CONCEPT NOTE

DECEMBER 1, 2014

On-the-Job Teacher Coaching and Training Program

Background. The USAID Sindh Reading Program (SRP) aims to improve learning outcomes in reading
and math for 750,000 K-5 students by 2019 in seven target districts and five towns of Karachi. To
achieve this target and improve the quality of primary education in Sindh, SRP has developed an
intensive on-the-job coaching and training program for teachers to improve the quality of instructional
delivery methods. This program is consistent with Chemonics original proposal of creating a
collaborative, peer-to-peer environment based on trainings held in the schools as much as possible
instead of destination workshops to achieve the result of improving instructional methods in early
grade reading and math in up to 25,000 teachers by 2017. Now in implementation, the program is
striving to complete the training ahead of schedule to capture the impact on learning outcomes when
teachers have more time to practice the new methods with their students.
A concept note was requested by USAID following an initial presentation on the proposed program on
November 28. Here we outline the context for developing an on-the-job delivery model, the proposed
schedule and resources to implement it, as well as the proposed performance monitoring system.

Content. The training program includes seven key modules covering modern pedagogical models,
detailed scripted lesson plans in Urdu and Sindhi for all skill levels and competencies of math and
reading in Grades K-3, development of locally-available materials for teaching and learning, use of
leveled readers and math manipulatives provided by SRP, and continuous student formative
assessment. The content was developed by SRPs Teaching & Learning Working Group in April-May and
piloted tested in June 2014. The pilot included 10 days of face-to-face training in Karachi with a group of
238 teachers and 98 education supervisors from SRPs target districts. Revisions have been made to
reflect feedback, and semi-monthly follow-up observations have qualitatively found that some teachers
are already applying new methods learned in their classrooms. Please see Annexes A and B for SRPs
framework of core competencies and learning outcomes in early grade reading and math.

Context. The times when SRP or other donors can train in-service teachers are limited by the
Department of Education to 10 days in December and during summer vacation in June and July, when
extreme temperatures deter successful training efforts in most parts of interior Sindh. During the school
year, primary grade teachers work Monday-Saturday, and would not usually agree to train after class or
leave their families to come in on Sundays. Even if SRP did obtain governments agreement to train
teachers during the school year, the cost of transporting and compensating 25,000 teachers to train at a
venue other than their duty station is exorbitant. When considering this context, the option that
emerges as most scalable is a school-based training model. By offering the same content and total
contact hours as the previously piloted 10-day off-site training, and by working within the existing
education timetable and school structures to keep teachers in the classroom, this model is considered
more sustainable. The literature is rich with evidence on the benefits of school-based professional
development, peer coaching, and short interval training (see Linda Darling Hammond on integration of
clinical and course work, and Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers on the importance of peer coaching).

Delivery model. SRP will implement a blended training model that takes place over approximately 12
weeks in the classrooms, and is supplemented through face-to-face training, peer-to-peer coaching,
teacher learning circles, and delivery of professional development text messages to teachers phones.
The training program starts and ends with face-to-face training in the districts to orient teachers to the
program, the student knowledge assessment results, and to identify how to improve the experience.
In the model, Head Teachers occupy an important role as representatives for the school and facilitators
of bi-weekly teacher learning circles. Learning Circles offer space to teachers to discuss the learning
modules, compare experiences of using the scripted lesson plans and supplementary materials, and to
reflect on their own learning. Teachers receive weekly visits to their classrooms for 12 weeks by a
trained core of dedicated Teaching & Learning Coordinators and Associates. These staff are hired by SRP
and our partners HANDS and IRC to make it easy for teachers to use the scripted lesson plans by helping
to answer their questions, working with students who are struggling to absorb the lessons, and helping
administer formative assessments. They also help the teachers demonstrate to pupils how to use
supplementary materials provided by SRP, or to produce new ones from locally-available resources.
Quality management of the Learning Circles and on-the-job training is provided through coaching visits
every three weeks by Field Mentors (primarily staff from Teacher Training Institutes, Education
Supervisors, or consultants with extensive teacher training experience), who meet with the teachers and
head teachers in their schools to discuss the new learnings and monitor progress. Field mentors seek
feedback on the quality of the support provided by the Teaching & Learning Coordinators and provide
suggested modifications to improve on-the-job training. It is expected that Field Mentors continue to
follow-up with their schools after the end of the pilot.
Teacher uses
scripted lessons and
teacher kits

1-day Leadership
Training for Head
Teachers by Field
Mentors

Agreement on
schedule for use of
scripted lessons

1-day Program
Orientation for all
Head Teachers and
Teachers by Field
Mentors

Induction

6 Teacher
Learning
Circles
lead by
Head
Teachers

12
classroom
support
visits from
TLA/TLC

1-day reflection
session led by
Field Mentors
and evaluation
of student data

9 classroom visits
from Field Supervisor

Weeks 1-12

Feedback

Schedule and Resources. The pilot phase of the on-the-job coaching and training program begins at
the end of December, with the training of 600 head teachers in education leadership and management,
adult learning principles, and facilitation of learning circles. All head teachers plus the 2,400 teachers
from their schools attend an all-day induction meeting in the districts led by our 190 trained Field
Mentors. All teachers are provided the intensive 12 weeks of on-the-job coaching and training, learning
circles, and field mentor support. They are given guidance to prepare their own formative assessments
and conduct pre- and post-tests of their pupils to gauge whether the scripted lesson plans and delivery
methods are effective. Due to the exams in March, it is expected that there will be certain weeks when
teachers will not be available. During their induction training, each school will agree with Field Mentors
on a visitation and learning circle schedule.
2

Upon conclusion of the pilot and after detailed data analysis, recommendations for improvement will be
incorporated into a larger study on the pilot and delivered to USAID for feedback. In subsequent cycles
of the training program, the number of schools and teachers will increase to reach SRPs targets. We
anticipate that efficiencies will be identified through the first two cycles that will further reduce our
costs and make it more affordable to the Government of Sindh to hopefully sustain. We will engage in
discussions with the Government around transferring aspects of the program in year 3 as they see
positive returns from this model as evidenced through student performance and teacher motivation.

600 Head Teachers

Cohort 1: Dec - April 2014

2,400 K-5 Teachers
190 Field Mentors

100 Field Staff

Cohort 2: Aug - Nov 2015

1,100 Head Teachers

5,500 K-5 Teachers

190 Field Mentors

550 Field Staff

1,100 Head Teachers

5,500 K-5 Teachers

190 Field Mentors

550 Field Staff

1,100 Head Teachers

Cohort 4: Aug - Nov 2016

5,500 K-5 Teachers
190 Field Mentors

550 Field Staff

1,100 Head Teachers

Cohort 5: Dec - Apr 2017

5,500 K-5 Teachers
190 Field Mentors

550 Field Staff

Cohort 3: Dec - April 2016

Monitoring and Measurement. Critically important is that rigorous measures and data collection
procedures are put in place from the outset of the training program. The quality of data will directly
inform how SRP conducts its teacher training throughout the life of project, and will serve as a valuable
set of information for the Government of Sindh to consider in reforming its in-service training programs.
As on-the-job in-service training is not regularly used at scale in developing countries, SRP also expects
that the data will be valuable to the larger education development community.
Given the importance of rigorous and thorough evaluation of the pilot, Chemonics has identified two
short-term consultants to design and oversee performance monitoring of the initial training phase. They
will also develop a sample impact study to use in subsequent phases of teacher training to generalize
results of the training to the district level. These consultants are Mr. Hamid Afridi, a Pakistani national
with extensive M&E experience, and the second is Chemonics Manager of Monitoring, Evaluation &
Learning, Mr. Amadou Bayakoko, who has extensive experience in evaluation education programs and is
familiar with SRP through his previous work with School-to-School International.

ANNEX A SINDH READING PROGRAM READING FRAMEWORK

Through the implementation of the on-the-job coaching and training program, the following core
competencies and learning outcomes will be attained.
S.
No.
1

Core Reading
Component

Phonics

Fluency

Phonemic
Awareness

Learning Outcome

Identify beginning, ending, middle letters/sounds in words

Recognizing if words rhyme
Deleting beginning and ending phonemes to words to create
new words

Vocabulary

Comprehension
I

Comprehension
II

Develop awareness of letter/sound correspondence.

Recognize word pattern
Decode new words
Be able to read prose and poem with pronunciation, rhythm,
expression and fluency
Be able to read stories, dialogues and drama with related to
their elements.
Able to express pictures with appropriate words
Identify synonyms and antonyms
Associate words with concepts/central idea
Be able to read text (Prose and Poem) consisting simple and
compound sentences with comprehension
Be able read text on general knowledge and natural topics
with comprehension
Be able to comprehend short text by listening
Able to derive central idea, elements and result from stories
and poem
Be able to read children pages in newspaper, essay on
magazine with author object and will and results.

ANNEX B SINDH READING PROGRAM MATH FRAMEWORK

Through the implementation of the on-the-job coaching and training program, the following core
competencies and learning outcomes will be attained.
S.
No.
1

Core Competency

Number
Identification

Quantity
Discrimination

Missing numbers

Addition (without
carrying) and
Subtraction
(without
borrowing) Level 1

Addition (with
carrying) and
Subtraction
(without
borrowing) Level 2

Learning Outcome

To identify numbers
Identify numbers 1-20 (Grade 1)
Identify numbers 21-100 (Grade 2)
Identify numbers 101 -1000 (Grade 3)
To identify bigger number from a pair of numbers
Identify bigger numbers from a pair of number between
1-20 (Grade 1)
o Identify bigger number from a pair of numbers between
21-100 (Grade 2)
o Identify bigger number from a pair of numbers between
101 -1000 (Grade 3)

o
o
o

To identify the missing number from the strings of three

numbers
o Identify missing number from a string of three numbers
between 1-20 (Grade 1)
o Identify missing number from the string of three numbers
between 21-100 (Grade 2)
o Identify missing number from string of three numbers
between 101 -1000 (Grade 3)
To Add and Subtract
o Add two digit numbers with one digit number (Grade 1)
o Subtract ones from ones
o Subtract ones from 2 digit numbers (Grade 2)
o Subtract tens from 2 digit numbers
o Subtract 2 digit numbers from 2 digit numbers (Grade 3 )
To add and Subtract
o Add ones and 2 digit numbers with carrying (Grade 1)
o Add 2 digit number with 2 digit number with carrying
(Grade 2)
o Add 3 digit numbers with 2 & 3 digit numbers with
carrying (Grade 3)
o Subtract ones from 2 digit numbers with borrowing
5

Word Problem

o Subtract 2 digit numbers from 2 digit numbers with

borrowing (Grade 2& 3)
To solve simple real life problems
o Add (without carrying) & Subtract (without borrowing)
mentally the numbers given in simple real life examples
(Grade 1)
o Solve simple real life problem with carrying of tens (Grade
2)
o Solve simple real life problem with carrying of hundreds
(Grade 3)
o Solve simple real life problem with borrowing of tens
(Grade 2)
o Solve simple real life problem with borrowing of hundreds
(Grade 3)