An Evaluation of RwandaEQUIP

The study is centered on a randomized scale-up (Phase II) of RwandaEQUIP. An initial cohort (Phase I) of 250 schools began receiving the program in 2022/23. Phase II schools were randomly assigned to receive the program at the start of the 2023/24 academic year starting in September. RwandaEQUIP's teachers used detailed daily guides delivered on e-readers and complementary training, monitoring, and coaching. Guides were used for all instruction of all academic subjects from pre-primary through the end of primary school (Grade 6). All materials were supposed to align with the national curriculum. The program provided specific training and resources to support headteachers in an effort to standardize classroom observations and feedback to teachers. Teachers and headteachers received specialized training that included specific content on the use of lesson guides as well as general topics such as phonics, positive behavioral management, and child safeguarding. RwandaEQUIP was changed substantially in the second year of the evaluation, with several features, including the use of teacher guides, being dropped altogether.

2023-08-01

2025-06-01

Test scores

Out of 3,285 total publicly-funded primary schools, 2,178 were determined to be eligible for the study. Schools were excluded if they were part of any of the following categories:

- Phase I RwandaEQUIP program schools (250);

- Schools serving as non-experimental comparison group for an ongoing evaluation of RwandaEQUIP Phase I (27);

- VSO/LEGO Foundation pre-primary program schools (292 schools);

- Schools with national CA-MIS data in districts where the STARS program operates (351 schools);

- Schools missing primary teachers in the Teacher Management Information System (72 schools);

- Demonstration schools for teacher training colleges (14 schools);

- Schools with only pre-primary grades (28 schools);

- Schools in refugee camps (13 schools).

An additional 60 schools were excluded because they were in districts that had received a relatively high share of schools receiving RwandaEQUIP in Phase I. The number of available RwandaEQUIP slots was computed initially to ensure that Phase II assignments would result in an even distribution of between 21% and 24% of schools receiving RwandaEQUIP within each district. Because the districts of Gasabo and Kicukiro already had more than 30% of schools receiving RwandaEQUIP, these districts were excluded from the Phase II expansion.

Randomization strata were formed by the interaction of the following three factors:

- District

- School performance level: Using school mean Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) results from 2021, schools were classified as either "low" performing (below median), "middle" (third quartile), or "high" (fourth quartile).

- An indicator for whether the school had previously reported CA-MIS data.

Four strata were not allotted any Phase II schools because they contained a single school or other integer constraints. 368 schools in 38 strata were not allotted any Phase II RwandaEQUIP schools and are therefore not part of the experimental sample. The sample of schools randomly assigned to either receive RwandaEQUIP in Phase II or to the comparison group was 1,810.

Random assignment of schools to receive the program involved two steps. First, an initial 1,022 schools out of 1,810 were selected to a ``priority'' group. This list was shared with RwandaEQUIP so that they could begin preparations in the summer while the research team conducted a baseline survey with schools. A second randomization selected 511 out of the 1,022 prioritized schools to receive RwandaEQUIP in Phase II.

Randomization done in office by a computer

School

Yes

1810 schools

1000000

511 Initially assigned to RwandaEQUIP, 1299 assigned to comparison (status quo)