USAID Advancing Partnerships for Improved Learning Activity (APIL) - Ghana

Summary

The USAID Advancing Partnerships for Improved Learning Activity (APIL) supports the Ministry of Education (MoE) and its agencies to improve learning outcomes and financing options for low-fee private schools (LFPS) in northern Ghana. The Activity has three results areas: improve education quality offered by LFPS, increase private sector investment in LFPS, and strengthen the capacity of the MoE and professional networks to support LFPS. 

• Project Duration: Feb 2023 – Feb 2028
• Geographic Focus: 17 Feed the Future Zone of Influence districts in northern Ghana
• Partners: Lead Implementer—Opportunity International; Sub-Awardees—Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), University for Development Studies (UDS), FHI360, and Results for Development (R4D)

The Challenge

In Ghana, primary school students have demonstrated persistently low learning outcomes. Only 2% of second grade students are reading at grade-level, only 50% of second grade students can read a single word, and only 25% of second grade students can solve a conceptual math problem.

In addition, northern Ghana has the highest fertility rate among all regions in the country, which increases demand for quality primary education access. 

Our Approach

In partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Ghana (GoG), Opportunity is building on its proven education finance experience by implementing a set of interventions that will improve education quality, increase private sector investment, and strengthen government, private, and civil society actors in the LFPS sector.

Opportunity and its partners are supporting the expansion and improvement of low-fee schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Northern Ghana. We're expanding evidence-based classroom best practices and school development planning training to 426 teacher mentors and an additional 2,130 teachers over the life of the project.

In addition, APIL is certifying 1,278 untrained teachers, strengthening business skills for school leaders, expanding in-service training to teachers, and improving the learning outcomes of nearly 52,000 students. We are creating a School Capacity Building Fund (SCBF) to assist targeted LFPS to improve their operations and become more credit worthy through catalytic grants offered to schools. 

Targets

• 213+ low-fee private schools improve their quality of education, benefiting 52,000+ students. 
• 213+ administrators and 426+ teacher mentors benefit from professional development training and/or certification. 
• 2,130 additional teachers receive cascaded evidence-based classroom best practices and school development planning from the 426 mentors. 
• 1,681 teachers receive certification through UDS and remain in their schools. 
• 52,000 students targeted for improved learning outcomes. 
• Targeted LFPS receive SCBF support, which includes a catalytic grant of up to $5,000 per target school to assist them improve their operations and become more creditworthy. 
• $3.9 million is invested in education by financial institutions lending to LFPS proprietors and families to pay for school fees. 
• New models are developed to support the MoE to strengthen its capacity for LFPS monitoring and oversight. 
• Community of Practice formed to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders on issues affecting LFPS in Northern Ghana.
  

Project Details

Topics

Education

Funders

USAID

Partners

University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Results for Development (R4D), FHI 360 

Status

Active