Haiti Early Reading Program (ERP) Baseline Evaluation
Summary — This report presents the baseline evaluation of the Haiti Early Reading Program (ERP), a USAID-funded initiative to improve reading outcomes for Grade 1 and 2 students. The evaluation assessed reading skills, teaching quality, and the capacity of the Ministry of Education to implement reading programs across seven departments.
Key Findings
- Students generally struggle with reading in Creole.
- Household factors like eating before school and parental involvement are linked to higher reading scores.
- School-level factors, including director experience and trained female teachers, correlate with better reading fluency.
- Classroom management is generally good, but corporal punishment is observed.
- Teachers lack sufficient books and phonics training.
Full Description
In Fall 2017, a baseline evaluation of the Early Reading Program (ERP) was conducted across seven departments in Haiti. The ERP, funded by USAID, aims to improve reading outcomes for students in Grades 1 and 2, enhance teaching quality, and build the capacity of the Ministry of Education to implement and scale up reading programs. The evaluation used a pre-post impact evaluation design with statistical matching, employing Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) learning tests, student questionnaires, school director surveys, classroom observations, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The study found that students generally struggle with reading in Creole, and various household, school, and classroom factors are associated with learning scores. Teachers demonstrate good classroom management but lack sufficient books and phonics training, while the Ministry of Education faces capacity and resource constraints.