Impacts of Early Childhood Education in Somaliland Public Schools

Last registered on May 13, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impacts of Early Childhood Education in Somaliland Public Schools
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013547
Initial registration date
May 06, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 13, 2024, 12:11 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Somalia
Region
Hargeisa, Somaliland

Primary Investigator

Name
Claudia De Goyeneche Macaya
Affiliation
University of California, Berkeley
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Kenneth Lee
PI Affiliation
Pharo Foundation
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-08-01
End date
2024-05-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Early childhood education
JEL code(s)
A21, I26, N37
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of the Pharo Foundation's year-long Early Childhood Education (ECE) program in Somaliland. With 14 ECE programs in place, the study focuses on introducing a lottery-based admission system, necessitated by overwhelming demand far surpassing 863 seats. Leveraging the randomness inherent in this admission process, we analyze the multifaceted effects of ECE on children's socio-emotional development, gross and fine motor skills, and emergent math and literacy abilities. Additionally, this research explores potential consequences on children's nutrition, parental mental health, education expectations, and investment. This study is situated within a unique context, as Somaliland lacks public ECE programs, making it a novel setting.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
De Goyeneche Macaya, Claudia and Kenneth Lee. 2024. "Impacts of Early Childhood Education in Somaliland Public Schools." AEA RCT Registry. May 13. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13547-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention 1: Investigating the Impact of the Pharo Foundation's Early Childhood Education Program in Somaliland

This study investigates the impact of the Pharo Foundation's year-long Early Childhood Education (ECE) program in Somaliland. Due to overwhelming demand exceeding the available 863 seats across 14 programs, a lottery-based admission system was implemented. Leveraging the randomization of this process, we analyze the multifaceted effects of ECE on children's socio-emotional development, gross and fine motor skills, and emergent math and literacy abilities. Additionally, we explore potential consequences on children's nutrition, parental mental health, education expectations, and investment.
Data will be collected at the beginning and end of the academic year. Two surveys will be administered at both baseline and endline: (1) a primary caregiver survey and (2) a children's assessment through the IDELA test.


Intervention 2: Parental Beliefs and Valuation of the Program

During the endline survey, we will assess parents' beliefs about their child's performance compared to the average Somalilander child in different IDELA test domains, using the MacAuthur ladder. Two weeks later, a phone survey will deliver IDELA results and update parental beliefs regarding their child's position on the MacArthur ladder. However, to aid later interpretation, only positive belief updates will be communicated.
Furthermore, the phone survey will elicit parents' willingness to pay for ECE enrollment through a cash transfer mechanism. This intervention will be randomized, with participants either updating beliefs before or after the willingness-to-pay exercise. This design allows us to understand demand by ECE program and how that is influenced by information.

Intervention Start Date
2023-09-01
Intervention End Date
2024-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Endline IDELA results
2. Endline Kid’s anthropometrics
3. Stated WTP for ECE program
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
1. Primary Caregiver Wellbeing Outcomes
2. Primary Caregiver Attitudes Toward Education
3. Primary Caregiver Dynamic Complementarities
4. Primary Caregiver Expectations for Child's Education.
5. Primary Caregiver Attention to Child's Development
6. Education and Child's Sleep Patterns
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
To manage anticipated oversubscription, we use a randomized admissions process. Participants who are enrolled will form the treatment group, while those not selected will be the control group.
At the endline, we will capture parental views on the value of education with the WTP exercise, and we will randomize an information treatment - which will be delivered before or after the WTP exercise - among treatment and control groups.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by computer for both interventions
Randomization Unit
Intervention 1: at the individual
Intervention 2: at the individual level, stratified by treatment/control group.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1326 kids
Sample size: planned number of observations
1326 kids
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1. Treatment:
Baseline: 896 kids
Endline: 743 kids
2. Control:
Baseline: 617 kids
Endline: 583 kids
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Burao Directorate of Research and Community Service
IRB Approval Date
2023-11-28
IRB Approval Number
UoB/33/DRCS/2023
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials