On February 24, 2015, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with key regional partners, began a series of discussions focused on improving child literacy and numeracy across Ghana. This initiative is part of USAID's Partnership for Education project, which involves an investment of approximately $190 million over five years.
The project aims to enhance educational outcomes by engaging regional actors such as Education Offices, Coordinating Councils, and national representatives from the Ghana Education Service. These stakeholders will participate in introductory meetings until March 31, 2015, to foster support and review progress.
USAID's Partnership for Education is aligned with Ghana's 2010-2020 Education Sector Plan. It includes various activities to advance child literacy and numeracy alongside basic education systems. The "Partnership for Education: Learning" activity focuses on early grade reading improvements, implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service. This component seeks to strengthen early grade reading excellence and expand educational outcomes while promoting community engagement.
Another component, "Partnership for Education: Testing," enhances student assessment processes through collaboration with the National Education Assessment Unit of the Ghana Education Service. It supports assessments like the National Education Assessment (NEA), Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA).
Additionally, "Partnership for Education: Evaluating Systems" aids in developing a systematic monitoring and evaluation framework that aligns with Ghana’s strategic education goals. Together, these projects aim to improve learning outcomes with a particular focus on reading proficiency.
USAID has been active in supporting Ghana since 1957, contributing to areas such as food security, healthcare improvement, access to quality education, and strengthening local governance.