Baseline Study Report MESA II Project - Better Education and Health Agreement: FFE-524-2017/025-00 Final Evaluation Report Coordinated by Project Concern International (PCI) Nicaragua August/Sept. 2017 Submitted to USDA/FAS Project “Mejor Educación y Salud (MESA)” - Nicaragua Agreement: FFE-524-2013-042-00 Submitted to: USDA/FAS Vanessa Castro, José Ramón Laguna, Patricia Callejas with collaboration from Micaela Gómez Managua, December 2017 June 4, 2019 Managua, Nicaragua i Acknowledgements The consultant team appreciates PCI Nicaragua for entrusting Asociación Nicaragua Lee with the completion of this study. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the valuable support provided by María Ángeles Argüello and María Zepeda at PCI Nicaragua-, and by officials from the Ministry of Education (MINED) in Managua and in the departmental delegations of Jinotega and the Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RACCS). We also recognize the support given by the officials at the MINED offices in the 11 municipalities participating in the study: Jinotega, La Concordia, San Sebastian de Yali, Santa Maria de Pantasma, Bluefields, Kukra Hill, La Cruz del Río Grande, Laguna de Perlas, Desembocadura Río Grande, El Tortuguero and Corn Island. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the enthusiasm showed by the educational advisors from the aforementioned MINED municipal offices, in the administration of the instruments Our greatest gratitude and consideration to the actors of this study, the fourth-grade students from the elementary schools included in the sample, who agreed and participated with great enthusiasm. We would also like to thank the third-grade teachers who contributed by answering the questionnaire. We should also mention and thank the team of supervisors, applicators and data entry personnel, who put much dedication and effort into the collection and processing of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) instruments, the questionnaires, and the school and classroom environment observation sheet. i Credits This study was conducted by Asociación Nicaragua Lee for Project Concern International (PCI) Nicaragua for the beginning of the MESA II Project PCI Nicaragua authorities: Carlos Leonel Argüello Director of PCI – Nicaragua María Ángeles Argüello Project Director María del Socorro Zepeda Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Government partner: Nora Cuadra Baquedano General Director of Educational Planning and Programming, MINED Natalia Sequeira Moreno Director of the Comprehensive School Nutrition Program of MINED The findings, opinions, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of PCI Nicaragua or its local partners. ii Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 1 I. Context and Justification................................................................................................... 4 II. Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................... 5 III. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 8 1. Preparatory Stage of the Study ..................................................................................................8 2. Limitations to the Study .............................................................................................................8 3. Sampling ....................................................................................................................................9 4. Data collection workshop ........................................................................................................11 5. Instruments ...............................................................................................................................11 6. Fieldwork - Data collection .....................................................................................................13 7. Factor Associated to Learning .................................................................................................15 IV. Results ............................................................................................................................. 15 1. Literacy Results .............................................................................................................. 15 a. Oral Comprehension (section 1) ..............................................................................................18 b. Beginning Sound Identification (Section 2, Part A) ................................................................18 c. Word Segmentation (Section 2, Part B) ...................................................................................18 d. Letter Recognition (Letter Naming) (section 3) ......................................................................19 e. Reading Simple Words (Section 4) ..........................................................................................20 f. Reading Pseudo-words (Section 5) ..........................................................................................21 g. Reading Fluency (Section 6, Part A) .......................................................................................22 h. Reading Comprehension (Section 6, part B) ...........................................................................23 i. Dictation (Section 7) ................................................................................................................24 2. Analysis of Factors Associated with Learning ............................................................... 25 3. Teacher’s Abilities .......................................................................................................... 29 4. Food Security Results ..................................................................................................... 29 5. Hygiene Results .............................................................................................................. 30 V. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................... 31 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 31 VI. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 33 Appendix 1 – EGRA.........................................................................................................................34 Appendix 2 – Student Survey ...........................................................................................................43 Appendix 3: Teacher Questionnaire .................................................................................................47 Appendix 4: Learning Environment Observation Guide ..................................................................52 Appendix 5 – Global Indicators Collected in Baseline Study ..........................................................54 iii List of Tables Table 1. IDEL Standards for Third grade ................................................................................. 6 Table 2a. Study Sample Calculation ......................................................................................... 9 Table 2b. Compliance with Sample ........................................................................................ 10 Table 3. Alfa Cronbach Test –EGRA All sections ................................................................. 13 Table 4. Total Number of Instruments Administered in Each Municipality ......................... 14 Table 5. Routes and Team of Applicators for Fieldwork – February to March 2019 ............ 14 Table 6a. Number and Percentage of Cases of “Stopped Exercise” ....................................... 15 Table 6b. General Results EGRA Test Administration by gender ......................................... 16 Table 6c. Statistically Significance Tests ............................................................................... 16 Table 6d. EGRA Results by Municipality .............................................................................. 17 Table 7. Oral Comprehension by gender ................................................................................ 18 Table 8. Beginning Sound Identification ................................................................................ 18 Table 9a. Word Segmentation by gender ............................................................................... 19 Table 9b. Sounds Showing Greater Error Rates in Words Segmentation ............................. 19 Table 10a. Letters Correct Per Minute .................................................................................... 19 Table 10b. Level of Difficulty in Letter Recognition ............................................................ 20 Table 11a. Simple Words Read Correctly Per Minute ........................................................... 20 Table11b. Level of Difficulty in Reading Common Words ................................................... 21 Table 12a. Pseudo Words Read Correct Per Minute ............................................................. 21 Table 12b. Level of Difficulty in Reading Pseudo Words..................................................... 22 Table 13. Average Reading