reviews and streamlined existing SABER instruments from the previous phase, such as SABER teachers. These three surveys are now available in seven languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, as well as Amharic, and will soon also be available in Urdu. They are being translated into other languages as well, such as Pashto.19 Training Materials The World Bank has created and standardized all the training resources needed for enumerator training, such as survey manuals, logistics guides, training presentations, agendas, quizzes, and in-class activities. A user manual accompanies each survey and explains in detail each question, how to score it, and other key aspects enumerators much know when they go to the field. Step-by-step complementary guides are also available for the field staff implementing the surveys, and they cover in-field sampling methodology, scripts to introduce projects and questionnaires, Q&As, and other relevant information. These training materials are ready to be used in various languages. Programming and Data Processing All instruments have been programmed in the World Bank’s software Survey Solutions in multiple languages, which allows for tablet-based data collection. As data are collected, they are automatically uploaded to a secure server that allows the Bank to check the quality of the data as they come in. The processing of data and the calculation of indicators are automated, because the data processing employs ready-to-use programming for processing and calculating indicators in both the R and the Stata software packages. The GEPD offers an easy-to-use platform for visualizing and manipulating the data as they are processed. The platform offers features such Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 51 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning as instant regression analysis and application of statistical weights. All the tools and software packages used in the process from data collection to data reporting are free and open-source, which will allow for easier and faster scale-up as countries and partners use the GEPD materials on their own. STRATEGIC MATERIALS AND RESOURCES The World Bank has also worked on developing materials that will enhance the usefulness of the data: the GEPD Reference Guide, the GEPD Technical Note, and the GEPD Implementation Brief. The GEPD Reference Guide describes the initiative, instruments, and detailed information on each of the indicators that are part of the GEPD. This includes the measurement approach, the literature behind it, the source, sample questions, and other relevant information. Similarly, the GEPD Technical Note was developed to outline aspects of the sampling, psychometric analyses, and computation of indicators. The GEPD Implementation Brief presents in a user- friendly summarized approach key information pertaining to the initiative, the new instruments, the indicators, implementation process, resources available, benefits of implementing the Dashboard, and FAQs. The GEPD Reference Guide and Implementation Brief documents are available in English, Spanish and French. The GEPD website (www.EducationPolicyDashboard.org) was developed and launched to disseminate the data collected as well as the resources summarized above. It hosts all the resources as well as the actual data visualization. The website has been constructed in such a way that allows it to pull the data for the indicators directly from the World Bank’s Application Programming Interface (API), which also saves cost and time. The launch of the website was a global event attended by leading practitioners and their country counterparts. A series of blogs, reports, and materials are being developed to further disseminate the initiative, its resources, and the data collected. GEPD Reference Guide GEPD Instruments: 2020 Policy Survey, 2020 School Survey, GEPD Implementation Brief 2020 Survey of Public Officials GEPD Technical Note GEPD Training Materials A user-friendly website to host data and resources: www.EducationPolicyDashboard.org Blog 52 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 LDC Pillar 2: Measuring the Drivers of Learning The Effect of COVID-19 on Learning and Schooling The World Bank has been working to identify important knowledge gaps in topics related to large-scale assessment, classroom assessment, and the use of teaching and learning data to improve education systems and outcomes, including the impact of COVID-19 on learning and schooling. OUTPUTS OF THE LDC ON THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON LEARNING AND SCHOOLING The COVID-19 learning loss report in the Dominican Republic is being finalized. The note on learning losses in Ceará, Brazil is being finalized. And, the Chile report “Valoración de las familias por la apertura de escuelas: Evidencia del sistema de postulaciones de Chile durante la pandemia por COVID-19” on the impact of COVID-19 on school choice has been finalized. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 53 LDC Pillar 3: Measuring Learning in the Classroom The Teach tool, which an instrument to support teachers, is also an activity under Pillar 3 of the LDC as it measures the teaching practices in the classroom. More details below. Teachers Teachers are the single most important in-school factor affecting how much and how well students learn. Going from a poor-performing teacher to a great teacher can increase student learning by multiple years of schooling. Great teachers also have a substantial impact on the well-being of students throughout their lives, affecting not only their academic achievement, but also their long-term social and labor outcomes, well after their schooling years. With the significant impact of COVID-19 on learning, there is an even greater need to strengthen teacher’s capacities to teach well. Despite the recognized importance of high-quality teaching, many countries still do not measure or track teaching practices. Not only is teacher training often outdated and not focused on the “how to” of teaching, evidence shows that many teachers also do not have access to good quality professional development opportunities that can help them improve what they do in the classroom. It is therefore unsurprising that unprepared and poorly trained teachers struggle to teach students a complex curriculum of which they may not have adequate mastery themselves. The result is that students all over the world sit in classrooms day after day exposed to ineffective teaching that is not engaging. But poor teaching is often the result of system-level policies that do not appropriately prepare, support, and motivate teachers to develop professionally. The FLC supports two programs for teachers, Teach and Coach. Both of these programs contribute to improve teacher classroom practices, ultimately helping to drive improvement in student learning outcomes. COACH Coach Global Program The Coach Global program aims to help countries design, implement, and evaluate high-quality TPD programs and systems that align with best practice and evidence. Its goals are achieved through a three-pronged approach consisting of the development of technical resources, operational support, and a robust stakeholder engagement strategy. The Coach vision is that all classroom teachers have regular access to high-quality, effective, professional development opportunities that support them to improve their classroom teaching practices and drive student learning. 54 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 TEACHERS The Coach program consists of five main activities: ● Create an evidence-based approach to improve in-service professional development ● Oversee adaptation and implementation of this new approach ● Act on evidence, closely monitoring implementation and assessing the impact of the program ● Change teaching at scale by building a learning platform to help countries adapt and adopt this approach ● Harness technology wisely to accelerate the impact of the program. Coach Mozambique Program The Coach Mozambique program adapts the Global Coach program to the specific context of Mozambique through a two-year pilot program, Aprender+. This implementation will inform a larger intervention in Mozambique through 2025, and will also inform, to help adjust and revise Global Coach with insights from implementation. The program forms part of the World Bank’s broader Literacy Policy Package. During the first year of field implementation, 2022, Aprender+ will be implemented in the province of Niassa followed by scale up in Manica. The teacher training intervention will follow the principles shown to be associated with effective TPD, namely, that training be ongoing, tailored, focused, and practical. More specifically, the pilot will create high-quality teacher guides for Portuguese language instruction for first grade that are aligned to the curriculum. Teachers will then be trained on how to teach Portuguese language lessons using these materials. Coaches will monitor and support teachers by checking whether these resources are being used by teachers, assessing students’ literacy outcomes, and providing teachers with coaching and technical support. TEACH-COACH Teach is a classroom observation tool for primary classrooms (Teach Primary is for grades 1–6) and early childhood education classrooms (Teach ECE) that helps measure and track teaching quality. It was launched in 2019 to help measure and assess the quality of teaching practices that nurture children’s cognitive and Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 55 TEACHERS socioemotional skills and support learning for all children. Teach has already been implemented in 30 countries. FLC funding is being used to roll this out to even more countries. The Teach-Coach SUNSET Grants In response to high demand from countries to support teachers, Teach-Coach SUNSET country grants were provided in 2022. The objectives of the Teach-Coach SUNSET grants are to support countries at the ECE and primary levels to (i) collect and use data on teaching practices to improve pre- and in-service TPD programs at scale; (ii) enhance the quality of pre- and in-service TPD along the four dimensions of the Coach model (more tailored, practical, focused, and ongoing professional development); and (iii) contribute to the global evidence base and address current knowledge gaps related to the design and implementation of TPD activities, or to the links between teaching quality and learning outcomes. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE TEACH-COACH PROGRAM Coach Global Program The Coach Global Program has a ToC and MEL framework at the global level. Table 5 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 5. Coach Global Program—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Draft training materials and guidance note for implementation are developed Completed Global Coach guidelines, training materials, and guidelines for implementation are In progress finalized based on inputs and adaptations from country applications International Technical Advisory Board established and consulted In progress Report that codifies know-how created In progress Webpage with all training resources developed In progress Global Coach program disseminated globally In progress Launch of the Global Coach Program in September 2021 The Coach program was officially launched at the Coach Improving In-Service TPD virtual event held on September 16, 2021. This was part of the Supporting Teachers to Accelerate Learning Recovery event series held in September and October 2021 to celebrate and highlight the role of teachers in the post-COVID-19 context. To highlight the importance the World Bank gives to teachers, president David Malpass participated giving opening remarks (link here).20 56 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 TEACHERS Development of Coach Tools and Resources During the period covered by this Progress Report, global public goods have been developed in the form of Coach tools and resources that provide guidance on how to design, implement and evaluate high-quality TPD programs that support student learning. These resources synthesize the evidence available across a range of topics related to TPD and distill the practical findings and takeaways in relevant guidance for educational stakeholders. All Coach tools and resources can be accessed through the Coach website and will be translated to additional languages (Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) once finalized. During 2021–2022, the first set of Coach tools and resources were published, integrating comments from public consultations. In addition, the second set of Coach tools and resources for public consultation were developed and published. For both rounds of public consultations, there was targeted outreach to networks of teachers, coaches, researchers and policy makers to receive feedback on these resources. In total, there were more than eight virtual public consultations with a total of more than 400 individuals, including representation from the Aga Khan Foundation, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the Varkey Foundation and Varkey Global Teacher Prize Ambassadors, the BE2 Teacher Professional Development Group, UNESCO, and the Gates Foundation. Additionally, there was written feedback from stakeholders including the Central Square Foundation, VVOB, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and educators representing a range of universities and institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Georgetown University, and the University of Botswana. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 57 TEACHERS Development of the Coach Foundational Teaching Skills Training Package In 2022, the Foundational Teaching Skills (FTS) Training Package was developed. The documents are meant to serve as sample materials that countries, as well as program designers, leaders and other educational stakeholders, can draw on as a starting point to adapt and develop their own in-service TPD materials. The FTS Teacher Training Manual is intended to guide teachers on how to learn, practice and master a set of 11 Foundational Teaching Skills. The Training for Coaches is intended to help pedagogical leaders—whether coaches, school leaders, master teachers, or others—better understand how to train, coach and support teachers in using these skills, including how to observe, and provide constructive feedback on, teachers’ mastery of the 11 foundational teaching skills. In response to feedback from public consultations, the World Bank is adding video examples of the FTS to the training materials to enhance their usability and relevance. In addition, a mobile app is being developed to support pedagogical leaders conduct observations and facilitating feedback sessions with teachers. A landscape review has been conducted to identify appropriate platforms to host the app and the World Bank is in the final stages of deciding on the platform. Initial Development of Teacher’s Report Codifying Know-How from the Global Coach Program A report is being finalized that will codify lessons from the Global Coach program to date, focusing on how the use of behavioral science can help improve Teacher Policy. The World Bank is producing a new Global Report on teachers titled, “Making Teacher Policy Work: Small Changes, Big Results”. It has long been known that high- quality teaching is essential for student learning and future success. Yet every year, governments invest millions of dollars into inputs and interventions to improve teaching and learning that often yield mixed results. The new report makes the argument that one reason for these mixed results is that governments often do not consider how teaching- and teacher-related policies are experienced by the teachers themselves. It highlights the importance of considering the actual barriers that teachers face as they attempt behavioral change and employing strategies to overcome these barriers during the design and implementation of teacher policy. The report presents an actionable framework that builds on insights from the field of behavioral science to help make teacher- and teaching-related policies work. The framework will help policy makers put teachers at the center of efforts to improve teaching and learning. Finally, the report applies this framework to specific cases of teacher policy, from attracting high-performing students to the teaching profession, to changing teacher practices in the classroom, by providing actionable guidance that can be used to examine, design, and build effective interventions. 58 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 TEACHERS Coach Mozambique Program The Coach Mozambique Program has a ToC and MEL framework at the country level. Table 6 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 6. The Coach Mozambique Program—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Local Advisory Board established Completed Coach fellow hired for two-year assignment Completed Consultations on adaptation and application of Coach protocol in Mozambique are Completed conducted and a brief on key findings is developed Training materials developed Completed Training materials developed and a number of ZIP coordinators/teachers trained In progress Monitoring tool developed In progress Monitoring tool is applied and integrated into the government data collection system In progress Process evaluation is conducted in Year 1 to assess areas of strength and intervention In progress areas that need improvement Baseline data are collected and cleaned, and a report is written in Year 2 of the initiative Not started Endline data are collected and cleaned, and a report is written in Year 2 of the initiative Not started Convening of the Aprender+ Local Advisory Board (LAB) The Aprender+ LAB convened for its first meeting on February 22, 2022. The meeting included the participation of the Director Nacional de Formação de Professores (DNFP), who highlighted the importance of Aprender+ in the context of the government’s strategy and teacher training initiatives. Development of Program Materials Year 1 program materials for the field intervention were developed jointly with the ministry. These included (i) a Teacher Guide for Grade 1 participating program teachers, including a full sequence of 150 structured early grade reading lesson plans; (ii) a Coach Guide for participating program coaches, detailing the Aprender+ coaching protocols and methodology; (iii) a Monitor Guide for participating program monitors, detailing the materials and tools to conduct regular supervision and monitoring activities for the program. These materials also include (iv) a manual, complementary PowerPoint and assessments for an intensive four-day training for classroom teachers focused on how to utilize the Aprender+ teacher guides; (v) a manual, complementary PowerPoint and assessments for an intensive seven-day training for program coaches focused on how to provide regular hands-on support to teachers using the teacher guides; and (vi) a manual, complementary PowerPoint and assessments for an intensive eight-day training for program monitors. The materials were developed through close collaboration with the National Institute for the Development of Education (INDE) and the National Directorate for Teacher Training (DNFP). Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 59 TEACHERS Program launch in the field The program kick-off in the province of Niassa and Manica took place in late July and August 2022. For three weeks, starting on July 18, 2022, the implementation firm contracted to support the project, together with trainers from the IFP and EPF, delivered initial training on the Aprender+ model and approach to participating teachers, coaches and monitors from a total of 45 schools in Niassa. The training was focused on (I) helping teachers learn how to teach and use the Aprender+ structured lesson plans effectively, (ii) helping coaches and monitors have a robust understanding of how teachers should use Aprender+ structured lesson plans effectively, and (iii) helping participants have a deep understanding of the responsibilities of a coach within the program. Knowledge Exchange for Lusophone countries The Coach Mozambique was presented in the virtual workshop “Iniciativas para Promover a Melhoria da Aprendizagem” organized by the World Bank with Lusophone countries in June 29 and 30, 2021, which included more than 50 government stakeholders from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Reception to the presentation from participants was positive, and several participants expressed interest in leveraging the Coach tools and resources in their country. SUNSET Grants The Teach/Coach SUNSET grants have a ToC and MEL framework at the global level. Table 7 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 7. SUNSET Grant—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Call for Proposals launched Completed Country grants selected and awarded Completed Grant implementation, monitoring and reporting In progress Technical assistance provided to 8–10 country teams on designing sustained integration of In progress Teach- and Coach-related activities into country systems Technical resources developed to support the independent, sustained integration of In progress Teach- and Coach-related activities into country systems Twenty-two SUNSET grants were awarded to countries, with a focus on early childhood education, linking teaching practices and learning outcomes, and socioemotional learning. Box 15 has an overview of the grants awarded. 60 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 TEACHERS Box 15. Teach-Coach SUNSET Grants ● The GEPD was implemented in 270 schools, and 200 public officials were interviewed across the eight regions of the country. In total, 14 enumerators were trained to conduct the survey of public officials and 30 enumerators were trained to administer the school survey. Seventy schools were added to the regular 200 GEPD school samples to include schools that are part of the IDA funded LIRE project. ● Data collection for both surveys began in May 2022 and was completed before the end of the academic year in June 30. The fieldwork was made difficult by the volatile security situation. For example, the region of Tillabery surrounding the capital, Niamey, was the scene of multiple terrorist attacks and the regional governor issued a letter on May 11, 2022, officially barring access to several districts because of the high security risks. To adapt to fast-changing circumstances, the sample of schools was later adjusted to account for these circumstances. ● All the activities were conducted in close collaboration with the MoE, which expressed a strong interest in the data, especially in the classroom observation tools. ● The LIRE project, which aims to improve teaching practice, will leverage the GEPD data as a baseline for pedagogical practices of the project. OUTPUTS OF THE TEACHERS PROGRAM Foundational Teaching Skills Guide (Arabic, Monitoring and Evaluation for In-Service Teacher English, French, Portuguese, Spanish) Professional Development Programs: Technical Guidance Note (English) Teacher’s Guide Diagnostic Tool Manual (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish) Foundational Teaching Skills: Coach Training Manual (forthcoming) Coach Repository of In-Service Teacher Professional Development Programs (English) Foundational Teaching Skills: Teacher Trainer Manual (English) Structuring Effective 1-1 Support: Technical Guidance Note (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish) Facilitating Effective 1-1 Coaching Sessions : Technical Guidance Note (English) Structuring and Supporting School- and Cluster- Based Continuous Professional Development: Technical Guidance Note (English) Structuring Effective Group Training: Technical Guidance Note (English) Motivating Changes in Teaching Practices: Technical Guidance Note (English) Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 61 EDTECH EdTech The World Bank supports the appropriate, cost-effective use of EdTech, and supports countries in expanding access to, and improving the quality of, education—both inside and outside the classroom—in a way that reaches all students. To meet this objective, the World Bank works with partners to discover evidence-based technology solutions in education; deploy solutions at the pilot level and at scale; diffuse this knowledge widely across policy makers; and support capacity development to better use this new knowledge. The FLC supports greater adoption by governments of evidence-based EdTech policies, and it intends to increase the implementation capacity of EdTech interventions to improve learning outcomes through EdTech Hub and the EdTech Policy Academy. These are further discussed in the sections below. EDTECH HUB EdTech Hub is a global nonprofit research partnership sponsored by FCDO, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF and the World Bank to distill and facilitate access to the evidence needed to make decisions about effective uses of technology in education. It provides rigorous research and policy advice on the effective use of digital technologies for developing countries. EdTech Hub was established in 2019 and is delivered by a consortium of organizations including Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Brink, Jigsaw Consult, Open Development & Education (OpenDevEd), Results for Development (R4D), and the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education. EdTech Hub conducts rigorous academic research and gives evidence-based advice about how to use technology in education. The Hub helps decision makers in and outside government to make clear, evidence-based policy decisions to achieve maximum impact. The aim is to improve learning outcomes and address the obstacles to implementing and using EdTech in ways that are effective, impactful, cost-effective, context-appropriate, and scalable. The activities under EdTech Hub include (i) research—qualitative and quantitative research to support decision making; (ii) innovation— “sandboxes” exploring how to scale up successful EdTech pilots; and (iii) technical assistance. The Hub puts particular emphasis on research, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance in five focus theme areas: digital personalized learning (DPL); technology and teacher professional development; data and data systems; participation in schooling and learning; and girls’ education. 62 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 EDTECH Research Portfolio EdTech Hub’s research portfolio, launched in March 2022, represents the largest public-private investment in primary research in EdTech evidence for low- and middle-income countries. This portfolio was commissioned to fill the evidence gap that decision makers face when choosing EdTech implementation to support children, teachers, and school communities. The studies focus on—and are occurring in—the Hub’s six focus countries. Research partners to date are Aga Khan University–East Africa, Busara Center, Craft Education, EIDU, Evidence for Policy Design at Harvard University’s Center for International Development, Fab Inc, Girls’ Education Challenge, M-Shule, NairoBits, Oppia, the Education Commission, the Open University, the government Tanzania, Worldreader, and Youth Impact. Sandbox Through the “sandbox,” EdTech Hub provides space for its partners with innovative, but as yet untested ideas to evaluate and grow ideas through fast-paced, iterative experiments in the real world. The Hub provides countries with the tools, access to experts, and funding. Between June 2020 and March 2021, the Hub completed five sandboxes, in Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, Malawi, and Lebanon, each responding to school closures caused by COVID-19. They were designed to rapidly test promising EdTech interventions, using a mix of funding, support, and access to evidence. The Helpdesk EdTech Hub’s Helpdesk is active in 70 countries. On behalf of countries, FCDO, UNICEF, and the World Bank can request and receive short-term, discrete support. The Helpdesk provides relevant and just-in-time knowledge services in response to questions that clients have with regard to EdTech policy and program design and implementation. The Helpdesk provides the following types of services in response to requests: ● Expert Consultation ● Program Document Review ● Topic Briefs ● Curated List of Resources ● Q&A Documents ● A combination of services Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 63 EDTECH IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF EDTECH HUB EdTech Hub has a ToC and MEL framework at the global level. Table 8 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 8. EdTech Hub—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Results World Bank facilitation of consultation and In Progress 40 Helpdesk requests technical advice provided by EdTech Hub Curriculum development for 4 courses Completed 4 courses based on research evidence and knowledge packs amassed through World Bank-Hub collaboration Develop joint knowledge products In Progress 7 products The World Bank participates in the Executive Committee (EC) and the Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) of EdTech Hub. The EC and SAB advises, reflects and works on a range of issues connected to the Hub’s delivery and development. Since 2021, the World Bank has participated in a total of 16 EC and SAB meetings. Additionally, the World Bank, UNICEF, and EdTech Hub cohosted a side event during the Global Education Summit: Financing the GPE 2021–2025. The event featured an overview of the Reimagine Education: Digital Tools for Learning for Every Child Everywhere partnership, along with government perspectives on national EdTech priorities and partner reflections. OUTPUTS OF EDTECH HUB Cost Effectiveness and EdTech: Considerations The use of “building blocks” to develop digital and Case Studies platforms for education in sub-Saharan Africa 64 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 EDTECH EDTECH POLICY ACADEMY The EdTech Policy Academy is a learning and capacity-building program designed to provide government officials, World Bank staff, and staff of partner organizations (FCDO, EdTech Hub, UNICEF) with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and skills in areas where EdTech can be catalytic to improving an education system. The Academy is designed as a hands-on clinic to engage project teams on a specific challenge or priority in the country dialogue. The approach employed is to have the country teams select topics of interest and work on them over the course of two–three weeks with the support of two World Bank instructors per country team. Topics that have been covered by the EdTech Policy Academy include 1. Defining the strategic purpose of technology integration in education 2. Designing scalable, replicable, and inclusive EdTech policies 3. Empowering teachers through digital skills development and pedagogy 4. Engaging the ecosystem of EdTech stakeholders 5. Using data for decision-making and evaluation IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE EDTECH POLICY ACADEMY The EdTech Policy Academy has a ToC and MEL framework at the global level. Table 9 summarizes the Academy’s progress as of September 2022. Table 9. The EdTech Policy Academy—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Create a community of practice that develops five collaborative products each In Progress year for use at the Academy Launch and implement a World Bank Policy Academy for policy makers and Completed World Bank and FCDO staff Develop curricula for four courses based on research evidence and Initiated knowledge packs amassed through Hub collaboration Conduct Policy Academy courses and certify at least 70 participants Completed Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 65 EDTECH The First EdTech Policy Academy The inaugural EdTech Policy Academy, in December 2021, was the first of its kind. As part of the initial rollout, the objective was to familiarize and test the Academy with World Bank staff, including EdTech Fellows and external partners such as EdTech Hub. The participants were exposed to EdTech themes such as digital infrastructure, digital learning systems, disability inclusion, teacher digital skills, ecosystems, and other related policy implementation issues. This first EdTech Policy Academy was designed as a hands-on clinic to engage with project teams on specific challenges and priorities in the country dialogue. This first iteration was implemented as a laboratory where different technologies, methodologies, and approaches were tested to mirror an action research approach. The participants were invited to not only join the learning experience, but also provide real-time feedback to improve the process in the future. The five themes for the Academy—digital infrastructure, digital learning systems, inclusive education, digital skills for teachers, and ecosystems—were determined by the interest of participants and by the alignment of the themes to projects and tasks the participants were supporting in World Bank operations. The participants were then divided into groups based on these five themes. Each group was facilitated by one member of the World Bank. The thematic groupings enabled closer collaboration among participants to discuss potential solutions to the challenges in each area. Each group presented a final project at the end of the Academy (see Figure 12). Figure 12. EdTech Topics during the First Policy Academy 1 Defining the strategic purpose for technology integration in education 2 Design of scalable, replicable, and inclusive edtech policies 3 Empowering teachers through digital skills development and pedagogy 4 Engaging the ecosystem of EdTech stakeholders 5 Using data for decision-making and evaluation 66 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 EDTECH Second EdTech Policy Academy The second EdTech Policy Academy, held in April 2022 under the overarching theme “Smart Tech for Learning Recovery,” was attended by World Bank operational teams, government counterparts, and staff of partner organizations. There were 83 participants from 9 countries: Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mali, Pakistan, Togo, Tunisia, and Turkey. In this second Academy, World Bank country operations teams selected the topics of interest based on government interest. Six topics of interest were selected: learning continuity and acceleration, teacher development, skills development, learner-centered technologies, system-level support, and digital infrastructure. Figure 13 presents these topics, which were featured with the aim to capture the demand for topics and proactively respond to country needs on EdTech. Figure 13. EdTech Topics in the Second Policy Academy 1 Learning Continuity and Acceleration 2 Teacher Development 3 Skills Development 4 Learners’ Centered Technologies 5 System-Level Support 6 Digital Infrastructure Based on lessons from the inaugural Policy Academy, the following aspects were updated and introduced in the second Academy: ● The Academy was extended to three weeks from two to give more time to developing final projects. ● Topic selection was upgraded by offering six topics (Figure 13) for countries to choose from, so they could tailor their learning to their specific needs. ● The onboarding strategy was strengthened by collecting surveys from participants and organizing Week 0 orientation-type meetings. ● A greater focus on practical practice. The required activities were reduced, focused, and redesigned, and teams were encouraged to presentation practical aspects of their World Bank project for just-in-time technical assistance and support. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 67 EDTECH Building on the two rounds, the EdTech Policy Academy is now presented in a 3-2-2 model that offers three different modalities: A three-week introductory course that provides an overview of EdTech approaches; a two-day training for country-specific issues; and a two-hour training that delves into specific topic with a practical lens to offer just-in-time support. This approach allows the World Bank to prepare a course in advance based on topics that are in high demand, and repurpose and contextualize the content (for example, Hybrid learning PA in Saudi Arabia was repurposed as a PA in Peru). Since December 2021, the World Bank has hosted 13 Policy Academy events benefiting 16 countries around the world. There have been ● Two 2- to 3-week courses (December 2021 and April 2022—Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mali, Pakistan, Togo, Tunisia, and Turkey) ● Three 1- to 2-day workshops (Nigeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Peru) ● Eight 1- to 3-hour events (Tanzania, Madagascar, Malaysia, and Albania) This engagement has totaled over 50 hours of learning and benefitted more than 400 participants, including World Bank staff, partner organizations (UNICEF/EdTech Hub) staff, government officials, teachers, researchers, and private sector participants. Key topics covered include digital skills for girls (Nigeria), blended learning (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Peru), technology for teachers, leveraging technology for preschool literacy (Malaysia), and smart labs (Albania). OUTPUTS OF THE EDTECH POLICY ACADEMY World Bank EdTech Policy Academy Overview World Bank EdTech Policy Academy Link to video in YouTube Implementation Results Moodle Platform World Bank EdTech Policy Academy Final Projects 68 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 SECONDARY EDUCATION The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program The FLC can be used to strengthen in-country partnerships. The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program is an example of this type of collaboration within a country with FCDO. This is also the only specific secondary education program in the FLC. The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program, designed in 2021, is being implemented by the World Bank and other partners to build the secondary education system back better to protect and boost learning after COVID-19. The program is complementary to the Government’s Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP), a prominent, large-scale platform for the secondary education system. The four core areas of the program are (i) protecting and boosting key skills; (ii) enhancing teacher performance; (iii) protecting and promoting student retention, especially for girls; and (iv) supporting evidence and data. The identification of these areas was based on their potential for high impact in a short period, and their emergence as urgent areas for support due to COVID-19. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES OF THE BANGLADESH SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program has a ToC and MEL framework at the country level. Table 10 summarizes the program’s progress as of September 2022. Table 10. The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program—progress at a glance Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Plan​ Status Pilot and evaluate online teacher training Draft Completed Pilot and evaluate platforms for teacher networks Initiated Improve teacher and head-teacher mindsets In Progress Prepare a report that codifies the know how created Initiated Launch an intervention focused on improving students’ aspirations and sense of self Draft Completed Estimation of COVID-related learning losses To assess the current learning levels of students after 14.5 months of school closures, the World Bank, in collaboration with Ministry and FCDO, and evaluation partners, conducted a nationally representative learning loss assessment. The assessment and questionnaire design, local firm procurement to conduct the assessment, sampling, and the process to obtain the necessary approvals started in January 2022. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 69 SECONDARY EDUCATION The novel data collection from 300 schools—sampled randomly from 1000 schools that were part of the 2019 National Assessment of Secondary Students (NASS)— took place in May–June 2022. Learning-level data were collected from 7,218 grade 9 students (4,997 students had taken the 2019 NASS, and 2,221 new students were selected randomly). The design, implementation, novel data collection, and analysis have been completed as planned. The preliminary analysis has been undertaken and a policy presentation circulated. The results of the assessment show that for grade 9 students, 14.5 months of COVID- related school closures led to 26 months of learning loss. Around two-thirds (69 percent) of learning losses were students failing to learn new skills, while about a third (31 percent) of learning losses were students forgetting skills they had already acquired. The results further reveal a sharp increase in learning inequality. The poorest students lost 50 percent more learning than did the affluent students. These alarming results underscore the urgent need for an evidence-based learning recovery program. The World Bank and FCDO are supporting the Ministry to develop a dissemination plan for these results. A standardized teacher phone survey to aid learning recovery To inform policy options and aid the learning recovery, a standardized teacher phone survey that included 356 participants was undertaken in May 2022 to elicit teachers’ current practices, normative beliefs, and degree of willingness to spend extra time in activities to recover COVID-related learning losses. The study was benchmarked against other countries in South Asia. The results reveal that most teachers believe that regular assessments and remedial classes are necessary for learning recovery. Teachers are willing to spend additional time doing this, but many have not been asked. While 40 percent of the teachers currently conduct regular assessments and remedial classes, 89 percent believe that regular class assessments and remedial classes are essential to diagnose student learning levels; and 83 percent of the teachers are willing to spend additional time in school to conduct these assessments and classes.21 Impact evaluation of formative assessment programs An evaluation of formative assessments was conducted building on insights from a previous study that revealed how little teachers know about their students’ learning levels.22 The baseline has been completed and includes data from a randomly selected set of 468 teachers and 9,360 students across Bangladesh, and implementation is ongoing. The endline is scheduled for December 2022. A policy paper analyzing teacher knowledge of student learning levels is under review for publication. The working paper has been circulated publicly, and the results were presented at the Research in Systems of Education (RISE) annual conference in June 2022. 70 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 SECONDARY EDUCATION The results show that most teachers misestimate the share of low- and high- achieving students in their classroom. The average teacher underestimates the share of bottom-tercile students in math by about four percentage points and overestimates the share of top-tercile students by almost three percentage points. Furthermore, teachers overestimate the test scores of low-achieving students and underestimate those of high achievers. Impact evaluation of online teacher training The World Bank, in collaboration with the Ministry, Brown University, and FCDO Bangladesh, designed and implemented a randomized evaluation of an online teacher training program for sixth-grade math teachers during the COVID school closures.23 Sixth-grade math teachers were invited to a three-month online training program for math competencies and pedagogy. One treatment group received just the training (T1); the members of the other group received the training and a small financial incentive tied to proficiency attainment at the end of the training (T2). A total of 1,403 teachers formed the final analytical sample (T1, T2, and Control). The primary data from teachers were collected at three time points: baseline in April 2021, after the training in August 2021, and three months after completion in November 2021. The first phase of this work was funded through a REACH trust fund. FLC funds were used for the endline and are also being used to undertake a longer-term follow-up to assess the longer- term impacts of the training on teacher math competencies. A draft evaluation report and policy paper have been prepared for circulation. The results show that online teacher training is highly cost-effective and easily scalable. Teachers also reported lower levels of burnout in both the training groups (with and without incentives), but the impact of the online teacher training was about twice as large for teachers in the incentivized group. The program demonstrated that online training improves teacher instructional competency and skills, reduces teacher burnout, and enhances teacher effectiveness through small financial incentives linked to skills attainment. Focus group discussions and “Reinventing My Classroom” randomized evaluation program Between November 2021 and February 2022, the World Bank undertook eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with secondary school teachers to understand their mindsets around school-reopening. The number of participating teachers in each FGD ranged from four to seven. They provided rich data for the preparation of new lending support to the MoE. A complete list of questions and responses has been compiled for reference and the inputs from the FGDs have been used during the evaluation design of other outputs such as the Reinventing My Classroom program discussed below. The results of the FGDs show that teachers are inherently motivated and enjoy the responsibility of shaping children’s futures, as evidenced in their responses to what Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 71 SECONDARY EDUCATION they like about teaching. Low salary, burdensome bureaucracy, and their relationship with the School Management Committee are their primary concerns. Teachers generally support lagging students differently. Classroom seating arrangement, asking easy questions to encourage participation, and personal counseling were some examples teachers provided to support lagging students. Teachers expressed that they add value to their students in more ways than only test scores, such as providing motivation, inspiration, and support for girls’ education. The Reinventing my Classroom program aims to support teachers to manage their classroom climate effectively and ensure better learning even in large classrooms. It is being implemented with grade 6 teachers across 130 schools in Bangladesh, midline impacts will be available by July 2023. In August 2022, a baseline was conducted in 127 schools. In September 2022, 125 teachers from 63 schools received a two-day training focusing on how to manage the classroom and make it cohesive and peaceful so that teachers can transfer knowledge. Data collection is under way. Evidence-based student outreach to promote retention To mitigate education setbacks, the World Bank designed a program in 2021 to provide virtual outreach to students in grades 7 and 8 (adolescents) in Sylhet and Chittagong. The Bank conducted two phone-based interventions, each delivered by trained facilitators to small student groups (2–4 students on each call). The interventions were: ● Growth Mindset (April–June 2021): This intervention was designed to promote the belief that personal characteristics, such as intellectual abilities, can be nurtured and developed. Low-cost student outreach based on Growth Mindset principles significantly improved student retention and learning. ● Girl Rising Program (September–November 2021): This intervention used storytelling to encourage gender-equitable behavior and to influence how girls and their education are valued. The first phase of the program was funded through the SAR Gender Innovation Lab. FLC funding helped implement the Girl Rising Program and a robust, multi-dimensional endline. There were two baselines conducted: Pre-COVID (February–March 2020) and during COVID (February–March 2021). Around 2,220 students were randomly divided into three groups: Control—744 students; Growth Mindset only (April–June 2021)—733 students; and Growth Mindset (April–June 2021) + Girl Rising (September–November 2021)— 743 students. Researchers from the World Bank and George Washington University have published the midline report for the Growth Mindset outreach intervention.24 The endline impact of the evaluation has been analyzed, and the results are being discussed with relevant counterparts. 72 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 SECONDARY EDUCATION The findings suggest that a virtually delivered both interventions can mitigate the negative impacts of extended school closures on adolescents’ attachment to schooling. The results indicate that the Growth Mindset and Girl Rising Program: (i) enhanced the aspirations of both boys and girls by 9 percent; (ii) increased time spent studying by 22 minutes for boys; (iii) improved learning outcomes for boys by 31 percent; and (iv) reduced the likelihood of girls becoming engaged by 66 percent.25 Adolescent mental health support pilot In-person psychosocial counseling program: A pilot is being planned for grades 8, 9, and 10 students in three secondary schools in Natore, Bangladesh. A detailed pilot is currently under way and full-scale implementation will take place from January to December 2023. Intermediate outputs will be produced frequently to inform policy discussions. This approach will help establish the medium-term impacts of adolescent mental health interventions. Information dissemination and stakeholder outreach The World Bank is conducting substantial outreach and information dissemination to local officials and stakeholders. All data and findings are informing the design of the new World Bank lending program. OUTPUTS OF THE BANGLADESH SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM Study on teacher knowledge of students’ level: Bangladesh COVID Learning Loss Results Primary and middle school teachers in South (internal) Asia overestimate the performance of their Online teacher training pilot and evaluation students (internal document) (internal) Survey on teacher willingness to implement Adolescent Student Program (student outreach learning recovery strategies (internal) to improve retention) (internal) Leveraging ICT for the Learning Recovery and Acceleration in Bangladesh (internal) Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 73 74 Risks and Challenges RISKS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FLC UMBRELLA The Strategic Risk of the FLC Umbrella is low. The FLC’s high-level objective of reducing learning poverty and increasing LAYS is at the core of the early childhood, primary, and secondary education activities of the World Bank. The World Bank’s Strategic Education Policy Approach is anchored in the FLC’s development objective to enhance global and country-level efforts to pursue systemic, sustained improvements to early childhood, primary, and secondary education systems in order to achieve learning for all. It is also aligned with SDG 4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. There is limited duplication with other TFs within the World Bank, except with respect to those Regional TFs that cover pre-primary and basic education. Stakeholder Risk is moderate. The roles and accountability are clearly defined according to the corporate guidance in the Partnership Document. The stakeholder risk is that all the donors contribute to the FLC based on preferenced activities as opposed to general contributions. This creates a rigidity that does not allow the World Bank to adjust to country demand and implementation realities such as external shocks. It also limits the scale of results to the amount of financing available for each activity based on specific donor contributions. It also contributes to fragmentation in the Partnership Council, where some donors care only about the activities, they are funding. Mitigation involves trying to convince both existing and potential donors to contribute generally to the FLC without preference, which is a challenge because many donors favor preferencing for their own reporting needs. Another not insignificant risk is the growing trend of donors moving away from financing themes, such as education, toward financing country programs. The mitigation is high-level advocacy of the need to address the learning crisis, as well as continuing to engage with donors not only at the global level, but also country and regional levels. A third set of stakeholder risks are COVID’s impact on donor economies and the accompanying shrinkage in development budgets, and the war in Ukraine diverting funding away from urgent development needs. The mitigation is to continue to engage with donor countries by stressing the urgency of the impact of COVID on education and human capital. During the Transforming Education Summit (TES) convoked by the UN Secretary-General in September 2022, the Coalition for Foundational Learning convened by FCDO, the Gates Foundation, USAID, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank successfully advocated for a renewed focus on foundational learning, including through a Call to Action for Foundational Learning. The SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee has picked the Coalition to be a Global Initiative on foundational learning that will be monitored and tracked. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 75 One more risk is that stakeholders’ high expectations of the World Bank and of the FLC sometimes may not be in proportion to the actual amount of funding contributed. The mitigation for this is to continue to stress to donors that the results are limited by the amount of funding. Financial Risk is also moderate. There are two financial risks. One is that payment of installments may be delayed if the donor is not satisfied with implementation, even if the installment is agreed in the Administrative Agreement (AA) and the delays are outside of the World Bank’s control. One way to mitigate is to explain to donors the need to continue to pay installments as agreed in the AA, explain the reasons for the implementation delay, and work to accelerate disbursement. There will be some residual risk that cannot be fully mitigated. The more significant risk is that with learning poverty, particularly in the wake of the impact of COVID, at near 70 percent, the needs in education are great and, relative to that need, the Umbrella will not receive enough contributions to measurably impact learning poverty or LAYS, which may take significant resources over time to change. RISKS AND CHALLENGES AT THE ACTIVITY LEVEL COVID-19 Pandemic During 2020–2021, COVID-19 severely hampered the implementation of many FLC activities because of the closure not only of schools but also of ministries and World Bank Headquarters and Country Offices. For example, the FLC Partnership Council Meeting, which had been scheduled for Fall 2021, had to be delayed. In terms of activities, there were delays in the Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD), as well as in the field launch of the Coach Mozambique pilot. However, even during the COVID-related closure of schools and ministries, there were areas where the work was picking up, such as in EdTech and remote learning, the Learning Data Compact (LDC) on COVID learning losses and COVID response knowledge, Policy Linking, and country support. And, by mid-2021, implementation had started to pick up again in activities that had been delayed. Moreover, during 2021–2022, there were new activities that were initiated: the Accelerator, the EdTech Policy Academy​ , the Bangladesh Secondary Education​ , and Teach-Coach. ​ See Figure 14 for more information. 76 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Figure 14. Implementation challenges of the FLC activities Mid-2021 to 2022 New activities added 2020 to mid-2021 and implementation Implementation accelerated hampered, delays in activities ● Accelerator program ● EdTech Policy ● FLC PC meeting Academies (delayed) in EdTech, ● GEPD (delayed Edu Finance data collection) ● Bangladesh ● Coach Secondary Mozambique Education (delayed field ● Teach-Coach launch) ● Policy Linking Other activities that picked up: ● EdTech program and remote learning ● LDC on COVID-related learning losses (completed national-international assessment linking pilots; new LEGO support) ● GEPD ● AMPL-b ● Regional assessments RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM ● With the Accelerator Program being launched during the COVID pandemic, countries have been working under the motto “Recover and Accelerate.” As a result, dialogue around education recovery and acceleration has been happening concurrently. Countries are having to simultaneously ensure that the necessary quality elements are in place for sustainable system-building for learning outcomes, and also to provide immediate support to recover losses. Pursuing these dual objectives requires sustained focus and realism around the pace of achieving results. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 77 ● Timelines are tied to processes and political developments, such as in Pakistan and Niger. Government changes have resulted in implementation delays because new Ministers need time to become familiar with their portfolios and refine their priorities, and Accelerator teams have to start over with, often with a new government team, to regain momentum and ownership under new education leadership. ● Target setting and publicizing poor learning outcomes have been more complex than expected due to political sensitivity. Experience with target setting has demonstrated that this is more challenging than originally envisioned. There are sensitivities around publicizing existing data from national learning assessments and selecting indicators even when technically appropriate. Despite this, with much intentional outreach and consensus building, including in partnership with UNICEF, targets around foundational reading outcomes have been successfully set in Rwanda and Niger. ● There is difficulty in identifying local and/or international expertise in specific foundational reading issues to provide technical assistance. The World Bank has worked with a handful of experts. However, as the programs mature, the need for reading experts in multiple languages will become acute. There may be challenges around identifying and deploying this expertise when and where it is needed. In some of the more difficult environments, such as Niger, finding the right expertise may become a bottleneck. ● Partnership and coordination across agencies can be very helpful, but time- consuming. Coordination around foundational learning is key to reducing fragmentation and building alignment around the evidenced-based interventions required in each country. Efforts to do this have been fruitful in many cases (for example, Niger, Rwanda, and Pakistan), but this has required more time than originally anticipated, as they involve coordinating across multiple actors and agencies both at the headquarters and the country levels, in addition to frequent and customized information sharing. The program will intensify these efforts to build on ongoing and planned initiatives that can complement each other (for example, FCDO’s What Works Hub working with the Pakistan, Kenya, and Rwanda governments). Engagement with the “Africa Practice,” an external advocacy group that convenes Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) partners in sub-Saharan Africa, has also been useful. ● Flexibility is needed in the midst of overlapping donor processes. Another challenge is the need to continue to stay flexible in response to circumstances on the ground. In a few countries, overlapping donor processes, such as those of GPE, USAID, have required teams to adjust their approach to avoid unnecessary duplication. Maintaining a flexible stance (as opposed to a formulaic approach) toward how to achieve the program’s goals will remain important. In Kenya, the Accelerator Investment Case was merged with the GPE Compact to align and facilitate government engagement. 78 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF LDC ACTIVITIES ● Use of Policy Linking results to report on SDG 4.1.1 indicators requires additional engagement with policy makers due to political sensitivities. As of this writing, policy makers have not yet used the results of the two Learning Assessment Linking studies to report on SDG 4.1.1 indicators. In both Ghana and The Gambia, There is no enabling political environment for engagement in global learning monitoring because of short term concern over potential political backlash if poor results are publicized. ● When Learning Poverty is high, there is a need for information on competencies below the SDG 4.1.1b threshold. The World Bank, in partnership with UIS and the ACER, have implemented the AMPL-b assessment in Sierra Leone and is in the process of conducting a similar exercise in Pakistan. Although the tool has proven to be extremely nimble and cost-effective, there is concern that to increase its value-add, especially among sub-Saharan countries where Learning Poverty is high, it is critical to discriminate levels of competencies that fall below the SDG 4.1.1b threshold. To address this, UIS has been working with the ACER on the development of an AMPL a+b, which will enable the measurement of students’ competencies at the end of primary education using both SDG 4.1.1a and SDG 4.1.1b thresholds. ● There are a few risks with regard to AMPL. First is that translation, technical quality assurance, and validations of the AMPL booklets is time consuming and demanding. So far AMPL has been tested and validated in English and French. Although the translation, technical quality assurance, and validation of the instrument in other languages can be time-intensive and technically demanding, they are critical to preserve the psychometric properties of the original tool. Another risk is related to the Integration of AMPL assessments with existing National Learning Assessments. There is the risk that some NLAs might not have sufficient alignment with the GPF competencies. While the analysis from AMPL assessments can be useful feedback for countries, the lack of sufficient alignment may limit the ability to align the national scale with the global GPF reporting thresholds. Finally, there is also the risk of the limited number of technical assistance providers for AMPL. As of this writing, the ACER is the only organization able to provide technical support to the AMPL implementation. Although the ACER have deep expertise, they are also in high demand for other projects and activities. Going forward, this could become a limiting factor on the World Bank’s ability to support countries in the implementation of AMPL. ● Lack of secured funding for PASEC. While the Bank under the LDC has successfully mobilized countries to express their interest to participate in the 2024 PASEC, several countries have not yet secured funding. As of this writing, the initial payments must be done in early 2023, but, if countries do not have funding, they may not be able to participate. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 79 ● For GEPD, because of the timing of field work, COVID-19-related school and ministry closures significantly delayed implementation. Whereas the goal was to complete the implementation of the GEPD in 13 countries by the end of 2020 under SABER, the school closures disrupted the GEPD’s fieldwork, bringing data collection to a halt for about 14 months. As school systems reopened, the GEPD returned to the field, and it is now expected that it will complete data collection in at least 13 countries/provinces by the end of FY23. Likewise, the third stage of the program to scale up the Dashboard will start in 2023 (previously planned for 2021 but delayed due to COVID-19). ● Also, for GEPD, publicizing learning outcomes has proven to be more difficult than expected due to political sensitivities, as was the case for Policy Linking. Although most governments have approved the public release of aggregate GEPD indicators (every country must agree to this in advance of fieldwork), in one particular case the data have not yet been made public, shared with other stakeholders, or used in cross- country analysis because of repeated delays in securing the government’s approval. Although this is not unique to the GEPD—other partners and teams have experienced similar issues—it does highlight an important challenge. RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF COACH MOZAMBIQUE ● COVID-19-related school closures significantly delayed the implementation of Coach Mozambique. Originally, the two-year pilot was scheduled to begin at the start of the 2021 school year and run through to the end of 2022. Field implementation of the pilot, however, faced major delays from school closures. Field implementation of the pilot has been re-scheduled to begin in the 2022 school year and run through to the end of 2023. Field implementation has already begun in both Manica and Niassa provinces. The impact evaluation for the pilot, originally scheduled to begin in 2023, has been adjusted to begin in early 2023 (baseline), with a second data collection at the end of the 2023 school year (midline). RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF EDTECH HUB ● Consistent replenishment of the budget from donors. Due to political leadership changes and resulting uncertainty and shifting of donor priorities, contributions have not been consistent with the legal agreement. This affects the long-term sustainability of the activity. ● In response to COVID-19, an EdTech Hub Helpdesk rapidly had to be created, with no allocation in the formal budget. Although COVID helped focus the efforts of EdTech Hub in very specific ways, it also led to important changes to many activities and ways of working. COVID-related closures delayed large-scale, on-the-ground research activities and resulted in the quick creation of EdTech Hub’s Helpdesk. Since the Helpdesk was not foreseen and was created in response to the pandemic by reallocating funds from other activities that could not take place. 80 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF THE EDTECH POLICY ACADEMY ● There was not enough time to prepare. Participants in the EdTech Policy Academies provided feedback about the lack of time to review all the reading materials and complete the asynchronous tasks. To mitigate this, the EdTech Team incorporated Week 0 orientation activities, before the launch, so that participants could settle into the course with enough time Regarding the final project presentation, participants reflected on how the sessions could incorporate more time for feedback, knowledge exchange, and Q&A. To address this, this session has been extended over two days to give participants ample time for feedback and interaction. ● The learning plan was not best suited for participant needs. Participants recommended having more in-depth sessions and better aligning the course materials with the final project. To accommodate this request, the Team invited theme experts (for example, on teacher digital skills, EMIS, devices) to serve as the main instructors and prepared in advance the technical discussions that will take place in each session. ● The platform could be more user-friendly and the content better organized. Many participants requested an improved interface and the need for clearer guidance in the next iterations. Additionally, participants also requested that the resources be curated, categorized, and organized by topic, estimated reading time, and document type. For the new iteration of EdTech Policy Academy, the EdTech Team has developed the platform on an upgraded version of Moodle, hired an instructional designer to improve the user experience and user interface (UX/UI), and renovated the entire platform with easier user navigation. ● There were some language barriers. The course was conducted in English. Some participants recommended expanding it to different languages to reduce language barriers. Although it was clearly communicated that the medium of instruction would be English and that country programs could hire translators to support participants who were not fluent English speakers, for FY23, the World Bank is also exploring the possibility of hosting a Spanish version of the EdTech Policy Academy. Section 2. Implementation Progress, Outcomes, and Outputs 81 RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF THE BANGLADESH SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM ● Take-up of evidence is a hurdle. Although the Government has been very supportive of and interested in this work, having this work really make a difference to the design of programs and policies is not straight forward. There are entrenched ideas, vested interests, path dependence, political economy constraints, that prevent this. One way to mitigate this is by leveraging the World Bank’s convening power and its dialogue with FCDO and the government. The World Bank is also addressing this by incorporating the work and results in the design of the new World Bank program, which has already shown results. ● The long COVID-related school closures, subsequent exams, academic breaks, and MoE approval delays have slowed the progress of Developing Reading Habits (DRH)-related activities. See the next section “Looking Ahead” for more information on possible near-future actions related to DRH activities. ● Heavy rains and floods in May 2022 caused delays in learning loss assessments in several schools. However, the assessments were resumed and completed as soon as the situation returned to normal. Floods, combined with the harvesting season, impacted students’ school attendance. Overall, 59 percent of students (from students who took NASS 2019) were tracked for the learning loss assessment. ● Timely disbursement of tranches from donor. On the whole, the process has unfolded smoothly. However, activities are tied to the school calendar, so even a short delay at the wrong time can be disruptive. The World Bank team is trying to manage this better through early planning and communication with FCDO. 82 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Section 3. Looking Ahead Early Learning Partnership Catalytic financing to build the pipeline and improve portfolio quality: In early 2023, the ELP will launch a funding round on three new topics: Scaling up ECD Measurement, Quality Early Learning, and Parenting and Toxic Stress. An estimated $4 million to $6 million will be awarded competitively to 20–40 grants. Applications for Recipient-Executed childcare grants will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis. A learning agenda for each topic will be developed to promote cross-country knowledge sharing and ensure access to the latest evidence, customized technical assistance, and support to measure impact. ECD Measurement: The World Bank expects in 2023 to support at least 10 countries to measure child development outcomes and/or early-learning quality, including several nationally representative studies in partnership with UNICEF and the WHO. Capacity Building: The second cohort of policy makers from the Engaging Policy makers in Early Childhood program is expected to start coursework in late 2023. As the third cohort of Early Years Fellows progresses in the program, there will be a specific focus within both work programs and within the professional development program on ECD and FCV, parenting, childcare, quality early learning, and Read@ Home. Invest in Childcare: The work on childcare in this program is rolling out rapidly. The first 25 catalytic country grants have been awarded; funding to impact evaluation and research teams has been awarded to nine teams; the Women Business and the Law survey work to integrate childcare is under way; the World Bank’s work on tools and global public goods is ongoing, and the first knowledge products will be rolled out in early 2023. Section 3. Looking Ahead 83 Accelerator Program Reflections on and lessons from the approach: A strategic forum is being planned for November 2022 in Kenya for the global and country teams to reflect on the program’s accomplishments and challenges, while also charting the path forward for the global and country teams. Sharing lessons and establishing accountability: The next phase of the program will focus more intensively on lesson sharing within and outside the Accelerator cohort. These activities will be consulted with UNICEF. An initial exploration suggested the state of Ceará in Brazil would be willing to host exchanges in 2023. There is strong interest for this peer learning in the cohort of Accelerators. The learning exchange in Ceará is to be held in March 2023, and it is expected to trigger increased momentum and activity toward achieving Accelerator Program goals. It will be focused on the knowledge exchange of the comprehensive education programs and reforms to accelerated foundational learning undertaken by the state of Ceará.26 Edo State will host a launch event in December for its Accelerator initiative, which would include inviting representatives from other Accelerators to share lessons learned and discuss progress. The World Bank is also planning to highlight the Accelerators and foundational learning at the ADEA Triennale on Education in October 2022. To complement FLC funding, the Accelerator program has received a matching grant from the South–South Knowledge Exchange Facility27 that is expected to be used to support the knowledge exchange across the Accelerators. Engaging in other Accelerator countries: The Accelerator program has attracted interest from new countries not part of the original cohort. The Bank will explore the addition of these countries to the cohort, subject to a review of their political commitment, readiness to measure foundational learning outcomes and set learning targets, ongoing government-led foundational learning reforms, and donor funding. Learning Data Compact POLICY LINKING Disseminate methodological innovations to report on SDG 4.1.1 and foster scale- up: To continue supporting the comparability of national assessment results and global monitoring of learning outcomes, the next immediate step is coordinating with donors and partners on how to disseminate existing methodological innovations to report on SDG 4.1.1 indicators, including Policy Linking methodologies. This also includes disseminating the use of the methodology among World Bank staff and governments to foster scale-up, but also ensuring that validation studies can help strengthen the value proposition of these methodologies. 84 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Areas of potential work: Activities such as support for a new cohort of countries, increased dissemination of Learning Assessment Linking results, and development of a community of practice on these methodologies would require additional funding. AMPL AMPL-b implementation: This is scheduled in Jordan and Pakistan. Developing, translating, and disseminating a guidance note: This will explain how to integrate the AMPL assessments into school surveys such as the GEPD or Teach to facilitate implementation is under consideration. Translating and conducting psychometric validation of AMPL booklets: The booklets will be translated and validated in Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish is planned for the near future. The translation and validation of AMPL-b in Pakistan, including translation to Urdu is being finalized. REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS Incorporation of Teach in PASEC: The World Bank will continue dialogue with CONFEMEN (the organization behind the PASEC initiative) to ensure that critical teaching behaviors and student learning outcomes can be measured as part of PASEC. This may require developing, translating, and disseminating a guidance note on how to integrate the Teach tools into a large-scale assessment such as PASEC. Areas of potential work: Country support for PASEC 2024 to provide technical assistance with data production and data usage aligned with country needs. This would be contingent on future funding. The World Bank also expects the need for similar resources to support countries with other regional programs such as PILNA, LLECE, and SEA-PLM. GLOBAL EDUCATION POLICY DASHBOARD Completion of second stage Disseminating data: The World Bank is working on disseminating more analysis and data using currently available data. It has drafted a report analyzing the data from the first five countries, which will be updated to include data from Sierra Leone and Niger as soon as those data are available. Section 3. Looking Ahead 85 Expanding coverage: There are 13 countries/systems in the pipeline (three in the process of being identified). There will also be additional countries where there will be co-grants with the Teach-Coach SUNSET grants (including a repeat survey in Jordan) to analyze covariance between teaching practices and learning outcomes. This will depend on country demand from the cohort of countries selected for the SUNSET grant for Teach-Coach. Counting completed, ongoing, and pipeline countries, the World Bank expects to have 15 countries/systems completed by the end of 2022 and more in 2023. Start of the third stage: Previously planned for 2021, but delayed due to COVID-19, this will start in 2023. It will consist of six main tasks: Second round of data collection: First, the project will track progress in some of the education systems by carrying out a second round of data collection after the first-round indicator results have been made public. For other countries that have decided more recently to implement the Dashboard, a first round of data collection for those countries will also take place during this stage. The World Bank will create accessible training resources, instruments, and background information to allow continued data collection at low cost, ultimately enabling a significant number of countries to be regularly monitored. Strengthening communication efforts: The refinement of the GEPD website (including by conducting Listening Labs), regional outreach, a blog series, and developing communication tools such as videos are under way. Carrying out research on collected data: The wealth of information collected needs to be leveraged for analysis. The World Bank plans to analyze the data collected in detail and work toward developing a number of research papers to analyze the overall data package, as well as some of the technical innovations (quality of bureaucracy, growth mindset, socioeconomic factors, etc.). These will feed into communication efforts. Pilot technical innovations: The GEPD will continue to enable the piloting of measurement in new areas such as EdTech readiness; socioemotional skills; student learning calibrated to the GPF; socioeconomic background; and curriculum quality and alignment. Capacity building: The World Bank will support countries to adapt and integrate key GEPD tools into their national monitoring systems. Areas of Potential Work: Activities such as the development of online training courses, repeat surveys (for proof of concept), and expanding the research agenda are contingent on future funding. 86 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 TEACH/COACH Publication and dissemination of the second set of Coach tools and resources: They will be in multiple languages, incorporating feedback received during public consultations. Training Packages and mobile app: Development, publication, and dissemination of the Coach Training Packages, as well as the complementary mobile app. Development and launch of the Global Teachers’ Report: The report will codify the knowledge and insights gained through the Coach program. It is scheduled to be launched in FY23. A series of background papers are being developed to support the report. Expansion of the Coach Mozambique (Aprender+) pilot program in Manica and Niassa: This entails scaling up to additional districts and schools in each province, and also expanding to cover Grade 2, in 2023. The second year of the pilot program will also be accompanied by an impact evaluation focused on assessing changes in student learning enabled by the Aprender+ intervention. SUNSET grants: Supervision and management of a total of 22 SUNSET grant- implementing projects focused on improving teaching quality using the Teach classroom assessment and/or the Coach approach. Development of cross-country learning activities among SUNSET country grantees: This will support knowledge generation and the codification of lessons learned through country implementation of SUNSET grants, which will in turn inform the development of new and revised teacher support tools. Dissemination of Teach and Coach products and results: This will be done through research venues and conferences (such as CIES and Frontiers), as well as a broad communications strategy (via the Coach website, the Teachers’ Team newsletter, the Teachers’ Team podcast, and social media channels), and various external events organized by the World Bank. Section 3. Looking Ahead 87 EDTECH HUB Country support with the EdTech Policy Academy and linking country teams with the EdTech Hub Helpdesk: The World Bank will suggest next steps for country support and potential application to EdTech Hub’s Helpdesk. EdTech Hub will work with country teams that participated in the EdTech Policy Academy to support the “what” and “how” of EdTech approaches. Communication: The blog National EdTech strategies: what, why and who is a precursor of the joint World Bank and EdTech Hub publication currently under development and due to be completed by December 2022 with the goal of offering guidance on national Edtech strategies. Other Joint products currently under development include 1) a blog on DPL, 2) presentation decks and a blog on the top EdTech questions from governments and how to address them, 3) a study on DPL in the Dominican Republic, and 4) a podcast on personalized learning that will was recorded in November 2022. EDTECH POLICY ACADEMY Check-in with country teams: The World Bank is trying to offer countries more streamlined country support and foundational and critical knowledge on EdTech. The EdTech Policy Academy will provide a fertile ground for continuous technical support. The World Bank will contact the country teams that participated in the Policy Academy about the status of their final projects and will organize check-in meetings if necessary. Organize Country-level Policy Academies: The World Bank EdTech Policy Academy is offered in three different modalities (3-2-2 model): A three-week introductory; a two-day training for country-specific issues; and a two-hour training for just-in-time support. Upon country request, country Ed-tech Policy Academies will be delivered. Explore different options for the EdTech Policy Academy: The World Bank will explore developing regional courses delivered in regional languages—French, Spanish, Portuguese. Create a network of alumni countries: The World Bank has been keeping a roster of all the EdTech Policy Academy participants and, as it evolves, will establish a network through which alumni and country teams can interact and exchange lessons learned from their EdTech implementation experiences. Next iterations of the EdTech Policy Academy: The World Bank plans to host the third and fourth EdTech Policy Academies in October/November 2022 and March 2023, respectively. 88 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Bangladesh Secondary Education Program Policy relevant diagnostics and data: The World Bank will disseminate policy papers and findings in collaboration with FCDO Bangladesh to enhance outreach and leverage evidence-based policy measures. The Bank will ensure that findings are reflected in the design of the new World Bank program, Learning Acceleration in Secondary Education (LAISE). Identification and piloting of scalable strategies: ● Leverage findings from the Learning Loss study, and work with the Government to ensure that NASS 2022–2023 assessments are conducted. ● Roll out the Adolescent Mental Health pilot study, comprising an in-person psychosocial counseling program and evaluate psychosocial counseling interventions. Evidence-based scale-up: Undertake follow-up/endlines for online teacher training, formative assessments, and teacher mindset studies; and revive the DRH study program and target approximately 400 schools for the evaluation. Assess early if activity is feasible or not, and work with FCDO and MoE colleagues to find alternatives, if needed. Section 3. Looking Ahead 89 Countries and the international development community must invest more and invest better in education systems and strengthen the link between spending and learning and other human capital outcomes. World Bank—UNESCO Education Finance Watch (EFW). 90 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Section 4. FLC Financials FLC grants reflect a combination of direct allocations and competitive allocations for country-level activities aligned with agreed thematic or geographic preferencing. Within activities, the World Bank makes the operational decision on allocations. These include direct allocations and competitive allocations such as calls for proposals or rolling allocations. Decisions on the methodology for these allocations are used to create an efficient process that ensures high technical quality and alignment with outcomes that the FLC aims to achieve, as well as other operational factors such as country demand. As of September 30, 2022, a total of US$24.4 million of paid-in contributions during the reporting period have been allocated to agreed initiatives, and US$9.8 million (40 percent) have been disbursed with the FLC currently set to close in 2025. The available unallocated funds as of September 30, 2022 amount to about US$20.7 million (68 percent of total funds received). Paid-in contributions Total funds received 40% 68% US$9.8 million US$20.7 million disbursed with the FLC unallocated Section 4. FLC Financials 91 Tables 11 and 12 provide more details on the status of contributions. Table 11. FLC Umbrella TF—Financial Status (as of September 30, 2022) Funds Amount (in US$) Funds Committed by Development Partners 44,510,683 BMGF 13,814,563 FCDO 14,481,208 Finland 6,214,912 LEGO Foundation 10,000,000 Funds Received from Development Partners 32,469,806 BMGF 10,924,469* FCDO 8,495,700 Finland 4,783,102 LEGO Foundation 8,500,000 Investment Income 215,152 Total Funds Allocated 29,067,077 Total Disbursements (12,277,736) Program Management & Administration (600,175) Funds Balance 19,591,895 * Includes $1,079,992 transferred out from BMGF to UNICEF for Accelerator Program. Table 12. ELP Associated TF—Financial Status (as of September 30, 2022) Funds Amount (in US$) Funds Committed by Development Partners 84,617,607 Funds Received from Development Partners 24,132,572 Total Funds Allocated 10,109,541 Total Disbursements (4,863,673) Program Management & Administration (49,113) Funds Balance 19,219,786 * Includes $144,885 in investment income. 92 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Annexes 93 Annex 1A: List of FLC Trust- Funded Activities or Projects Funded Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Education Policy TF0A9297 Global 12/18/2018 $3,807,356 $2,875,591 To allow countries to monitor Dashboard progress on policy efforts in three core dimensions of their education systems that can drive improvements in education outcomes: service delivery, policies, and politics. Coach Mozambique TF0B4347 National: 11/3/2020 $1,840,224 $752,872 To accelerate student learning program Mozambique by improving in-service professional development. FLC Program TF0B4891 Global 1/12/21 $650,000 $495,757 To support the program Management & management of the FLC Administration program to ensure delivery of activities. FLC Accelerator TF0B6802 Global 12/14/21 $1,079,992 $1,079,992 To help strengthen the Program - Transfer capacity of government Out to UNICEF counterparts to leverage promising evidence-based policies and contextually relevant practices to improve foundational skills. Rwanda: Accelerating TF0B7072 National: 10/8/2021 $2,639,352 $199,311 To build and maintain political the Fight Against Rwanda commitment, stakeholder Learning Poverty alignment, and mutual accountability for a common set of priority targets set by the government around Learning Poverty. EdTech Policy TF0B7288 Global 11/2/2021 $582,864 $463,973 To provide World Bank Academy staff and client country counterparts with learning opportunities to deepen knowledge and skills in priority thematic areas. Edo State: TF0B7302 National: 11/2/2021 $2,779,352 $125,094 To build and maintain political Accelerating the Fight Nigeria commitment, stakeholder Against Learning alignment, and mutual Poverty accountability for a common set of priority targets set by the government. 94 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective EdTech Hub Technical TF0B7308 Global 11/1/2021 $352,782 $246,448 To provide technical Support and leadership and direction to Governance the EdTech Hub during the initial two years of operation. Mozambique: TF0B7310 National: 11/2/2021 $526,397 $197,450 To support the government in Accelerating Mozambique designing a theory of change Improvements in to reduce learning poverty Learning in the context of the national education strategic plan. Building Back Better TF0B7721 National: 12/18/2021 $900,354 $861,639 To improve student outcomes Education Systems in Bangladesh in secondary education and Bangladesh the effectiveness of the secondary education system. Niger: Accelerate TF0B7767 National: 1/11/2022 $686,397 $124,192 To build and maintain political Learning Niger commitment, stakeholder Improvement for alignment, and mutual Results in Education accountability for a common set of priority targets to ensure that key evidence- based interventions of an effective foundational learning improvement program are clear, prioritized and costed. Pakistan Accelerator TF0B7898 National: 1/27/2022 $200,000 $188,984 To enhance coordination Case Pakistan among key actors to catalyze learning poverty reductions and improve education sector resilience through better targeting to include vulnerable populations. Kenya: Accelerating TF0B8275 National: 3/22/2022 $526,397 $11,634 To strengthen teacher the Fight against Kenya deployment and school Learning Poverty meals, reforms in pre-service teacher training and ensuring the availability of minimum essential school infrastructure to reduce regional disparities in learning outcomes, improve the retention of girls in upper primary education, and strengthen systems for delivering equitable education outcomes. Understanding TF0B8298 Global 3/25/2022 $663,320 $76,448 To increase and strengthen Learning Losses and the measurement of learning Drivers of Learning and the drivers of learning for for the Recovery informed decision-making to and Acceleration of improve teaching and student Learning learning outcomes, and help countries achieve their education goals. Annex 1A: List of FLC Trust-Funded Activities or Projects Funded 95 Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Global Support— TF0B8523 Global 4/28/2022 $2,778,430 $937,443 To support selected national Accelerator Program and subnational committed governments to improve foundational learning and reduce learning poverty through the implementation of coherent and evidence- based plans. Building Back Better TF0B8883 National: 6/21/2022 $1,221,666 $413,574 To guide the secondary Education Systems in Bangladesh education system on how to Bangladesh build back better for improved retention and learning after COVID-related disruptions and learning losses. Strengthen Early TF0B8904 National: 6/15/2022 $178,000 To collect and use data on Childhood Education Uzbekistan teaching practices to improve Teacher Practices TPD programs at scale and to Boost Social- contribute to the global emotional Learning evidence base on the links Outcomes in Early between teaching quality and Learning Programs in learning outcomes. Uzbekistan Strengthening TF0B8905 National: 6/15/2022 $50,000 To assess the quality of Teaching Quality Eswatini ECCDE to develop of a in Eswatini at Early comprehensive package Childhood Care, of interventions to improve Development and service quality. Education (ECCDE) Level Using Teach to TF0B8936 National: 6/30/2022 $50,000 To help improve teacher Strengthen Teacher Cabo Verde pedagogical practices and Professional focus greater attention on Development in Cabo evidence-based practices Verde that have been shown to lead to higher learning outcomes. Scaling Up National TF0B8937 National: 6/17/2022 $230,000 To scale up the tools, Support for Effective Côte d'Ivoire approaches, and activities Teaching in Côte developed to update early d'Ivoire learning and in-service training strategies. Capacity Building TF0B8969 National: 6/20/2022 $50,000 To improve the quality of pre- in Armenia Through Armenia school and general education Teach and Coach using Teach and Coach to design training courses based on teachers' needs. Central African TF0B8976 National: 6/20/2022 $50,000 To improve access to, and Republic Teach Pilot Central the quality of, pre-primary African and basic education and Republic strengthen education system management and resilience. 96 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Indonesia Assessment TF0B9006 National: 6/24/2022 $50,000 To collect data on teaching on Teaching Practices Indonesia practices using the Teach tool from learning assessments of a sample of 350 schools. Enhancing TF0B9007 Regional: 7/6/2022 $75,000 To support measurement Professional Support Pacific of teaching practices and to ECE and Primary Island guidance for practical and Education Teachers Countries tailored TPD in Tuvalu and in Pacific Island Kiribati. Countries Scaling Up Improved TF0B9012 National: 6/27/2022 $122,500 To support the modernization Teaching Practices in Djibouti of TPD and teacher Djibouti monitoring through the roll- out of improved classroom observation and coaching at the preschool level and basic education, grades 1–9. Morocco Teach-Coach TF0B9013 National: 6/24/2022 $50,000 To support improved teaching SUNSET Grant Morocco practices in primary and secondary education and strengthen management capacity and accountability along the education service delivery chain. Ensuring Effective TF0B9014 Regional: 6/27/2022 $250,000 To utilize Teach and Coach Teacher Professional El Salvador frameworks to understand Development for and classroom practices linked Early Learning in Honduras to learning and develop El Salvador and structured materials to Honduras support regular coaching and feedback sessions on a national scale. Strengthening Coa- TF0B9016 National: 6/29/2022 $247,500 To support the adaptation ching and Adapting Pakistan and contextualization of to Local Languages classroom observation and in Education (SCALE) teacher-mentoring tools in in Punjab and Khyber order to improve elementary Pakhtunkhwa education services. Teacher Professional TF0B9032 National: 6/28/2022 $50,000 To support states and Development Brazil municipalities to enhance Materials and teacher training capacity Activities to Support at the local level and by Local Governments in equipping teachers with the North and Northeast pedagogical tools necessary Brazil for learning recovery. Increase Efficiency of TF0B9036 National: 6/30/2022 $150,000 $3,548 To support Guanajuato Instruction: Impact Mexico with its COVID-19 learning Evaluation of a recovery strategy to measure Pioneering Study on learning outcomes to inform Teaching Practices in policymaking and building Mexico an Early-Warning System to identify students at risk of dropping out. Annex 1A: List of FLC Trust-Funded Activities or Projects Funded 97 Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Gujarat Outcomes for TF0B9042 National: 6/29/2022 $62,500 To enable the state of Gujarat Accelerated Learning India to strengthen TPD using data (GOAL) from the Teach Primary Tool through the GOAL Program. Teach-Coach SUNSET TF0B9043 National: 6/28/2022 $150,000 To enable rollout of Teach Grants India ECE and Teach Primary tools across India’s education portfolio. India: Strengthening TF0B9044 National: 6/29/2022 $37,500 To facilitate the roll-out of the Teacher Education India Teach 2.0 Early Childhood and Professional Education tool in Andhra Development (I-STEP) Pradesh and the downward extension of the Teach 2.0-based practice of regular classroom observations at the primary and secondary levels. Romania: Equip TF0B9045 National: 6/30/2022 $249,450 $10,907 To help prevent dropouts by Teachers with Modern Romania increasing learning quality at Tools and Resources preschool and primary levels. to Improve Classroom Practices (SUNSET) Somalia's First TF0B9066 National: 7/7/2022 $176,618 To identify coaching practices Teacher Coach Somalia that support teachers to Professional improve the quality of their Development classroom instruction. Program Early Childhood TF0B9151 Regional: 7/21/2022 $43,000 The inform decisions to Education (ECE— Maghreb modify and scale up the ECE- l'année préscolaire—) level model, and potentially Classroom expand the model of teacher Observation training to higher levels of education (primary and beyond). Scaling Up Teachers TF0B9175 National: 7/20/2022 $250,000 $3,941 To support the roll-out of Continuous Tanzania strengthened, continuous Professional professional development Development in activities in 26 local systems, Tanzania enhancing the support teachers receive and improving their teaching practices. LEGO Teach-Coach TF0B9526 Global 9/13/2022 $300,000 To accelerate student learning Global Grant by improving in-service professional development in low- and middle-income settings. Teach Nepal TF0B9593 National: 9/16/22 $50,000 To increase equitable Nepal access, improve quality and governance of school education. 98 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Annex 1B: List of ELP Trust- Funded Activities or Projects Funded Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Early Years Fellows TF0B2118 Global 2/12/2020 $1,000,000 $589,588 To build the capacity of young Grant professionals to support World Bank teams and client countries to scale up quality early years activities. Bangladesh: Support TF0B3667 National: 8/4/2020 $99,000 $83,028 To improve the quality of, and to Improve Quality Bangladesh enhance equitable access to, of Early Childhood education from pre-primary to Education grade 5. Madagascar: TF0B3692 National: 8/10/20 $173,300 $164,066 To integrate playful parenting Promoting Play Madagascar components into existing Mahay Mikolo parenting interventions, building in opportunities for analytical work of both policy and scientific merit, and assessing the potential of these activities to be feasible at scale. Playful Parenting TF0B3936 National: 9/10/2020 $150,000 $54,967 To support the expansion for Better Nurtured Myanmar of cash transfers for the and Eager-to-Learn improved maternal and child Children in Myanmar nutrition in the vulnerable regions of Ayeyarwady and Shan. Marshall Islands: TF0B3961 National: 9/22/2020 $123,600 $82,074 To improve coverage of Playful Partners in Marshall multisectoral early childhood Parenting Pilot Islands development services. Uzbekistan: TF0B3977 National: 9/20/2020 $155,000 $140,982 To finance the development Innovative Playful Uzbekistan of innovative, playful learning Learning Approaches approaches to improve children's readiness for primary education. Cambodia: A Pilot TF0B4115 National: 10/1/2020 $115,000 $19,422 To introduce the school- of School-Based Cambodia based management model Management in the in 30 pre-schools to improve Early Childhood Edu- quality and increase ECE cation Sub-Sector to services in those targeted Increase and Improve areas. the Quality of Local Investment Annex 1B: List of ELP Trust-Funded Activities or Projects Funded 99 Country/ Approval Grant Amount Project Name Grant No. Region Date Amount Disbursed Objective Honduras: Improving TF0B4632 National: 11/30/2020 $150,000 $149,898 To improve preschool Quality in Early Honduras management, teaching Childhood Education practices of preschool teachers and educators, and physical learning environments in preschools that serve children in targeted areas. Kosovo: Early TF0B4730 National: 12/11/2020 $70,000 $69,698 To contribute to the evidence Childhood Kosovo base required to strengthen Development the quality of the ECE Financing Models curriculum framework, and and Curriculum develop a holistic, nurturing framework incorporating play-based developmental activities. Engaging Policy TF0B5050 Global 2/3/2021 $610,000 $363,427 To help build policymaker and Makers in Early World Bank staff engagement Childhood Education and technical capacity to yield more and better-quality investments in early childhood education, in a select group of countries. Scaling Up TF0B7956 Global 2/10/2022 $1,000,000 $179,510 To support countries to Early Childhood measure early childhood Measurement outcomes and the quality of early learning environments, while simultaneously working toward the generation of globally comparable data. ECD GSG support TF0B7982 Global 3/22/2022 $500,000 $164,960 To support World Bank staff from ELP and client countries to expand the size of ECD investments and improve the quality and impact of investments to ensure improved early child development outcomes. Read@Home TF0B7983 Global 2/10/2022 $150,000 To deliver reading, learning and play materials to hard-to- reach homes as quickly and efficiently as possible, along with support for parents and others to enhance children's learning. South Sudan: TF0B8654 National: 5/20/2022 $50,891 To strengthen institutional Promoting Family South capacity and human capital and Community Sudan formation through the Engagement in Early development of a package Learning for parents to support early learning and school readiness where access to pre-primary education is limited. 100 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Annex 2: Results Framework The FLC has developed a ToC and an RF. They reflect the perspective of the Umbrella, which is a high-level view and is meant to capture the breadth of activities, as opposed to the details of each activity, which are tracked separately at the activity level, in activity level results frameworks. Also, as noted in the Partnership Document, both the ToC and the RF are indicative because the activities will develop and evolve during the course of FLC implementation as new funds come in and new donors join the FLC and activities adjust to realities on the ground including external shocks. The RF, presented below, shows the key results from the various activities that contribute to pillar-level objectives, which, in turn, contribute to the FLC’s higher-level objective. The FLC RF is consistent with the World Bank Umbrella TF guidance and is different from the more granular activity RFs, which will continue to be monitored in parallel. Unlike projects, Umbrella RFs capture a myriad of activities that may aim to achieve many different outcomes, all of which cannot be captured in the RF. To make the RF more manageable and coherent, a few key indicators have been chosen from each of the activity RFs. Some indicators may be output-oriented rather than measuring outcomes, which is appropriate in a young TF where the activity may be in the early stages of implementation. This does not reflect the ambition of the activities, but rather what can be captured appropriately in an RF. Also, the scale of the outcomes is directly linked to the availability of current funding and the length of time for implementation. As contributions and/or the implementation period increases and activities mature, the ambition of the targets/results can also be appropriately increased and more focused on outcomes. The indicators and objectives are pegged to the end of the activity and/or of the FLC Umbrella itself, which at present will conclude in 2025. Given that many of the activities were rolled over from the predecessor SABER-UF TF and that other activities, although initiated after the rollover, predate the Umbrella RF, the indicators are effectively retrofitted into the RF. Annex 2: Results Framework 101 102 Umbrella Program/ Trust Fund name: Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) Anchor MDTF Level FLC Development Objective: FLC will enhance global and country efforts to pursue systemic and sustained improvements to early childhood, primary, and secondary education systems in order to achieve learning for all Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Pillar Level (Results Framework prepared Pillar 1: Measurement for each pillar) Development objective: Measure and monitor learning outcomes and drivers of learning Pillar level outcome 1 Describe Outcome 1: Greater focus by governments on accountability to achieve key foundational learning outcomes Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 1 indicators Indicator 1: Foundational Number of 0 (2021) 3 5 (2023) Activity: Accelerator learning targets developed accelerators Definition: New foundational learning targets that by Accelerators and measure early- grade literacy and/or numeracy adopted publicly by are established or existing learning targets in the government Education Sector Plan are revised and prioritized as appropriate. Accelerators are governments participating in the Accelerator initiative. Data Source: Accelerator program documents and/or technical notes Who will collect: World Bank Accelerator team Pillar level outcome 2 Describe Outcome 2: increased measurement of learning and drivers of learning Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 2 indicators Indicator 1: Learning Number of 0 (2021) 1 (Sierra Leone) 4 (2023) Activity: Learning Data Compact (LDC) assessment implemented countries Definition: LDC criteria to be used in country selection in selected countries based on a lack of adequate assessment systems or assessment data. LDC monitoring tools, including assessments such as PASEC and AMPL-B and AMPL- a+b. Learning Assessment data need to meet the criteria established under the LDC. Data Source: LDC Who will collect: World Bank Learning Assessment team in coordination with UIS and UNICEF Annex 2: Results Framework Indicator 2: Countries Number of 0 (2021) 2 (Ghana and 2 (2023) Activity: Policy Linking implementing learning countries The Gambia) Definition: Policy Linking, which is a method developed assessments that allow by the USAID, UIS and other partners to link national international comparisons student assessments to a common scale. This based on SDG 4.1.1 approach allows countries to use their existing large- scale learning assessments to report on global student learning outcome indicators, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 4.1.1 (a, b, and c). Date Source: Policy Linking Assessments Who will collect: World Bank Learning Assessment team in coordination with UIS Indicator 3: Global Number of 3 (2021) 7 13 (2023) Activity: GEPD Education Policy countries/ Definition: Number of countries or education systems, Dashboard implemented systems in which data collection has been completed, in in selected countries/ response to demand from and in coordination with systems government counterparts Data Source: GEPD website (for data approved for release by governments; World Bank team for other cases) Who will collect: World Bank GEPD team Indicator 4: Implementation Number of 30 (2021) 35 40 (2024) Activity: TEACH of TEACH in selected countries Definition: Number of countries where TEACH (Primary countries/systems or ECE) is implemented Data Source: World Bank TEACH team Who will collect: World Bank TEACH team Indicator 5: Implementation Number of 22, 29, including 7 32, including 11 Activity: Early Learning Partnership of ECD outcome countries including FCV settings FCV settings Definition: Number of countries where ECD outcome measurement tools in 6 FCV (2027) measurement tools are implemented, with financial or countries, including in FCV settings technical support from the ELP team. ECD outcome settings (2021) measurement tools may include, but are not restricted to, tools such as AIM-ECD, MELQO, GSED, ECDI2030, CREDI Note: this indicator does not include Teach ECE, which is covered under indicator 1.2.4. Data Source: Early Learning Partnership team Who will collect: Early Learning Partnership team 103 104 Pillar Level (Results Pillar 2: Evidence-based policies and systemic reforms Framework prepared Development objective: Improve policies to deliver better learning outcomes for each pillar) Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Pillar level outcome 1 Describe Outcome 1: Government implement evidence-based interventions to improve foundational learning Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 1 indicators Indicator 1: Children/ Number of 0 (2021) Coach, Teach- Coach, Teach- Activity: Bangladesh Secondary Education Program + students benefiting directly students Coach: 0 Coach: 10M Coach (incl. Teach-Coach) + Accelerator+ ELP from evidence-based + + Definition: Number of students in intervention area interventions to improve Bangladesh: learning (Accumulative and Bangladesh: 1M in Bangladesh + number of students in intervention 74,000 area for Coach + number of potential students in disaggregated by gender + intervention area in Accelerators and level of education) + Accelerator: 0 Accelerator: Evidence-based interventions will be defined as Edo: 0.2M being informed by Smart Buys or other sources for + ELP: N/A1 Mozambique: evidence-based interventions. Level of education will 7.2M be primary and secondary. Niger: 2.7M Data Source: MoE Bangladesh, Coach, and Accelerator Program documents Pakistan: 18.7M Who will collect: Bangladesh Secondary Education Rwanda: 2.5M Project team, Coach team, and World Bank Sierra Leone: 2M Accelerator team (2027)2 Note: The data for ELP is captured in indicator 2.4.1.2. Indicator 2: Accelerators Number of 0 (2021) 0 5 (2027) Activity: Accelerator that reduce learning accelerators Definition: This could be in reducing learning poverty poverty or increase learning or increasing learning outcomes according to national outcomes targets as defined by the government in relation to the Accelerator Initiative Data Source: Accelerator program documents and/or events. Who will collect: World Bank Accelerator team 1 Data for ELP captured in Indicator 2.4.1.2 2 For the Accelerator, the indicator includes children/students potentially benefiting indirectly from evidence-based interventions to improve learning. Annex 2: Results Framework Intermediate results indicators Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Indicator 1: Investment Number of 0 (2021) 2 4 (2022) Activity: Accelerator Cases that outline costed prioritized and Definition: Investment Case is a costed plan to reach plan to meet foundational costed investment the learning targets and to align internal and external learning targets cases actors’ programs and funding. It supports greater alignment across the governments and key partners toward an evidence-backed approach to reach government targets to improve foundational learning outcomes. Data Source: Accelerator program documents and/or technical notes. Who will collect: World Bank Accelerator team Pillar level outcome 2 Describe Outcome 2: Greater adoption by government of evidence-based teacher policies and effective teacher professional development programs developed and implemented to contribute to improved teaching practices Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 2 indicators Indicator 1: Teacher policies Number of 0 (2021) Bangladesh: 5 Bangladesh Activity: Bangladesh Secondary Education Program, or programs changed or teacher-related 2 (program Secondary Coach, Teach-Coach, Mozambique Coach informed policies or policy around teacher Education Definition: Teacher related policy documents that documents training and Program make reference to findings, recommendations, informed program around (2027) + or direct citations of analytical work under the formative Bangladesh Secondary Education Program. Client assessment) + 5 survey indicates that Coach, Teach-Coach, and/or Coach, Coach, Mozambique Coach activities influenced, informed or Teach-Coach, Teach-Coach, changed teacher policies. The focus will be on teacher Mozambique Mozambique policies or programs that are evidence based and Coach: 0 Coach address bottlenecks in the quality of learning. (2027) Data Source: Bangladesh Ministry of Education, Global Coach Team Survey Who will collect: World Bank Bangladesh Secondary Education Project team, World Bank Global Coach Team Survey 105 106 Intermediate results indicators Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Indicator 1: Coach Number of 0 (2021) 0 1 (2024) Activity: Coach Global teacher training program teacher training Definition: Package of training materials developed for developed programs teachers and coaches, based on Coach in a modular manner to be adaptable to different contexts and to be assessed to meet key quality criteria Data Source: Coach Global team Who will collect: World Bank Coach Global team Indicator 2: Scalable Number of pilots 0 (2021) 3 2 (2024) Activity: Bangladesh Secondary Education Program teacher training platforms implemented Definition: Piloting, evaluating and scaling-up and networks piloted mechanisms for classroom monitoring and academic supervision Data Source: Bangladesh Ministry of Education Who will collect: World Bank Bangladesh Secondary Education Project team Pillar level outcome 3 Describe Outcome 3: Greater adoption by government of evidence-based EdTech policies Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 3 indicators Indicator 1: EdTech focused Number of 0 (2021) 16 15 (2027) Activity: Edtech Policy Academy and Edtech Hub interventions or policies interventions or Definition: Academy coursework enables technical designed or informed policies diagnostics of existing and planned initiatives by participants. Interventions or policies designed using input from the Policy Academy or products or services from EdTech Hub. Data Source: Policy Academy platform Who will collect: World Bank EdTech team Intermediate results indicators Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Indicator 1: Participants Number of 0 (2021) 179 400 (2027) Activity: EdTech Policy Academy completing EdTech Policy participants Definition: Participants to include Ministry of Education Academy course modules technical teams, World Bank, and FCDO staff (Accumulative) Data Source: Policy Academy platform Who will collect: World Bank EdTech team Annex 2: Results Framework Pillar level outcome 4 Describe Outcome 4: Greater adoption and implementation by government of evidence-based early childhood and childcare policies Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 4 indicators Indicator 1: Countries Number of 0 (2021) 2 8, including 2 Activity: Early Learning Partnership adopt/integrate early countries in FCV settings Definition: Number of countries where policy makers childhood, learning through (2027) develop or strengthen initiatives that are focused play and/or childcare into on integrating and strengthening Early Childhood the formal education or Education, childcare and/or learning through play gender/child protection within their system system Data Source: Case studies Who will collect: ELP team Intermediate results indicators Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Indicator 1: Change Number of 0 (2021) 2 10, including 2 Activity: Early Learning Partnership in National policy countries in FCV settings Definition: Countries that have had meaningful shifts commitments to, and (2027) in ECE and/or childcare policies and/or the enabling enabling environments environment that can be reasonably attributed to ELP for, early childhood funding. Changes to enabling environments could development, playful include inclusion of ECD or related topics within parenting, childcare and sub-sector or sector strategies, quality standards, quality play-based early regulation, quality assurance system, curriculum, learning, including in FCV practitioner frameworks, training curriculums, financing countries amounts and/or mechanisms and addressing demand-side barriers Data source: Reporting by World Bank grant teams Who will collect: ELP team Indicator 2: Increased Number of 0 (2021) 4.7 million 10 million Activity: Early Learning Partnership access to quality early children children children (2027) Description: Number of children reached with early childhood services childhood services Data source: Project reporting (the eligibility criteria for recipient-executed grants will specify these reporting requirements) Who will collect: ELP team 107 108 Pillar Level (Results Pillar 3: Capacity Building Framework prepared Development objective: Improve the effectiveness of education systems for each pillar) Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Pillar level outcome 1 Describe Outcome 1: Increase government implementation capacity to improve foundational learning skills Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 1 indicators Indicator 1: Technical Number of 0 (2021) 5 20 (2027) Activity: Accelerator Assistance delivered accelerators Definition: Technical assistance to be provided in the to Governments and form of workshops, meetings, notes, recruitment of stakeholders to fill experts, and so on. This is the activity of the program implementation capacity that is expected to help lead to the outcomes (learning gaps for Accelerators targets established, investment cases set, capacity gaps identified + addressed). Technical assistance to substantively fill implementation capacity- building gaps could include tailored activities, such as early grade literacy/ numeracy curriculum, teaching, teaching and learning materials, parental and community engagement, and language of instruction. Data Source: Accelerator program documents or technical notes. Who will collect: World Bank Accelerator team Indicator 2: Increase Number of 0 (2021) Policy Linking 10 (2025) Activity: LDC, GEPD, Teach country capacity for countries and AMPL: 3 + Definition: Number of countries or systems that use evidence-based policy GEPD: 5 + LDC, GEPD, Policy Linking, or Teach data to strengthen or program design and Learning losses: policy or programs or use indicators or tools from monitoring based on 3 LDC, GEPD, Policy Linking, or Teach to monitor their measurement interventions education system. Data Source: GEPD website Who will collect: World Bank GEPD team Annex 2: Results Framework Pillar level outcome 2 Describe Outcome 2: Increase government implementation capacity for in-service teacher professional development and teacher capacity to implement evidence-based teaching practices Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 2 indicators Indicator 1: Teachers, Number of 30 (2021) Coach, and Coach Global, Activity: Coach Global, Coach Mozambique, Teach- principals, coaches, teachers, Teach-Coach: Coach and-Coach and Bangladesh Secondary Education classroom observation principals, 290 Mozambique, Program monitors, and pedagogical coaches, + Teach-Coach: Definition: Teachers, principals, coaches, classroom leaders trained classroom 190,000 (2027) observation monitors, and pedagogical leaders observation Bangladesh (Disaggregated by gender) Secondary + supported by Coach Global, Coach Mozambique and monitors, and Bangladesh: Teach-and-Coach country grants pedagogical Education Program: 1654 10,000 (2027) Number of teachers trained as a result of direct leaders interventions supported by Bangladesh Secondary Total: 1944 Education Program Data Source: Coach Global, Teach-and-Coach, Coach Mozambique program documents and World Bank Bangladesh Implementation Status and Results Reports Who will collect: World Bank Coach Global team and Bangladesh Secondary Education Project team Indicator 2: Technical Number of World 30 (2021) 52 45 (2027) Activity: TEACH-and-Coach assistance to World Bank Bank education Definition: Technical Assistance provided by Teach- country programs on country programs and-Coach core global team to the design and design and implementation implementation of measurement and teacher of Teach-Coach related professional development activities in World Bank activities provided portfolio. Data Source: Coach Global team, Teach-and-Coach grant monitoring Who will collect: World Bank Coach Global team 109 110 Pillar level outcome 3 Describe Outcome 3: Increase implementation capacity of EdTech interventions to improve learning outcomes Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 3 indicators Indicator 1: Use of EdTech Number 7 (2021) 40 100 (2027) Activity: EdTech Hub Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Hub products and services of responses Definition: Number of additional individuals, technical (Accumulative) working-level joint queries responded to by EdTech Hub Helpdesk in support of World Bank-funded operational activities and country dialogues. Data Source: Helpdesk tracker Who will collect: World Bank EdTech Hub team Pillar level outcome 4 Describe Outcome 4: Increase implementation capacity of evidence-based ECE interventions Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Outcome 4 indicators Indicator 1: Fellows and Number of fellows 0 (2021) 25 fellows 30 fellows 100 Activity: Early Learning Partnership policy makers complete or policy makers 77 policy makers policy makers Definition: Number of fellows and number of policy the early childhood (2027) makers that complete the early childhood professional professional development development program offered under the Early Years program Fellowship and ECE policy maker program Data Source: Attendance reporting from professional development program Who will collect: ELP team Crosscutting Themes Gender Indicators Unit of Measure Baseline September 2022 End Target Notes Indicator G1: Female Number of 0 (2021) 37,000 XX,000 Activity: Accelerator and Bangladesh Secondary children and youth students Accelerator Education Program benefitting directly (2027)3 Definition: Number of female students in intervention from evidence-based + areas in Accelerators + number of female students in interventions to improve intervention area in Bangladesh learning (Accumulative) 60,000 Bangladesh Data Source: Accelerator Program Documents and Secondary MOE Bangladesh Education Who will collect: World Bank Accelerator team and Program Bangladesh Secondary Education Project team (2027) 3 The Accelerator Team is working with country teams to collect this data. Indicator G2: Evidence- Number of girls 0 (2021) 14,000 20,000 (2027) Activity: Bangladesh Secondary Education Program based student outreach reached Definition: Evaluation and scale-up of novel Annex 2: Results Framework conducted to promote girls’ approaches that target adolescent aspirations and retention sense of self with girl-focused interventions Data Source: World Bank Implementation Status and Results Reports Who will collect: World Bank Bangladesh Secondary Education Project team Indicator G3: Increased Number of 0 (2021) 0 2 million (2027) Activity: Early Learning Partnership access to quality childcare mothers reached Definition: Number of mothers and children reached to support women’s by quality childcare services supported under World economic empowerment Bank operations 4 million (2027) Data source: Project reporting (the eligibility criteria for Number of recipient- executed grants will specify these reporting children reached requirements) Who will collect: ELP team Inclusion Indicator I: FLC activities Number of FLC 0 (2021) 2 (EdTech Policy 3 (2027) Activity: FLC that are disability inclusive Initiatives Academy and Definition: FLC activities address inclusion of children Teach) with disabilities Data Source: FLC teams Who will collect: PMA team Knowledge and Learning Indicator K1: Knowledge or Number of 0 (2021) 6 10 (2025) Activity: All FLC activities learning events delivered knowledge or Teach-Coach: 5 Definition: Number of learning or knowledge-sharing learning events + Accelerator: 1 events delivered to promote lessons learned and collaboration among donor partners, country decision makers, and/or World Bank staff Data Source: PMA team Who will collect: PMA team Indicator K2: Knowledge Number of 0 (2021) 14 8 (2025) Activity: All FLC activities or results briefs on lessons knowledge or Definition: Number of knowledge briefs or results learned and/or impact results briefs briefs on lessons learned and/or impact that have disseminated been disseminated, including among the FLC donors or on FLC website, to promote knowledge sharing, learning, and collaboration among donor partners, countries decision-makers, and/or World Bank staff Data Source: PMA team Who will collect: PMA team 111 Annex 3: UNICEF— Accelerator Transfer Out This annex focuses on the three components for which UNICEF is the lead implementation agency and their progress made over the period January to June 2022. The Accelerator Program is a major component of UNICEF’s work on FLN. It is one pillar of the broader Foundational Literacy Initiative that focuses on strengthening integration of foundational learning in UNICEF’s education programs globally. The initiative aims to provide countries with technical assistance, support to model and scale interventions, and access to tools and resources to help them improve the quality of their FLN programming. It forms part of a broader shift to strengthening learning within UNICEF’s programming. The UNICEF-led components of the Accelerator Program—Advocacy and Communications, Analytic and Advisory Services, and Partner Alignment and Accountability—are geared toward strengthening the awareness of targets, improving the availability and use of evidence, and ensuring close alignment and coordination among partners in targeted countries. These components are designed to complement the other three components that the World Banks leads—Target Setting, Investment Case, and Institutional Capacity. The support from UNICEF complements the World Bank’s support in five low-income and lower-middle-income sub-Saharan African countries to tackle learning poverty: Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria Edo State, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. The purpose of the alignment between the World Bank and UNICEF in FLC is, broadly speaking, to deploy their respective technical strengths and depth of country engagement across government, the private sector, and civil society and with parents and communities in a unified agenda to reduce learning poverty. By coordinating at country level to meet country-demands for technical and financial support, the World Bank and UNICEF are more likely to achieve the objectives to strengthen education systems and improve foundational learning outcomes in the near term, with a special focus on the most marginalized children (poorest, girls, children with disabilities, linguistic minorities, children in under-served and hard to reach areas). 112 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 Implementation Progress on the UNICEF Accelerator ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS Draft advocacy strategies have been developed for all five target countries. The strategies were drafted based on a participatory process involving UNICEF and the World Bank country teams in some countries. Additional work will be done at the country level to further refine the drafts with feedback and input from national partners. The strategy development process allowed country teams to (i) answer critical questions that define the problem; (ii) map power, authority, and spheres of influence; and (iii) develop draft strategies for advocacy. This was done through a series of three workshops involving multiple countries, country specific meetings, and guided team activities that produced the inputs for drafting the strategies. The process of developing the strategies forms part of the broader global priority that UNICEF is giving to advocacy on foundational learning. Hence, the strategy development process is organized and managed by the Global Advocacy and Communications Division, with technical support from the Democracy Centre. ANALYTICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES The Analytical and Advisory Services component of the program is aligned to the global public goods UNICEF is producing as part of the global FLN initiative. A range of public goods are being produced to support improved practice in FLN and are housed on a single online site, the FLN Hub. These goods are developed through UNICEF’s partnership with other donors but are critical resources for this component of the program. They include ● A searchable database of effective practices that can be used to support planning in response to specific FLN challenges, known as an Education Menu, developed by J-PAL. ● A set of numeracy and reading assessment tools to build capacity for the development and use of formative assessments. ● A digital version of a Capacity Review Tool, developed by Delivery Associates, allows practitioners to do a complete online capacity assessment and engage in a journey to build implementation capacity based on the assessment findings. ● A set of comprehensive guides on parental engagement, computer-assisted learning, delivery capacity, and Teaching at the Right Level for practitioners to use in supporting implementation. At the country level, activities under this workstream during the reporting period focused on the situation and need analyses. For instance, through coordination and consultation with the government, the World Bank, and other partners, an education Annex 3: UNICEF—Accelerator Transfer Out 113 situation analysis was updated in Mozambique. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the type and scope of technical expertise needed under the analytical and advisory service were identified and agreed with the Edo State Education Commissioner in the country through a series of discussions. More advanced progress was made in Rwanda, where based on the government’s demand, the country team provided technical support to develop a national strategy focused on reducing grade repetition and school dropout, which is expected to identify practical classroom-level interventions required to enhance children’s learning. PARTNER ALIGNMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY In all five countries, UNICEF and the World Bank are working closely to ensure improved coordination and alignment. This takes various forms, ranging from periodic structured meetings to broader partner group meetings. There is more work to be done to build and strengthen participation, but the progress in Edo State in Nigeria and Rwanda is encouraging. Edo State does not have a coordination mechanism, and there have been varied discussions of what would be a feasible solution. UNICEF has worked with the Edo State Education Commissioner to develop Terms of Reference for the suggested Education Consultative Group (ECG) in Edo State. This will establish the group and provide much needed coordination and a partners’ alignment mechanism to complement the ambitious reform agenda of the state. Similarly, the government and partners in Rwanda have established a Foundational Learning Steering Committee that will ensure coordination on foundational learning, focusing strongly on the agenda while supplementing the broader coordination mechanism known as the Local Education Group (LEG). Coordination and alignment remained critical as countries prepared for the TES that took place in September 2022. This is especially so in relation to the national consultations and the preparation of national reports because both can profoundly influence the agenda in the long term. 114 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 References ACER-GEM (Australian Council for Educational Research-Centre for Global Education Monitoring). 2019. Minimum proficiency levels: described, unpacked and illustrated. Version 2. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. https://research.acer.edu.au/monitoring_learning/47. 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References 119 Endnotes 1 This report was jointly undertaken by USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank, which have formed a Coalition for Foundational Learning. 2 One of the most intuitive indicators of the learning crisis is the learning poverty rate, which measures the share of children who cannot read a simple text with comprehension by age 10. Learning poverty is a concept that draws on data that the World Bank developed in coordination with UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics to help spotlight and better articulate the global learning crisis. High levels of global learning poverty signal that many education systems, despite their progress in recent decades in improving access to schools, have not actually delivered learning. 3 The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) was launched by the World Bank in 2011 to produce comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems and the with ultimate goal of promoting Learning for All. It allowed countries to conduct a thorough inventory of their education policies and institutions based on global best practices, as well as provide decision-makers and stakeholders at all levels with tools for structured and effective policy dialogue. Learn more on SABER’s website. 4 Beyond basic education, learning-adjusted years of schooling is expected to have fallen from 7.8 to 6.0 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and from 6.5 to 4.9 in South Asia. Learning-adjusted years of schooling is the number of years of schooling, adjusted for quality, that a child born today can expect to complete by age 18. In sub-Saharan Africa, the projected loss of 0.6 years in learning-adjusted years of schooling will be another blow to the region’s prospects to build human capital if learning is not recovered and accelerated quickly. For more information, see the press release from June 23, 2022. 5 The SABER-UF was created in 2013 as a multi-donor Trust Fund to help countries analyze and strengthen their education systems through the provision of public goods designed to capture education policies and their implementation and improve education system performance. Through 2020, SABER continued supporting client countries in the deployment of activities at the country level to accelerate foundational learning and achieve better outcomes. At the end of August 2020, SABER transitioned to the FLC. For more information, see SABER’s website. 6 For more information on the World Bank’s strategic education policy approach, see the report Realizing the Future of Learning : From Learning Poverty to Learning for Everyone, Everywhere. 7 For more information on the Literacy Policy Package, see this infographic. 8 For more information, see the Approach Paper and FCV flyer. 9 Recipients are usually governments. 10 For more information on this paper, see the press release from March 4, 2021. 11 For more information on the Accelerator Program’s launch, see a feature story from November 20, 2020. 12 For more information, see the World Bank report Ending Learning Poverty: What Will It Take? 13 For more information on the LPP, see this infographic. 14 For more information on the Accelerator Exchange Forum, see this feature story. 120 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Progress Report January 2021–September 2022 15 This map captures assessments administered in 2016 or after that measure learning (reading or mathematics) at the end of primary education. Only national assessments that met a certain threshold of quality using Item-Response Theory were included. 16 For more information on the main report and the six country reports under the MILO project, see MILO’s webpage. 17 Additional details on the MPL definitions can be found in Minimum Proficiency Levels: Described, unpacked and illustrated - Version 2 and Minimum proficiency levels: Revisions proposed by ACER. 18 The GEPD is implemented twice in Jordan for two reasons. First, it will allow the country to monitor progress on the different dimensions that are captured in the GEPD indicators. Second, it will make it possible to estimate the learning loss due to COVID-19 since the first iteration was in 2019. 19 For more information pertaining to each of the three instruments and the Dashboard, see the Global Education Policy Dashboard Reference Guide. 20 To see the recording of this event, see the event recording on YouTube. You can also see a related recording on YouTube and the event page of the World Teachers’ Day Roundtable: Supporting Teachers to Accelerate Learning Recovery. As part of the dissemination activities, a series of four blogposts were published in 2021 related to each of the events: Coach: Improving In-Service Teacher Professional Development; How can insights from research in other disciplines support teachers’ professional development?; How to Enhance Teacher Professional Development Through Technology: Takeaways from Innovations Across the Globe; and There will be no recovery without empowered, motivated and effective teachers. 21 Angrist et al. (forthcoming), Ground-truthing global education best practice policies during COVID-19. 22 S. Djaker et al. (forthcoming), Primary- and middle-school teachers in South Asia overestimate the performance of their students. 23 Biswas et al. (forthcoming), Does Online Teacher Training Work and Can Incentives Help? 24 For more information, see gage’s website. 25 For more information, see this policy brief. 26 Despite having the 5th lowest GDP per capita among the 26 Brazilian states, Ceará, with its nine million inhabitants, has experienced the largest increase in the national education quality index in both primary and lower secondary education since 2005. Eleven of its municipalities are now among the nation’s top 20. One of those municipalities is Sobral, with the highest score in the country. 27 For more information on the South-South Knowledge Exchange, see the South-South Facility website. Endnotes 121 Foundational Learning Compact Umbrella Trust Fund Strengthening Systems for Better Outcomes in Global Education https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/ foundational-learning-compact CONTACT THE FLC: We welcome all questions about this critical learning initiative. The FLC is open to country governments and donor agencies, as well as foundations and private sector donors. @FLCSecretariat