Teach For Uganda Literacy and Numeracy Assessments - Uganda

Abstract
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Teach For Uganda (TFU) is a dynamic and locally-rooted leadership development organization committed to ensuring every child in Uganda receives an equitable and high-quality education. Our mission is to empower these children to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. With a strategic focus on advancing leadership for institutional change, nurturing agents of change, and strengthening the education ecosystem, TFU operates in seven districts within central and eastern Uganda: Mayuge, Namutumba, Bugiri, Namayingo, Kayunga, Mukono, and Buikwe.
At TFU, we understand the critical role that foundational literacy and numeracy skills play in shaping a child's academic success. As such, we place a particular emphasis on the lower primary level, catering to students from Primary one to Primary Three. Our dedicated and passionate teacher-leaders undergo rigorous training to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and strategies needed to support learners in these essential areas, empowering them for future achievements.
The primary objective of this assessment was to establish a comprehensive understanding of the current literacy and numeracy abilities of learners within TFU's partner schools in the operational districts. This assessment, conducted in April 2023, serves as a crucial baseline for measuring the impact of TFU's interventions and guiding our ongoing efforts to enhance literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Geographic coverage
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Seven districts within central and eastern Uganda: Mayuge, Namutumba, Bugiri, Namayingo, Kayunga, Mukono, and Buikwe.

Analysis unit
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Learners, schools, Parents

Universe
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This survey covered learners in lower primary level, catering to students from Primary one to Primary Three in select schools in the region under study.

Sampling procedure
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Simple random sampling was used to get a representative sample of the children across the partner schools in the three districts. A sample of 20 children per school in primary three was used with 5 from primary two and 15 from primary three. During the selection, the gender selection was (10 boys, 10 girls). The primary two learners were included to find out if they could do the primary three assessment. A total of 1546 and 1526 learners were assessed for numeracy and literacy respectively. 20 children were chosen to be the representative from each school based on the geographical coverage, time required to collect the data and the budget constraints. Both Primary Three (P.3) and Primary Two (P.2) learners were selected for the assessment, ensuring representation from both boys and girls. The assessment tool consists of subtasks designed to measure foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Each selected learner underwent a one-on-one interview where the assessment tool was administered. The final score for each learner was determined by the highest subtask they successfully completed during the assessment.

Mode of data collection
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Face-to-face [f2f]

Cleaning operations
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To streamline the data collection process, the responses from the children's final scores were captured using a mobile data collection tool called KoBo Collect. All research assistants involved in the assessment utilized this tool to record the data. In addition to literacy and numeracy skills, supplementary data on independent variables such as sex, gender, and age were also collected during the assessment. The actual data collection process spanned four days, during which the research assistants visited the 79 schools to conduct the assessments. This comprehensive approach ensured that a representative sample of learners across the partner schools was included in the assessment, providing a comprehensive picture of the literacy and numeracy abilities in the districts.

Response rate
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While the assessment process was carefully designed and implemented, it is important to acknowledge certain limitations and potential biases. One potential limitation is the reliance on a one-on-one interview format, which may have influenced the responses of some learners. Additionally, the assessment tools themselves may have inherent biases or limitations in capturing the full range of skills and knowledge possessed by the learners. These factors should be taken into consideration when interpreting the assessment results and making conclusions based on the findings. Also, there was a communication gap between the researchers and the schools. In some schools, the information was delivered late to the head teachers which made the MEAL team fail to find children in some schools.

摘要
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教于乌干达（Teach For Uganda，TFU）是一家充满活力且根植于当地领导力发展组织，致力于确保乌干达的每一个孩子都能获得公平且高质量的教育。我们的使命是赋予这些孩子适应快速发展的经济的能力，为他们提供成功所需的技能。TFU以提升机构变革的领导力、培养变革推动者和强化教育生态系统为战略重点，在乌干达中部和东部七个区（Mayuge、Namutumba、Bugiri、Namayingo、Kayunga、Mukono、Buikwe）开展工作。
在TFU，我们深知基础读写和算术技能在塑造儿童学术成功中的关键作用。因此，我们特别重视小学低年级教育，服务于小学一至三年级的学生。我们敬业的、充满激情的教师领导者接受了严格的培训，以确保他们具备支持和培养学习者在这些关键领域的知识及策略，从而为他们未来的成就赋能。
本评估的主要目的是全面了解TFU运营区合作伙伴学校中学习者的当前读写和算术能力。这次于2023年4月进行的评估，对于衡量TFU干预措施的影响并指导我们持续提升读写和算术成果的持续努力，具有至关重要的基准作用。
地理覆盖范围
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乌干达中部和东部七个区：Mayuge、Namutumba、Bugiri、Namayingo、Kayunga、Mukono和Buikwe。
分析单元
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学习者、学校、家长
总体
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本调查覆盖了区域研究区域内小学一至三年级的学生。
抽样程序
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使用了简单随机抽样方法，以获取三个区合作伙伴学校中儿童的代表样本。每个学校三年级学生样本量为20人，二年级为5人，三年级为15人。在选拔过程中，性别比例为（10名男生，10名女生）。二年级学习者被纳入调查，以了解他们是否能够完成三年级的评估。共对1546名和1526名学习者进行了算术和读写能力的评估。根据地理覆盖范围、收集数据所需的时间和预算限制，从每所学校中选择了20名儿童作为代表。确保了男女学生的代表性。评估工具包括旨在衡量基础读写和算术技能的子任务。每位选定的学习者都进行了一对一的访谈，评估工具在此过程中被实施。每位学习者的最终得分由他们在评估中成功完成的最高子任务决定。
数据收集方式
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面对面（f2f）
数据清理操作
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为了简化数据收集过程，使用名为KoBo Collect的移动数据收集工具记录了儿童最终得分的响应。所有参与评估的研究助理都使用此工具记录数据。除了读写和算术技能外，还收集了关于独立变量（如性别、年龄）的补充数据。实际数据收集过程持续了四天，期间研究助理访问了79所学校进行评估。这种全面的方法确保了合作伙伴学校中学习者代表性样本的纳入，为该地区提供了关于读写和算术能力的全面图景。
响应率
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尽管评估过程经过精心设计和实施，但承认某些局限性和潜在偏见是重要的。一个潜在的局限性是依赖于一对一访谈格式，这可能会影响某些学习者的回答。此外，评估工具本身可能存在固有的偏见或局限性，无法捕捉学习者所拥有的全部技能和知识范围。在解释评估结果和基于发现做出结论时，应考虑这些因素。此外，研究人员与学校之间存在沟通差距。在某些学校，信息送达校长的时间较晚，导致MEAL团队在部分学校未能找到儿童。