KiuFunza

Improving Early Grade Learning Outcomes

Youdi Schipper

19 June 2014COSTECH, Dar es Salaam

•The learning problem•What is KiuFunza?•How to assess performance?•Test and Results Integrity•Payment of Incentives•Take Aways

Outline

The 2012 CSEE results crisis

Introduction: Realities of Primary School Education

2010 2011

Kiswahili 32.7% 28.3%

English 7.7% 11.5%

Mathematics 30.3% 30.4%

Uwezo Results: Percentage of Standard III pupils who were able to complete the Standard II exercises by year and subject

Flat learning profiles in East Africa

• Teacher Data•The average teacher salary is TZS575,000

(€254)/month, pre-tax, inclusive of allowances.•47% of teachers report that, if they could start

over, they would not choose teaching as a career.•1/3 of teachers report having missed class at

least once in the past week.

Evidence from our baseline 2013

• Large expansion in primary school enrollment• High student to teacher ratios• Teachers often not in class• Capitation Grant payments fall short of policy• Poor learning outcomes•What should be done?

Descriptive data show

What is KiuFunza?

•A portmanteau of two Kiswahili words•Kiu which means thirst•Kujifunza which means to learn•Together KiuFunza means thirst to learn

KiuFunza

• Capitation Grant, current policy (input): transfer payments for inputs directly to school accounts• TZS 10,000 (€4.4) per student• Normal policy rules on spending, accountability apply

• Cash on Delivery, policy innovation (teacher incentive)• Grades 1, 2 and 3 • Test subjects: Kiswahili, English, Mathematics• TZS 5,000 (€2.2) per test passed is paid to responsible

teacher; TZS 1,000 (€0.44) per test passed is paid to Head Teacher

• Combination arm

Intervention Design

• 11 Districts, randomly sampled• 35 schools in each district• 4 intervention groups in each district• COD: 7 schools• CG: 7 schools• COD & CG: 7 Schools• Control: 14 schools

RCT Design

COD

Yes No

CG

Yes 7 7

No 7 14 (control)

Number of Schools per treatment group per district

Intervention districts

How to assess performance?

• Appropriate and legitimate • Goldilocks: Not too hard and not too easy, but Just

Right.• Based on the Uwezo test, but with more grade-

specific variation.• According to Tanzanian syllabus• Test made by university specialists on curricular and

test development

KiuFunza Tests

Test and Results Integrity

• Test set randomly assigned to student •We created a Random Numbers Table • Test set to be administered to student was

determined using the Random Numbers Table• First letter of student’s last name and • Second digit of the day, selected test set• The tests were also conducted one-on-one and

with independent implementers not the teachers

Test Integrity

• Choice between:• Bank account (teacher liabilities)•Mobile money account (innovative, but not without its

problems)• Irregularities in payment information delayed

payment• Two teachers deceased before payment was

arranged• Next of kin issues

• Third party payments not allowed

Payment of Incentives

• Blamed any dismal results on student anxiety and fear• Students are not used to the one-on-one testing style

• Blamed any dismal results on many exogenous factors• Rain, testing after end-of-year tests were conducted

•Want teachers themselves to test the students• Overall positive feedback and feel the tests were

transparent and fair

Teacher Sentiments

• KiuFunza is an intervention aimed at improving learning outcomes in early-grade education in Tanzania designed as an RCT• Aim is to demonstrate how current government

policy can be implemented effectively and• Identify whether paying teachers for the

performance of their students has impact on learning outcomes•Measuring and rewarding performance has

practical constraints that can be non-trivial

Take Aways

Ahsante SanaQuestions and Discussion

cmanda@twaweza.orgyschipper@twaweza.org