1

Developing Low-Cost and High-Impact

Teaching and Learning Materials:

Constraints and Opportunities

CIES Annual Conference

New Orleans, LA

March 11-15, 2013

Prepared by: Jennae Bulat, Jessica Mejia, Timothy Slade, and Emily Miksic

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

Three Models of Development

• Malawi reading program development – What can

be done in 7 days?

Emily V Miksic, RTI International

• Kenya Primary Math and Reading Project:

Developing bilingual early grade reading curriculum

in Kiswahili and English.

Jessica Mejia, RTI International

• The Liberia Teacher Training Program (LTTP):

Reading and Math Curriculum Development,

Publishing, and Distribution.

Tim Slade, RTI International

2

2

Malawi reading program development – what can be

done in 7 days?

Developing Low-Cost and High-Impact Teaching and Learning Materials:

Constraints and Opportunities

Presented by

Emily Miksic

CIES – New Orleans – March 2013

Malawi Teacher Professional Development Support Program

Creative Associates ● RTI international ● Seward Inc.

Reason for intervention and approach

• Extremely low reading results (Early Grade Reading

Assessment [EGRA])

• Program requirements

– Report cards in communities in 2 districts

• Teaching and materials not in line with best practices

literature, (“big 5,”* explicit instruction)

• Language characteristics

4

*Phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension

3

Preparation

Contextual

• available resources and teacher practices in schools

• considered stakeholders and experts

• examined current opportunities and challenges (system,

attitude/behavior…)

Project specific

• options for use of limited financial and human resources

Technical

• reviewed academic papers on Chichewa language

• brought raw materials – “routines” as building blocks for

lessons

• created frequency lists – letters, syllables, words

5

Workshop – Overview

• Scope and sequence

• Adaptation of routines/activities

• Trialing in school

• Content development

4

Workshop calendar

Agenda – February 28 to March 8, 2011

M Reading basics presentation & Malawi data (presentations) – decision on

letter sequence, decision on skills for scope and sequence – solicited new

activities and review and translation of routines/activities

Tu Begin writing content for first few weeks – practice a lesson plan with

feedback

W Pilot in MIE primary school – discussion of pilot and adaptation of scope

and sequence and lesson plan based on pilot – continue first 14 weeks of

content (reader and scripted lesson) writing in small groups

Th Continue content writing

F Continue content writing

M Malawi data presentation – groups work on content in 3 areas, story writing

– listening comprehension, reading book/scripted lessons, independent

learning activities

Tu Continuation of group work in 3 areas – sharing out and consolidation –

discussion of next steps

Overall - Input from national players

scope and sequence

At workshop*

scripted lessons

At workshop*

reader/lesson content

development

At workshop*

formatting

Consultative – comments and revisions

illustration

Consultative & illustrators affiliated with MIE

training adapted by trainers (MoEST) between training

of trainers (ToT) and teacher training

* Institutions participating in development workshop: Ministry of Science, Ed, and

Technology (MoEST, including Dept of Inspection and Advisory Services, Dept of Teacher Ed

Development, and Basic Education); Malawi Institute of Ed; Centre for Language Studies;

and Teacher Training Colleges.

5

Some future revisions advised

• Technical terms in Chichewa

– (use of ministry and teachers)

• Reading terms

– In lessons for children

• Review multi-letter graphemes versus consonant

blends, and when to introduce consonant clusters

• Training material more user-friendly

• Add pre-literacy lesson plans and materials (could look

at/potentially use Malawi Break Through to Literacy

[MBTL] or Complementary Basic Ed [CBE])

9

Revisions, cont’d.

• Book size (reduce) and images (review quality)

6

11

Thank you!

Kenya Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR)

Initiative: Developing bilingual

early grade reading curriculum in Kiswahili and

English

Jessica Mejia

March 12, 2013

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

7

Context: Kenya PRIMR Initiative

• Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) Task

Order

• Aug 2011–Aug 2014

• Collaboration between USAID/Kenya & Kenyan MOE

• 500 schools across Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, and

Kisumu counties

• Expected results

– Improved reading outcomes in Kiswahili and English

– Improved math outcomes

– Improved planning for national reading program

13

Early Reading Teaching and Learning Materials –

Grade 1

• Teacher Lesson Plan

Book, English

• Teacher Lesson Plan

Book, Kiswahili

• Pupil Book, English

• Pupil Book, Kiswahili

• Pocket Chart

• Letter Cards

14

8

Development Process – Teacher Lesson Plan Book

1. Scope and Sequence workshop – 3 days

– MOE, linguists, reading specialists, PRIMR and

home office staff

– Letter sequences and activity sequences

2. In office working groups complete scope and

sequence and write lesson plans – 3 months

– Linguists, reading specialist, PRIMR and home office

staff

– Final scope and sequence and lesson plan book

15

Development Process – Pupil Book

1. Design format

– PRIMR and home office

staff

2. Insert content from scope

and sequence

– Local intern

3. Finalize graphic design

– Home office graphics

design

16

9

Development Process – Revision

– Teacher review

– MOE review: every word of every book 2x by teams

of 3-5 senior experts

– Added writing, homework, grammar

– Shortened scripts

– Cut activities not working

– Publishing

17

Teacher Lesson Plan Book

Year 1 Year 2

18

10

Pupil Book

Year 1 Year 2

19

Challenges

• Short timeline – development and

revision

• Capacity and knowledge of

formatting and graphics design

• Time for MOE/Kenya Institute of

Education (KIE) approval

20

11

Question and Lessons Learned

Question raised:

• MOE/KIE questioned the need for scripted lessons

– UK DFID funded expansion test outcomes without scripted

lessons

Lessons Learned:

• Professional publishing efficient, thus more cost

effective

• More development time

• Time for revision and inclusion of teachers and MOE

key

21

The Liberia Teacher Training

Program (LTTP):

Math Curriculum Development,

Publishing, and Distribution

March 12, 2013

Prepared by Timothy Slade

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

12

23

Context: EGRA Plus (2010) assessment results

Process (1): Working through a publisher

• Brattle Publishing

Group (BPG)

• Chard, Platas, Geller

Scope and Sequence

for Grades 1 – 3

math

• Episodic consultation

with LTTP, MOE

around drafts 24

Development of Mathematical

Concepts & Models

Vocabulary and Reasoning

Procedural Fluency

and Flexibility

Liberian National Curriculum (2009)

13

25

Process (2): Timeline of curriculum development

Product (1): Instructional approach

26

14

27

• The format of the curriculum was 2 Teacher Guides, 1 Student Activity

Booklet

• Teachers lacked content knowledge in mathematics pedagogy

• Explicit guidance supports teachers:

• While they are mastering/internalizing content knowledge, they can

follow closely

• As they become more comfortable, they can begin to introduce

innovations and add their own spin

• I Do / We Do / You Do approach

• “I Do” – Teacher icons indicate that a section contains scripting and

instructional strategies for teachers to follow

• “We Do” – “We do” lesson steps include scripted instruction and

activities

• “You Do” – “You do” lesson steps include independent practice

activities that students perform on their own or in groups in the

classroom

• Absence of resources in schools (number cards, shape chart, rulers,

etc.) meant they had to be provided/bundled with the curriculum

Product (1): Instructional approach, cont’d.

Product (2): Program features

28

15

Product (3): Alignment with Liberian Natl Curriculum

29

Challenges

• Maintaining MOE

buy-in over an

extended timeline

• Distribution delays

implementation

delays

30

16

31

Lessons Learned, Questions Raised

• LL: Assessment component included from outset

• LL: Localization – challenging at a distance

• Q: Inclusive development process – what does that

really mean?

– LL: Document every instance of consultation

32

Three Models: Three Timelines

Liberia Kenya Malawi

Analysis of existing

resources (such as

Liberian National

Curriculum)

Off and on for 6-

7 months

Off and on for

year

3 months

Mapping of new

curriculum

3 months 3 day workshop

with MOE

2 days

Developing the new

content

7 mos. for Gr 1

9 mos. for Gr 2

6 mos. for Gr 3

3 mos. in office

with linguists,

reading specialist,

and staff

90% content

developed in 7

day workshop.

3 months

formatting, filling

gaps, illustrating,

putting pieces

together

17

33

Three Models: Three Timelines, Continued

Liberia Kenya Malawi

Training teachers,

coaches, other

stakeholders

3 days for program

staff, MOE (Aug

2012)

5 days for Coaches

(Sep 2012)

5 days for Teachers

(Oct 2012)

10 days of ToT for

coaches and Teacher

Advisory Centre (TAC)

tutors;

5 days for teachers

plus termly refresher

training and monthly

cluster meetings

10 days for Primary

Education Advisors

(PEAs—in coaching

and teacher training)

8 days for teachers

and directors

Testing and revising

Some MOE piloting

since Sep 2012

Some project

schools using Gr 1

curriculum since

Nov 2012

Meetings with MOE

to receive feedback

from Apr-May 2013

Revision by BPG in

Jun 2013

Implementation: Jan-

Oct 2012

Revision: Aug-Dec

2012

Teacher review

MOE review (2x)

Material revision

Implementation:

since Sep 2011

Pre-printing ongoing

revisions with MOE :

Mar-Jun 2011

Post-printing,

minimal revisions

33

34

Questions?