Room to Read Global Monitoring Report 2013

GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT 2013 |
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study design
Photo:SaikatMojumder

What does it take to be a learning organization?
Dear Friends,
It is a great pleasure to introduce Room to Read’s sixth annual Global Monitoring Report.
When I joined Room to Read two years ago, what most impressed me was its commitment to being
a “learning organization.”In my role as Global Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation,
I have sought to build on this commitment, and to ensure that we continue to use the best available
data to more effectively serve the children in the communities where we work.
But what does it take to become an effective learning organization? In my view, two elements
are critical:
• We need to know how successful our programs are. This means focusing data collection on the
outcomes that matter. Are girls completing secondary school with the skills they need to make
key life decisions? Are children developing a love of reading and the ability to read and write?
Through this Global Monitoring Report, we provide evidence that we are making a difference.
Our Girls’Education Program participants, many of whom are drawn from among the most
disadvantaged segments of society, are staying in school. Children who benefit from our Literacy
Program are checking out more library books each year. And crucially, children are learning to read.
• We need to take action based on data. This means continually building on our successes, and
also being prepared to make tough decisions when programs are not working. At Room to Read,
we are increasingly seeking to collect “action-oriented”data—program metrics that allow for
real-time improvements and course corrections.
In this report, you will read about our Library Rating System—an exciting new initiative that
provides immediate feedback and concrete guidance to both school librarians and our own
staff, so that support can be better targeted. We have seen rapid quality improvements where
the Library Rating System has been implemented and are now drawing lessons from this
experience that can be applied to other program components.
This report is one element of our commitment to remaining transparent about our results and to
holding ourselves accountable to our global stakeholders. We hope this Global Monitoring Report
will stimulate a productive dialogue that will enable us to continue to learn as an organization and
to learn from one another. In this way we can ultimately provide greater benefits to the children we
serve. We look forward to continuing to share more results with you over the coming years.
Sincerely,
Dr. Matthew Jukes
Global Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
1

Table of Contents
Where We Work
Introduction 4
Literacy Program 7
Program Reach 11
Program Activities 11
Program Results 19
Girls’ Education
Program 23
Program Reach 25
Program Activities 25
Program Results 28
Conclusion 32
About This Report 33
A S I A
Sri Lanka
India
Nepal
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Bangladesh
A
F R I C A
South Africa
Zambia
Tanzania
2

List of Figures, Tables and Highlights
Figures
Figure 1. Total Schools Benefiting from Literacy Program to Date 11
Figure 2. Children Benefiting from Reading and Writing Instruction 12
Figure 3. Average Library Access Time (Hours per Week) 13
Figure 4. Change in Library Ratings, 2013 14
Figure 5. Total Book Titles Published to Date 15
Figure 6. Percentage of School Construction Projects with
Community Co-Investment 17
Figure 7. Average Number of Books Checked Out per Student 19
Figure 8. Average Words Read per Minute - Bangladesh, India,
Laos Nepal 20
Figure 9. Improvement in Words Read per Minute (India) 22
Figure 10. Total Girls’Education Program Participants to Date 25
Figure 11. Percentage of Girls’Education Program Participants
Receiving Material Support and Life Skills Education 27
Figure 12. Total Secondary School Graduates to Date 28
Figure 13. Retention and Dropout 28
Figure 14. Regional Variation in Reasons for Dropout 29
Tables
Table 1. Reading Fluency (Words per Minute) by Country 21
Highlights
Highlight 1. Improving Program Quality through the Library
Rating System 13
Highlight 2. Understanding Reader Needs and Preferences 16
Highlight 3. Research to Improve Community Co-Investment
in Infrastructure 18
Highlight 4. Using Evaluation Data to Improve Results in India 22
Highlight 5. Tracking Dropout Risk in Nepal 30
3

Introduction
At Room to Read, we envision a world in which
all children can pursue a quality education,
reach their full potential and contribute to
their communities and the world. To achieve
this goal, we focus on two areas: literacy and
gender equality in education.
GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT 2013 | 4
Photo:CharlieBibbyfortheFinancialTimes

Our annual Global Monitoring Report helps us
chart progress toward our goal of improving
educational quality and opportunity for 10 million
children by 2015.1
We are rapidly nearing this
goal. As of the end of 2013, more than 8.8 million
children have benefited from our programs.
This report focuses on key 2013 program activities and outcomes across the
10 countries where we work and indicates trends and areas of emphasis as we
continue to improve our programs. Highlights of this year’s report include:
Literacy Program

• In 2013, we established 1,457 new school libraries, built 464
libraries and classrooms, and published 155 children’s book titles
in 14 languages
• For the first time, more than 10 million books were checked out
in a single year across the libraries where we worked
• In nearly all countries, our reading and writing instruction
activities have significantly improved students’ reading
1
Room to Read. “Envisioning Our Future: A Roadmap for Learning.”http://www.roomtoread.org/EnvisioningOurFuture
5
introduction

Girls’ Education Program
• In 2013, we celebrated our 25,000th program participant and our
1,000th graduate
• Program retention remains high, with 94 percent of participants
either remaining in the program or graduating
• 72 percent of 2013 program graduates are pursuing tertiary
education
In the following sections, each program—Literacy and Girls’ Education—is assessed
in terms of its reach (i.e. the number of children, teachers, or schools benefiting),
the activities that we implement through the program, and our results to date.
The data and stories presented in this report are drawn from ongoing monitoring
efforts in 2013, and from evaluations and research into our programs’ impacts
on children’s educational outcomes.2
We are excited to share these stories with
our program participants, investors, partners and the broader international
education community.
2
For more information about our research and evaluation activities, please visit our website at
http://www.roomtoread.org/MeasuringResults.
6
introduction

Literacy Program
Our Literacy Program enables
primary school children to become
independent readers.
Photo:WillemdeLange

Literacy is not only the foundation of all learning,
it is fundamental for participation in modern global
society. Yet 774 million adults across the globe—
more than one out of every seven—lack the ability
to read and write. That means being unable to
understand any medicine bottle, employment ad or
ballot form they encounter. Of all the illiterate people
in the world today, two-thirds are female and over
90 percent live in developing countries.
Our Literacy Program is designed to address this
challenge and to help every child become an
independent reader. We define an “independent
reader” as a child who possesses both literacy skills
and a habit of reading. Through our Literacy Program,
we help children to read fluently and to develop
a sustained love of reading that will benefit them
throughout their lives.
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literacy program

Program Reach
We brought our Literacy Program to 1,414 new schools in 2013.
To date, we have implemented our Literacy Program in partnership with nearly 17,000 schools
across 10 countries in Asia and Africa. In each of those schools, our work has helped to bring new
focus and rigor to strengthening children’s literacy.
Program Activities
Our Literacy Program is guided by an unyielding commitment to improving literacy outcomes
for children. In driving toward this goal, we have learned a lot about what works in the context
of primary schools in developing countries.
The following sections describe the activities we implemented through our Literacy Program
in 2013.
Figure 1
Total Number of Schools Benefiting
from Literacy Program to Date
5,000
0
10,000
15,000
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
16,970
11
literacy program

Reading and Writing Instruction
We provided professional development on reading and writing instruction to 1,749
teachers across 2,043 classes in 1,046 schools.
We partner with Ministries of Education to supplement gaps that exist in the standard
reading and writing curriculum—providing resources, in-service teacher training and
classroom enhancements.
Our Literacy Program provides professional de-
velopment, support, and learning materials to
teachers so they can deliver high quality literacy
education that incorporates the latest evidence
and global best practices. We provide workshops
andon-sitecoachingtwicepermonth,andsupport
the use of evidence-based instructional routines
and regular student assessments to inform and
improve classroom instruction. We provided a
total of 174 professional development workshops
in2013.Ofthereadingandwritingclasseswesup-
ported in 2013, 80 percent received the requisite
amount of on-site coaching. In future years we
seek to increase this figure to 100 percent, and
have provided additional guidance and support to
country teams to meet this goal.
Reading and writing instruction is the newest element of our Literacy Program, and as shown in
Figure 2, we have greatly expanded our efforts in this area in recent years. In 2013, 62,597 children
benefited from our reading and writing instruction activities, a 65% increase from 2012.
School Libraries
We established 1,457 new school libraries in 2013 and supported a total of
5,310 libraries.
We work with communities to establish school libraries that foster a child’s habit and
love of reading.
Our school libraries provide children with access to engaging books, trained librarians and a
safe space to read. To ensure that Room to Read libraries continue to serve children long into the
future, we support each library for the first three years until it can operate sustainably on its own.
In all, our 5,310 actively supported libraries provided access for a total of 1,173,036 children and
39,861 teachers.
Teachers, librarians and other school staff received professional development in 93 percent of
these libraries, for an average of four days per library. This builds the knowledge and skills needed
to implement key library management systems. In 2013 nearly all of our libraries had implemented
our standardized and recommended systems:
Figure 2
Children Benefiting from Reading and
Writing Instruction
2011
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000
2012
2013
37,964
62,597
25,886
12
literacy program

• 99 percent of libraries had functional checkout systems, which allow children to borrow and take
home library books
• 100 percent of libraries had book leveling systems, which enable children, teachers and parents
to identify books appropriate for each student’s reading level
We work with schools to establish at least one regular library period per week for each grade, with
regular time outside of classes for children to access the library, such as during recess or before or
after the school day.
As Figure 3 shows, since we began tracking this indicator, the average amount of time children are
able to access libraries in schools we support increased from 3.3 hours per week in 2010 to 5.0 hours
per week in 2013, including an average of 1.3 hours per week of regular library periods and an aver-
age of 3.6 hours per week of access time outside these periods.
3.3 hrs
Average Library Access Time (Hours per Week)
Figure 3
2010 2011
4.5 hrs
2012
3.6 hrs 5 hrs
2013
Highlight 1
Improving Program Quality through the Library Rating System
Data are only valuable if they lead to action; however, in some cases, cycles of data collection,
analysis, and reporting are too long to enable needed program improvements to be implement-
ed in a timely manner. In Room to Read libraries, we have been able to provide more responsive
program improvements through the introduction of our Library Rating System. Rolled out to all
5,310 of our actively supported libraries in 2013, this system complements our more in-depth
monitoring processes by providing libraries with immediate feedback and clear guidance around
common challenges.
Through our work, we have learned what factors enable a library to succeed. The Library
Rating System distills this experience into a checklist of 19 indicators across four categories:
1) Literate Environment, 2) Reading Time, 3) Teacher Professional Development, and 4) Family
and Community Engagement. By the time a library transitions to community support after our
standard three-year support period, it should meet expectations for all 19 indicators.
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literacy program

During our monitoring visits, Room to Read staff evaluate the library against the indicator check-
list to provide librarians with clear guidance regarding the elements not yet in place, and what
they should work on next. Based on how a library is graded on the 19 indicators, each is given a
rating of “developing,” “functioning” or “highly functioning.”This rating helps drive decisions re-
garding the frequency of support visits,
enabling Room to Read staff to devote a
greater share of time supporting those
libraries that are most in need.
Early indications are that these quick
feedback cycles are making a differ-
ence. Among libraries where ratings
were assessed twice in 2013, most
libraries either improved their rating
between visits or maintained a rating
of “highly functioning”. As shown in
Figure 4, the proportion of libraries
receiving a rating of “highly function-
ing” grew from 36 percent in the first
assessment cycle to 54 percent in the
second assessment cycle.
One Field Manager in South Africa de-
scribed the improvement he witnessed
when school staff and communities
pulled together to address problems
identified through the Library Rating System. “South Africa needed more family and commu-
nity engagement,” explained Marhule. “At one school we saw a functional rating because the
librarians were overworked. We met with the library managers and secured four volunteers.
Involving the community has resulted in a marked improvement—the library now is rated
highly functional.”
Marhule went on to say that the Library Rating System had brought about a “paradigm shift”in
South Africa team members, who began to seek opportunities to rapidly transform data into
program improvement.
Over the coming years, we will continue to refine the Library Rating System, and we will un-
dertake additional analysis to better understand which indicators are most strongly associated
with improvements in children’s reading habits. Building on the Library Rating System, we will
also collect “action-oriented data”to support other elements of our Literacy Program, as well as
our Girls’Education Program.
HIGHLY
FUNCTIONAL
FUNCTIONALDEVELOPING
1ST
ASSESSMENT
19% 13%
34%45%
36% 54%
2ND
ASSESSMENT
Figure 4
Change in Library Ratings, 2013
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literacy program

Reading Materials
We published 155 book titles in 14 languages in 2013.
We publish original, high-quality, developmentally appropriate children’s books in
the local languages of the regions where we work, and also procure titles from other
publishers where available.
Our program recruits and develops local talent
to ensure culturally and linguistically relevant
material, which often cannot be procured in the
countries where we work. This includes hosting
workshops where authors and illustrators are
introduced to the basic concepts of creating
storybooks and present draft manuscripts and
illustrations for feedback and improvement.
In 2013 we trained 229 local authors and
illustrators in story and book production, and
ultimately commissioned manuscripts and art-
work from 223.
Since we began producing children’s books, we
have published more than 1,000 titles in 29 lan-
guages. In 2013, we distributed 1,194,362 books
to the schools and libraries we support. Over
three years of support, this represents an aver-
age of 6.3 books per student. We also distributed
an additional 155,449 books published by Room
to Read to other organizations, such as public libraries, other nongovernmental organizations and
schools where we are not working.
The books we published received a number of awards in 2013, including:
• The Royal Medal of Munisaraphorn Mahasereywat from Cambodia’s Education Minister for our
work translating and distributing Scholastic’s science book series, Time to Discover
• A Congratulatory Award at the 2013 Book Excellence Ceremony of the Laos Department of
Publication and Library for “Little Caterpillar’s Lost Shoes”
• Two Nepal Society for Children’s Literature awards for “What Have I Learned Today?” and
“Malati’s Shoes”
We also develop materials that help children learn to read, such as workbooks, letter cards, picture
cards and rhyme charts. In 2013, 100 percent of schools where we support reading and writing
instruction received these materials.
Figure 5
Total Book Titles Published to Date
500
0
1,000
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
1,029
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literacy program

Highlight 2
Researching Reader Needs and Preferences
Room to Read’s status as both a publisher of children’s books and an establisher of school
libraries provides us with an incredible opportunity to continually improve our reading materials
based on real-world data regarding children’s needs and interests.
In 2012, we commissioned a group of independent consultants to complete
a study on children’s books in Cambodia—those published by Room to Read
as well as others. The study identified a range of factors that contributed
to these books’ popularity with children, including large fonts, engaging
illustrations, and culturally relevant characters and settings. “Flower and a
Piece of Wood”(2011), written by Nguon Sakal and illustrated by Seng Visal,
was among the Room to Read books singled out for praise based on these
criteria. These results helped us develop a global tool for testing new manu-
scripts, to confirm that they have the characteristics to engage children and
capture their imaginations. This tool helps us to maintain and improve the
quality of our publications.
In 2013, we continued this analysis through our own study of book check-
out trends in Laos, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. In Laos, this analysis revealed
similar reader preferences as in Cambodia and identified some popular
Room to Read books that used these elements well. The team is now work-
ing with authors and illustrators to develop more books with similar styles
and themes.
Ms. Sysouphan, a Room to Read librarian in Laos, reports that “the survey
helped me to understand our library in a new way. We now know that
‘Beautiful Flowers’ and ‘Who Makes the Best Papaya Salad?’ are the most
popular, and we can recommend them to more readers.”
The Laos study also showed low book checkout in some libraries due to out-
of-date book collections. In response, we have strengthened coordination
between our book publishing and library teams to ensure that all our librar-
ies benefit from a more frequent distribution of new, high-quality books
that children will read and love.
Results of the book checkout analysis in South Africa and Sri Lanka will be
available by the end of 2014 and plans are already underway to integrate
findings into library operations.
These book preference studies enable us to establish a positive feedback
loop of increased program quality, in which libraries help to improve the
books we publish and higher quality books lead to more successful libraries.
Flower and a Piece of Wood
(Cambodia, 2011)
Beautiful Flowers
(Laos, 2011)
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Fla piece of W.indd 1 1/16/2012 9:14:34 AM
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literacy program

School Infrastructure
In 2013 we built 464 classrooms and libraries in 190 schools, and renovated
classrooms in an additional 35 schools.
We build new classrooms and libraries, and repair and renovate existing classrooms,
to meet the need for adequate learning environments for children.
We recognize that the long-term success of
the facilities we build depends on local com-
mitment. To promote sustainability, we require
every community where we work to provide
a School Infrastructure Challenge Grant. The
Challenge Grant includes donations of cash,
materials, and/or labor that cover a significant
portion of the total construction cost. In addi-
tion, communities invest their time and energy
by monitoring the progress of construction and
keeping basic project records.
We work with communities to establish local
School Construction Committees to help secure
this co-investment. In 2013, we provided train-
ing to 3,410 new committee members.
As shown in Figure 6, 2013 marked our fourth
consecutive year in which 100 percent of school
construction projects were completed with
community co-investment in the form of a
Challenge Grant.
After our formal support to these infrastructure
projects ends, we conduct monitoring visits
for three consecutive years following project
completion. We monitor our previously completed projects to (1) identify and repair any projects
with major structural damage and (2) learn more about the sustainability of our projects. For 2013
reporting, we visited 727 projects constructed in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Our findings included:
• 96 percent of projects were still in use as classrooms or libraries
• 43 percent of projects showed no damage
• 56 percent of projects showed minimal, non-structural damage attributable to normal
“wear-and-tear”
• Less than 1 percent of projects showed signs of major structural damage. For those libraries we are
providing both financial and logistical support to these communities to ensure these buildings are
returned to a condition of safety
•In facilities where toilets were available, 86 percent were functional, which can contribute to improved
educational outcomes (note that many of these toilets were not established by Room to Read)
Figure 6
Percentage of School Construction Projects
with Community Co-Investment
60%
80%
100% 100% 100% 100%
40%
20%
0%
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
100%
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literacy program

Highlight 3
Research to Improve Community Co-Investment in Infrastructure
Although 100 percent of communities contribute toward school construction projects
through the Challenge Grant, not all communities contribute as much, or as quickly, as
expected. We have, therefore, continued to seek effective ways to get communities more
involved, and to make the Challenge Grant a higher priority for them.
With this goal in mind, Room to Read worked with researchers from Miami University, Ohio,
on a research study in Sri Lanka to see whether motivation and commitment could be im-
proved by pairing each community with another nearby community, with which they would
either compete or cooperate.
Where communities competed, each received one point for each stage of the construction
process successfully completed; whichever community received more points received a gift
for their school valued at US $100. Where they cooperated, both communities received the
gift, but only if both successfully completed at least three of the four stages. The study was
completed over the course of 10 months.
The main finding of the study was that competition proved more effective than cooperation
at improving group motivation and performance, leading to projects being completed more
quickly and successfully. In interviews, community members stated that competition helped
motivate participation from people who would not ordinarily get involved, and helped drive
all participants to work harder. Interestingly, they tended to see the competition not as a
zero-sum game, but rather as something that benefited both communities by encouraging
greater community-wide commitment.
Those in the cooperation group, however, felt less motivated. Interviewees reported feeling
discouraged by what they saw as a limited ability to help the other community, which cre-
ated the possibility that any hard work on their part would be wasted due to their partners’
shortfalls.
As reported by one contest participant, “Competition is not a strange thing to us; it is every-
where. That does not mean we feel jealousy—it is just the way we work. We want to make
sure that we are ahead of the other school. That is how we get satisfaction; that is what
makes us happy!”
We are now evaluating the implications of these intriguing results for future program
development in Sri Lanka. In the coming years, we will also assess the degree to which this
finding holds true across the diverse cultural environments in which we work.
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literacy program

Program Results
The goal of our Literacy Program is to enable children to become independent readers,
with both literacy skills and a habit of reading. This section presents our 2013 results in
these two areas.
Habit of Reading
2013 marks the first year in which more
than 10 million books were checked
out across the libraries where we worked.
Children checked out 10,104,899 books in
2013—an average of 1,904 books in each library
we supported. As Figure 7 shows, the average
number of books checked out by each student
has steadily increased since we began tracking
this indicator to a new high of 8.9 books per
student. This growth suggests that Room to
Read libraries are succeeding in their objective
of building children’s reading habits.
Reading Skills
In nearly every country, reading fluency
was higher in Room to Read program schools than in nearby comparison schools.3
In last year’s Global Monitoring Report, we presented the results of evaluations underway to mea-
sure the impact of our Literacy Program on reading skills. Key to these evaluations is a comparison
of our projects with similar schools that do not benefit from our programs. That tells us whether or
not improvements in children’s reading outcomes are attributable to our work.
The 2012 results that we reported for four countries (Bangladesh, India, Laos, and Sri Lanka)
indicated that our Literacy Program was helping children read more fluently—more quickly and ac-
curately than their peers in comparable schools. This year, we are pleased to report our first results
from five additional countries—Cambodia, Nepal, South Africa, Vietnam, and Zambia—as well as
new grade two results from Laos.
Independent studies in multiple countries have shown that children need to reach a fluency rate of
roughly 45 – 60 words read per minute (or local-language equivalent) as a prerequisite to read with
comprehension.4
We aim for children to reach this fluency level by the end of grade two. In high-
income countries like the United States, children who reach this fluency level are generally considered
to be “on track.”
3
Differences were statistically significant for all countries except Vietnam.
4
Abadzi, H. (2011). Reading Fluency Measurements in EFA FTI Partner Countries: Outcomes and Improvement
Prospects. Working Paper.
3.3
4.9
6.7
8.2 8.9
Figure 7
Average Number of Books Checked Out
per Student
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
19
literacy program

As shown in Figure 8, four of the five countries
for which we have grade two data have achieved
or are near achieving this 45-60 words per min-
ute goal.5
The fifth country (Cambodia, shown in
Table 1 on the following page) represents a chal-
lenging literacy environment where comparison
schools showed among the lowest levels of
baseline fluency. However, in every country for
which we have grade two data, students in Room
to Read program schools scored more than twice
as high as those in comparison schools.
Comparing our results for grades one and two
to 70 other teacher-support programs in least
developed countries shows that the average
impact of Room to Read’s literacy instruction
is nearly 10 times greater than the average im-
pact of these other interventions.6
Additionally,
results from our programs in Bangladesh, Laos,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Zambia were better than
those for even the most effective of the 70 pro-
grams implemented by others. This comparison
suggests that our program is one of the most
effective ways of improving children’s learning
in primary schools in developing countries.
These results reinforce our evidence-based ap-
proach that includes explicit, comprehensive
and systematic instruction on phonological
awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension, as well as the frequent and
timely school-based support provided to teach-
ers by Room to Read’s literacy coaches. Complete
results by country and grade are shown on the
next page in Table 1.
5
India results reflect re-evaluation in early 2014 (see Highlight 4 on page 22).
6
Ewan, Patrick J. (2014). “Improving Learning in Primary Schools of Developing Countries: a Meta-Analysis of
Randomized Experiments.”Publication forthcoming. http://academics.wellesley.edu/Economics/mcewan/PDF/meta.
pdf
Figure 8
Average Words Read per Minute
Bangladesh, India, Laos Nepal
Grade One
Bangladesh
Goal: 45-60 wpm
10.2 36.7
Grade Two
23.7 55.8
Grade One
India
3.9 17.4
Grade Two
12.4 41.0
Grade One
Laos
1.5 17.7
Grade Two
13.6 45.4
Grade One
Nepal
2.4 10.1
Grade Two
14.4 39.6
Comparison Schools Program Schools
45
20
literacy program

Table 1
Reading Fluency (Words per Minute) by Country7
Grade One Grade Two
Comparison Room to Read Difference Comparison Room to Read Difference
Bangladesh 10.2 36.7 26.5 23.7 55.8 32.1
Cambodia 1.3 4.1 2.8 12.7 26.9 14.2
India 3.9 17.4 13.5 12.4 41.0 28.6
Laos 1.5 17.7 16.2 13.6 45.4 31.8
Nepal 2.4 10.1 7.7 14.4 39.6 25.2
South Africa 15.4 17.6 2.2
Sri Lanka 2.8 10.4 7.6
Vietnam 35.5 38.3 2.8
Zambia 0.5 9.1 8.6
Despite these positive results, we know that there is still more to be done. Many children have not
yet become independent readers by the end of the program. Countries that made less progress than
expected either experienced difficulties in implementing the program as planned, or are still in the
process of aligning the scope and sequence of the program with national curricula.
To address these issues, we are working to improve implementation where it has fallen short.
We are beginning to supply schools implementing our Literacy Program with storybooks that
provide more opportunities for children to practice decoding skills. We are also integrating formal
assessment procedures into teachers’daily lessons and further engaging parents to support chil-
dren reading at home. Through these efforts, we hope to achieve the ambitious goal of all children
reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of grade two.
We will continue to collect and analyze data on children’s reading fluency over the coming years to
ensure our program is delivering its desired benefits. In our next Global Monitoring Report, we will
be able to report results for both grades in all nine countries where we currently conduct reading
and writing instruction activities.
7
Due to variations in language, culture and education systems, results are not intended for cross-country comparison
of program effectiveness.
21
literacy program

Highlight 4
Using Evaluation Data to Improve Results in India
In addition to our overall positive results, we have also seen marked improvements from results
presented in our previous Global Monitoring Report. Results from India in 2012 showed that at
the end of grade two, children were reading at a fluency level far below our target.
In 2013, our India team responded by
improving program design and deliv-
ery—emphasizing all components of
effective reading instruction, revising
instructional materials and teacher
manuals, adding more foundational
instruction, and increasing the pace
of instruction. The team also provided
additional training to field staff to
strengthen their capacity to provide
effective support for teachers.
When we reevaluated students in
early 2014, average reading fluency
among grade two students had more
than doubled to 41 words per minute.
Over the coming years, our goal is to
continue improving these average
results while also providing additional
targeted support for those students
who need it most.
Figure 9
Improvement in Words Read
per Minute (India)
Grade One
2012
Comparison Schools
2.8 3.8
Grade Two
4.3 14.7
Grade One
2014
3.9 17.4
Program Schools
Grade Two
12.4 41.0
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literacy program

Girls’ Education
Program
Our Girls’ Education Program
supports girls to complete
secondary school with the skills
necessary to negotiate key life
decisions.
Photo:VarunChaudhary

Educating girls and women is one of the most
powerful ways to address global poverty. Finishing
secondary school leads to smaller, healthier families,
lower HIV infection rates, and higher wages.
Educated women are also more likely to educate their
own children—ending the cycle of illiteracy in one
generation. Our Girls’ Education Program works to
turn the tide against gender inequality in education
across Asia and Africa.
24
girls’ education program

Program Reach
In 2013, 21,792 girls participated in the Girls’ Education Program.
As Figure 10 shows below, we have steadily increased the number of girls receiving our support
since the program began. Including those who have graduated or left the program, more than
25,000 girls have participated to date.
Program Activities
Our Girls’Education Program helps girls complete secondary school with the skills needed to negoti-
ate key life decisions. Our program uses a multifaceted approach, combining parental engagement
activities, academic support, mentoring, life skills education and material support. We recognize
that each girl has her own educational challenges and we tailor the support we provide to her needs.
The following sections describe the activities that constituted our implementation of the Girls’
Education Program in 2013.
25,830
Figure 10
Total Girls’ Education Program Participants to Date
10,000
0
20,000
30,000
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
25

Parent and Guardian Engagement
In 2013, 86 percent of parents and guardians of Girls’ Education Program participants
attended parent meetings.
Parent and guardian engagement in their daughters’ education is essential for program
sustainability and larger program transformation.
One way our Girls’Education Program seeks to engage parents is through bimonthly meetings,
which allow parents and guardians the opportunity to learn from each other in supporting their
daughters.
Parent and guardian attendance at these meetings has remained consistently above 85 percent
each year since we began tracking this indicator in 2008. This high attendance demonstrates an
encouraging commitment among parents to their daughters’education, and also indicates that our
program is succeeding in engaging families in the communities where we work.
Academic Support
In 2013, 84 percent of Girls’ Education Program participants received academic
support.
We seek to ensure that girls have the knowledge they need to succeed in class.
We provide academic support in the form of remedial instruction, tutoring and exam preparation
for girls who need support in these areas. Need is determined in collaboration with the schools
through regular academic assessments and exams.
Material Support
We provided material support to 52 percent of participants in 2013.
Material support addresses some of the common economic barriers that can keep a girl
from finishing secondary school.
Material support can include coverage of school-related and non-school-related costs. School-
related costs include school and exam fees or the costs of textbooks, school supplies and clean
uniforms. Non-school-related costs can take the form of a new bike, bus fares, feminine hygiene
products, or a room in a boarding house closer to school.
Each girl’s need for material support is determined in collaboration with local partners according to
locally developed standards, and is reassessed annually to ensure that it is provided to those girls
who need it most.
26

Mentoring
Social Mobilizers provided mentoring to 38 percent of participants in 2013.
Mentoring helps to provide girls with the support and guidance t0 help them stay
in school.
Support from a female mentor provides a girl with a trustworthy adult or peer who can be an
advisor, role model and advocate during a critical time in her emotional development.
In addition to serving as excellent examples of educated, empowered women in the community,
our social mobilizers provide emotional support and guidance to help the girls along their own
individual journeys.
Mentoring is an activity that has not yet been implemented in all countries—but over the coming
years it will be an area of increasing focus.
Life Skills Education
In 2013, 88 percent of participants received life skills education.
Our program is increasing its emphasis on building the life skills that our participants
need to succeed in school and after graduation.
Life skills education includes camps, workshops
and experiential training to help girls develop
the skills they need to succeed in and out of
school. Topics covered include self-awareness,
empathy, communication, interpersonal skills,
decision-making and problem-solving, critical
and creative thinking, and coping with stress.
As shown in Figure 11, recent years have seen a
steady reduction in the number of girls targeted
to receive material support, and an increased
emphasis on life skills education. Our increas-
ing focus on life skills acknowledges that girls
face a wide range of challenges that go beyond
the economic.8
Rather than encouraging girls to
grow dependent on our support, life skills edu-
cation seeks to provide girls with the tools they
will need to stand on their own and become
proactive, independent adults throughout their
lives. The shift also helps to keep our programs
sustainable over the long term.
8
For details, see “Figure 13. Retention and Dropout”on
page 29.
Figure 11
Percentage of Girls’ Education Program
Participants Receiving Material Support and
Life Skills Education
87%
52%
40%
20%
0%
60%
20112010 2012 2013
100%
80%
Life SkillsMaterial Support
27

As we reduce our emphasis on material support, we are also updating the content of our
parent and guardian engagement to more strongly encourage families to invest in their daughters’
education. This co-investment parallels the “Challenge Grant”we seek from communities where
we implement infrastructure projects (see “Research to Improve Community Co-Investment in
Infrastructure”on page 18).
One indication that this strategy is working is that girls in 2013 stayed in school at a similar rate to
previous years, even as we have reduced our material support. This is particularly encouraging given
that a greater number of girls each year are entering more advanced grades, where the risk of drop-
out is higher. The next section describes dropout in greater detail, along with other indicators of
program outcomes such as graduation from secondary school and enrollment in tertiary education.
Program Results
The goal of our Girls’ Education Program is to support girls to complete secondary
school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. This section describes our
2013 progress toward this goal.
Secondary School Completion
In 2013, we supported 399 young women who successfully graduated from
secondary school.
The total number of new graduates in 2013
represents a nearly 40 percent increase over last
year’s figure of 289 graduates. We expect this in-
dicator to continue to increase in coming years,
as a higher percentage of the girls we support
reach graduation age.
As Figure 12 shows, a total of 1,195 program
participants to date have graduated from sec-
ondary school since our first class of graduates
in 2007.
1,195
Figure 12
Total Secondary School Graduates to Date
400
0
800
1,200
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
28

Understanding regional variation enables us to better tailor our support to girls’ needs.
14%
1%
3%
3%GLOBAL
SOUTH
ASIA
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
SOUTHERN
AFRICA
% of Dropouts in Each Region
Due to Pregnancy
0%
57%
9%
32%GLOBAL
SOUTH
ASIA
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
SOUTHERN
AFRICA
% of Dropouts in Each Region
Due to Economic Challenges
Figure 14
Regional Variation in Reasons for Dropout
Program Retention and Academic Advancement9
In 2013, 94 percent of participants either remained in the program or graduated.
As shown in Figure 13, our overall dropout rate remained low at 4 percent.
94 percent of those who remained in school advanced to the next grade
level.10
The most common reason for dropout from the Girls’ Education Program
was economic challenges (32 percent of dropouts). Other reasons given
for dropout included marriage (21 percent of dropouts), relocation (19 per-
cent), and academic challenges (6 percent).
The reasons for dropout varied greatly between regions. As shown in Figure
14, pregnancy is more often cited in Southern Africa than in other regions,
while in Southeast Asia economic challenges are responsible for over half of
the total dropout rate. Understanding this regional variation enables us to
better tailor our support to meet the needs of girls in each country.
9
Note that in previous years, girls who left the program but remained enrolled at another school were included in
the dropout rate. They are treated separately from dropout in 2013 figures, which we feel gives a more detailed and
accurate impression of educational trends. If these girls were included in 2013, the dropout rate would be 6 percent,
the same as in 2012.
10
Please note that these figures do not include full 2013 results from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which were not yet
available at the time of writing due to the timing of the academic year.
Figure 13
Retention and Dropout
2%
GRADUATED
2%
CHANGED
SCHOOL
4%
DROPPED
OUT
92%
REMAINED
IN PROGRAM
29

Highlight 5
Tracking Dropout Risk in Nepal
One of our key goals is to put in place processes that help us move quickly from data to
action. Highlight 1 on page 13 describes how we introduced “action-oriented data” to our
Literacy Program through the Library Rating System. In Nepal, our Girls’Education Program team
applied the same principle to the way we target support through the Girls’Education Program.
The risk assessment tool developed in Nepal helps our Social Mobilizers identify those girls who
are in the greatest danger of dropping out based on a set of warning signs:
• Missing three or more consecutive days of school or tutoring sessions
• Falling below 80 percent attendance at school or tutoring sessions in one month
• Failing one or more subjects based on key school exams
• Failing one or more subjects with extra tutoring
• Missing one or more life skills workshops
• Parents or guardians missing one or more bimonthly meetings
When a girl exhibits one of these signs, the tool provides a series of concrete action steps the
Social Mobilizer can take to understand and address the underlying problem.
For example, if a girl’s attendance in school drops below
80 percent in one month, the risk assessment tool directs
the Social Mobilizer to meet with her teachers and friends,
conduct a home visit to speak with parents, and provide ad-
ditional mentoring support, among other steps. This type
of standardized guidance reduces guesswork for the Social
Mobilizers and lets them know that they are providing ap-
propriate support for the girls who need it most.
Room to Read Nepal has not limited these rapid cycles of
improvement to the field level alone; the tool itself is also
designed to be continually iterated and refined through
implementation. As we learn more about the factors that
contribute to dropout and the most effective approaches to
address them, we will continue to update the tool to reflect
this new knowledge.
Both program staff and the Social Mobilizers report that the
tool is relatively easy to use and seems to be targeting the right girls for support. Implementation
is still in early stages; over the coming years, we will periodically analyze dropout data to assess
the tool’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. At the same time, we will work to
further standardize the system and roll it out in all nine countries where we currently implement
the Girls’Education Program. This wider base of implementation will help us to understand how
girls’ secondary school dropout varies across cultural and geographic contexts so that we can
provide all girls in the program the support to enable them to thrive in school.
30
2.
Collect
Data3.
Identify
At-Risk
Girls
4.
Provide
5.
Track
Progress
1.
Revise
Indicators

Additional results for retention and advancement in 2013 included:
• 98 percent of girls who received mentoring and finished the school year remained enrolled the
following year
• 99 percent of girls who received material support and finished the school year remained enrolled
the following year
• 84 percent of girls who finished the year and were required to pass a “gatekeeping” exam11
successfully advanced to the next grade level
• Of the girls who received academic support and successfully completed the school year,
94 percent advanced to the next grade level for the following year
Transitions to Tertiary Education
Though we end our formal support to each girl after she completes her secondary school education,
we stay in touch with our program alumnae to learn how schooling has contributed to their lives in
the long term. Of the 399 graduates in 2013, 72 percent are pursuing tertiary education—the same
as the rate for the program overall since it launched in 2001. Some past graduates who pursued
tertiary education returned to the Girls’Education Program as mentors, serving as role models for a
new group of girls.
11
A gatekeeping exam is a national test that students must pass to advance to the next school grade or level. We
support girls who have gaps in basic skills to tackle the challenges they face with these exams.
31

Conclusion
We would not have been able to make such
progress in our reach, activities or results without
being a “learning organization.”
This report is one part of our learning process. Each year, the data we collect help
us to identify what we are doing well and what can be improved. Each year, we
share this information with external audiences to be transparent about our work
and accountable to our beneficiaries, donors and other key stakeholders.
This year’s report demonstrates continued program growth and quality
improvement. Above all, it provides evidence that our programs are working:
children are checking out more books each year, their reading skills are markedly
improved, and girls are finishing secondary school and, in the majority of cases,
pursuing tertiary education.
We are committed to using data to strengthen our programs and make us more
efficient. The success of the newly implemented Library Rating System suggests
opportunities for further improvements through an expanded use of “action-
oriented data” across program components. We are also continuing to expand
our use of longer term evaluations that provide an in-depth assessment of our
effectiveness. We look forward to sharing these results in next year’s report
and beyond.
32

About This Report
Data Collection
This report is based on data collected by our country-based staff. We collected data on every book
we published, every building we constructed, and every girl, classroom and library we supported in
2013. Our country teams upload data collected through ongoing monitoring and support visits into
a common web-based database. In the first quarter of the following year, each country’s Research,
Monitoring and Evaluation team leads a reflection process with our program staff to examine
trends and identify areas for program improvement. The team is responsible for documenting these
discussions and ensuring that they feed into the next programmatic annual planning cycle.
Acknowledgments
Many individuals contributed to this report. The report was produced by the Global Research,
Monitoring and Evaluation team led by Matthew Jukes. Peter Cooper led worldwide data collection
and analysis, and Ryan Hebert managed report development. Editorial feedback and programmatic
review were provided by Alisha Berger, Celia Bolam, Erin Ganju, Monica Griffith, Rebecca Hankin,
Cory Heyman, Emily Leys, Kristin McKennon, Kerri Thomsen, and Linda Tran. Emily Witt provided
database support, and Steve Cox provided marketing and communications support. Graphic design
was completed by Melanie Doherty Design.
Our worldwide Research, Monitoring Evaluation team led in-country data collection, entry,
analysis, and reflection. The team consisted of Kala Ahikari, Md. Sarwar Basher, Theresa Chen,
Chantou Heng, Prakash Gus, Madoda Hlongwane, Mini Joshi, Victor Kabwe, Badruzzaman Khan,
Khanthanouphone Mixaykone, Neha Nagpal, Khanyisa Phaweni, Thinh Nguyen Quang, Vijay Sastry,
Mayank Sharma, Tonin Soeun, Viet Ta, Prashanta Thapa, Dileesh Varghese, Soulinthone Vilayphanh
and Jagath Wasantha.
Finally, we would like to offer a special thank you to our Literacy and Girls’Education Program staff
around the world for providing us with the opportunity to report on their excellent work. We are
grateful to all of you.
Feedback?
We welcome your feedback on this report. Please e-mail your questions and comments to
info@roomtoread.org with “2013 Global Monitoring Report”in the subject line.
33

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