CON/25/2016
Conduct baseline assessment for enhancing reading skills of first cycle primary school children in Amhara and south Omo Zone of SNN
Background
save the Children (SC) is the world's leading independent organization for children. In Ethiopia, it operates across all regions with a vision of creating a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Its mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. To achieve its global vision and mission, it employs three basic strategies: capacity building of stakeholders and partners, service delivery, and advocacy.
Save the Children has been undertaking several education projects in collaboration with Regional Education Bureaus, Woreda Education offices and local NGOs. The overall focus of the implemented projects is creating access to quality basic education and ECCE services for the hard-to-reach and marginalized children. Acknowledging the great progresses Ethiopia has made on improving access, much remains to be done pertinent to addressing the quality and equity of education. Save the Children in partnership with the Amhara Regional Education Bureau, bureau of SNNPR and AFD has been implementing a project called improving the quality of education and child wellbeing. The main focus of the project is improving the reading skills of children. Improving Reading Skills of Children from grades 1-4 in project schools is taken as a sub project.
The findings of the pre intervention reading assessment carried out in North Gondar reinforced the findings of EGRA-2010 and other studies. The findings of the study indicated that the reading skills of children in the region were very low. Grade 1 children were able to read on average 3 wpm; grade 2 children were able to read on average of 18 wpm; grade 3 children were able to read on average of 26 wpm, and grade 4 children were able to read on average of 29 wpm. However, children were expected to read a minimum of 60 WPM at grade four. Grade 1 children mean score of letter identification was 13 letters per minute, 31% scored zero; Grade 2 children were able to identify a mean of 37 letters in one minute and 2% getting zero scores; the 3rd graders letter identification mean-score was found to be 45 letters per minute, about 2% scoring zero; and Grade 4 children identified an average of 48 letters per minute, 1% of them missing all. Accordingly, it appears evident that the teachers teaching skills of the different components of reading skills is low. Thus, improving the reading skills of children is found vital through different strategies.
Purpose
The purpose of this ToR is to guide the consultant to develop appropriate baseline assessment tools for conducting baseline survey on children reading skills in the intervention schools of the respective woredas in line with the objectives of the reading skills project. The reading assessment is needed for comparative purposes of the pre and current reading skills status of children in intervention schools.
Scope of the assessment work:
The work encompasses collecting, analyzing data on the status of reading skills of first cycle primary children (grade 3). Specifically:
Outputs of the consultancy work
The consultancy work is intended to produce the following outputs:
Methodology
The baseline survey could be carried out employing different methodologies (qualitative and quantitative). Specifically developing standardized reading assessment tests have to be developed and administered. Secondary data could also be used for enriching the report. For this, the consultant is expected to show details of the methodology. The sample size of the study should consist of schools from South Omo and Amhara. The total number of schools in Amhara and South Omo are 150 and 40 schools respectively. Consultation has to be made with parents, teachers and supervisors regarding factors affecting the reading skills of children.
The development of the tools has to focus on
Duration and time table
The development of reading skills assessment tools and conducting the assessment is estimated to last 40 days. The consultant is expected to prepare and show a realistic time schedule in their proposal for the work planned
No. | Activities | Due period |
1 | Assessment tool development
| 5 days |
2 | Data collection | 10 days |
2 | Data organization and analysis | 10days |
3 | Report writing | 10 days |
4 | Report validating and finalizing | 5 days |
Report Outline
The report is expected to follow an agreed upon reporting structure and be concisely limited to:
Appendixes (should include: the different data collection instruments used, the row data and list of reference materials).
Experienced professional having good work experience and qualification in education, psychology or language at MA level or above. The consultant shall be evaluated against their track record, the technical and financial proposal submitted and previous experience.
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