Eric.ed.gov – Every Child Counts: Adapting and Evaluating Research Results on Remedial Education across Contexts

Rigorous evidence from around the world has shown that significant improvements in learning can be obtained at comparatively low cost by spending more, focused time ensuring that the bottom half of the class in the early grades does not get left behind. The authors present results from the Teacher Community Assistant Initiative (TCAI) that tests the provision of remedial education as one possible solution to low learning levels in school. The theory of change of this program is simple: primary schools across the developing world fail to equip pupils with basic literacy and numeracy skills, often because schools are not able to target teaching to the actual learning levels of pupils. TCAI data collection included a baseline, 6 rolling midlines and 2 endline surveys. Preliminary results from the first endline indicated that the interventions which focus on targeting instruction at the level of the child–in-school and after-school remedial classes, as well as teacher training–had significant positive effects on basic skills in reading and math after only 10 weeks of instruction. Results reported both remedial during or after school remediation by TCAs are promising approaches and potential impacts can be quite high when implemented adequately.