|
Field
Abstract
|
Before
The objective of Schools for Change is to strengthen child protection systems in schools and communities in order to improve learning outcomes for students. The project helps students in Rwanda learn to read and write in safe, child-friendly schools and supportive communities. One primary component of the intervention is to promote the use of positive discipline and reduce the use of physical and humiliating punishments.
The main research questions for this evaluation are whether Schools for Change improve child protection and reduce violence against students (particularly physical or humiliating punishments) in primary schools, community and homes; and whether Schools for Change improve learning outcomes for primary student. The research also attempts to assess the following secondary outcomes: how does Schools for Change lead to improvements in learning outcomes (e.g. reduced absenteeism, greater socioemotional development, improved referral mechanisms)? How effective is Schools for Change at improving teachers’, school leaders’, community reading club facilitators’ and parents’ knowledge, attitudes and practices related to child protection (particularly around physical or humiliating punishments)?
The evaluation design is a two-year cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Baseline data collection took place in February - March 2019. Endline data collection is planned between July and October 2020. The sample is clustered at sector (an administrative spatial unit in Rwanda, smaller than the district) and class level, and the unit of analysis is the student. The unit of randomization is the sector. The sample is composed of 1260 students distributed across 105 classes in 17 sectors. Adequate econometric techniques are deployed to deal with the "small number of clusters" problem.
|
After
The objective of Schools for Change is to strengthen child protection systems in schools and communities in order to improve learning outcomes for students. The project helps students in Rwanda learn to read and write in safe, child-friendly schools and supportive communities. One primary component of the intervention is to promote the use of positive discipline and reduce the use of physical and humiliating punishments.
The main research questions for this evaluation are whether Schools for Change improve child protection and reduce violence against students (particularly physical or humiliating punishments) in primary schools, community and homes; and whether Schools for Change improve learning outcomes for primary student. The research also attempts to assess the following secondary outcomes: how does Schools for Change lead to improvements in learning outcomes (e.g. reduced absenteeism, greater socioemotional development, improved referral mechanisms)? How effective is Schools for Change at improving teachers’, school leaders’, community reading club facilitators’ and parents’ knowledge, attitudes and practices related to child protection (particularly around physical or humiliating punishments)?
The evaluation design is a two-year cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Baseline data collection took place in February - March 2019. Endline data collection was originally planned between July and October 2020, but due to changes in the school calendar for COVID will tentatively take place in July 2021. The sample is clustered at sector (an administrative spatial unit in Rwanda, smaller than the district) and class level, and the unit of analysis is the student. The unit of randomization is the sector. The sample is composed of 1260 students distributed across 105 classes in 17 sectors. Adequate econometric techniques are deployed to deal with the "small number of clusters" problem.
|
|
Field
Trial End Date
|
Before
December 31, 2020
|
After
December 31, 2021
|
|
Field
Last Published
|
Before
May 20, 2020 10:46 AM
|
After
December 23, 2020 07:49 AM
|
|
Field
Primary Outcomes (Explanation)
|
Before
he main outcome variables are indicator of Kinyarwanda reading proficiency obtained from the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). One set of outcomes is the score from each of the seven EGRA subtasks - letters, syllables, words, two passages, and two corresponding sets of reading comprehension questions. For letters, syllables, words, and passages, the score is the percentage of items read correctly. For comprehension, it is the percentage of questions answered correctly. A second set of outcomes is reading fluency: for three sub-tasks - letters, syllables, and words - this will be calculated as the number if items read correctly per minute.
|
After
The main outcome variables are indicator of Kinyarwanda reading proficiency obtained from the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). One set of outcomes is the score from each of the seven EGRA subtasks - letters, syllables, words, two passages, and two corresponding sets of reading comprehension questions. For letters, syllables, words, and passages, the score is the percentage of items read correctly. For comprehension, it is the percentage of questions answered correctly. A second set of outcomes is reading fluency: for three sub-tasks - letters, syllables, and words - this will be calculated as the number if items read correctly per minute.
|
|
Field
Pi as first author
|
Before
No
|
After
Yes
|