In the Technology for Education Systems Transformation project (TEST) project, World Education developed, tested, and implemented a digitized and automated early-grade reading assessment. The benchmarks and assessments used for the TEST app were developed by the Total Reading Approach for Children (TRAC) project, and were formally endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) at the conclusion of TRAC, The TEST project worked with over 2,000 students and 57 teachers to develop the app and optimize its usability; at the conclusion of the TEST project, the app was ready for scaling up in an additional hundred schools.
TEST was supported by DAI through their Development Innovations Project, which is funded by USAID.
Watch the story of Srey Neth student in a rural Cambodian school, and how World Education’s Total Reading Approach for Children (TRAC) helped involve her family in her reading practice.
Chhaya, a 10-year-old boy, currently studies in Grade 2 at a school where World Education, Inc. is implementing the Total Reading Approach for Children Plus (TRAC+) project, with funding support from World Vision. Chhaya has lived with his grandparents since he was four years old, following his mother’s death and his father’s remarriange. His grandparents are agricultural day laborers, and thus do not have regular income. As his grandparents are very busy, they do not have much time to look after him. At the start of the school year Chhaya was often absent from school for extended periods of time, and was unable to keep up with his studies and acquire the necessary reading and writing skills.
At school in Siem Reap, a province in northern Cambodia, students crowd to the school library during break times. At the sound of the bell dismissing morning classes, the room fills with students who move quickly, pulling books from the shelves and settling into a corner to read.
As a child, Sothea dropped out of school for nearly six months, without the support of a family member to keep him in school. When he was given homework he did not have any support or advice, and he lost his motivation to go to school. Fortunately, Mr. Sarein, a primary school teacher, visited him and encouraged him to return to school.
Now Sothea looks back and uses his own experience as inspiration in his work as a literacy coach through the TRAC+ project.
Thavary is one of the literacy coaches trained through the TRAC+ project, chosen for participation because of her eagerness to help struggling students. As Thavary explains, “when I was young I didn’t have many resources. Not I want to use what I know to help students develop, and I was to see the education system improve as well.”