Working in 1,300 public schools in six provinces, Creative’s Read to Succeed project improved student performance by focusing on early grade reading. It was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented in partnership with the Zambian Ministry of General Education
To improve school effectiveness, the project took a whole school, whole teacher, whole child approach which views schools as centers of learning, care and support, and addresses five key elements common to school effectiveness models: learning; teaching; management and accountability; parental/community participation; and responsiveness to children’s needs.
Read to Succeed built teachers’ skills through training and effective, phonics-based literacy tools. More than 7,600 educators received in-service training, coaching and mentoring in the new reading approach.
A midline early grade reading assessment, released in 2015, revealed a 296.6 percent jump in reading comprehension among second and third graders in Read to Succeed-supported schools. The survey also showed gains in oral reading of 237 percent and a 131.2 percent jump in letter sound knowledge.
Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with the Ministry of General Education taking the lead in policy changes that support student learning. With support from the project, the Ministry put in place a new National Literacy Framework, revised curriculum, school-based assessments, a school management framework and performance level descriptors.
The project also improved school management and created incentives and accountability structures that ensure the delivery of quality education. Taking a holistic approach to schools, teachers and students, it integrated these education initiatives with community, parental and government engagement—ensuring support and sustainability.
As part of its whole child approach, Read to Succeed worked with the Ministry to promote HIV prevention by implementing education components that address health and psychosocial needs. Supported by USAID/PEPFAR, the program integrated girls’ education, sexual and gender-based violence prevention, life skills and community engagement into a holistic strategy to improve student performance.
