Monrovia — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has launched a program that will improve the quality of targeted Liberian early childhood and primary Education teachers' instructional delivery.
The project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is intended to transform "The Education System for Teachers and Students in Liberia." The launch of the program was held at the AMEU graduate program campus on Camp Johnson Road.
(TESTS) Activity supports the Liberian Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) to improve the quality of targeted Liberian early childhood education and primary education teachers' instructional delivery.
TESTS is working with the MOE, NCHE, and at eight faith-based, public, and private universities and colleges: Adventist University of West Africa, African Methodist Episcopal University, Cuttington University, Grand Bassa University, LICOSESS College of Education, Lofa County University, Nimba University, and the University of Liberia.
As part of the activity, TESTS has developed an online resource to assist College of Education faculty members as they help their students pursuing associate and bachelor's degrees in early childhood education and primary education to succeed on their learning journeys -- from enrollment to demonstration school performance to graduation.
The Learning and Tracking Portal contains faculty and language and mathematics assessments and complementary micro courses, student course packets and readings, the Student Plan of Study Guide, and practicum observation tools that faculty members and teacher aspirants can use to support the teacher aspirants in their academic progress.
The project has several conponets which includes, Teacher Aspirant Rapid Intake Assessment, Course Materials, Study Plan of Study Guide and Practicum Tracking System
Teacher Aspirant Rapid Intake Assessment:
When teacher aspirants begin their programs in early childhood education and primary education, they will be trained to use the Learning and Tracking Portal to take rapid intake assessments for language and math. Based on their scores, they will be recommended for self-paced micro-courses on the Portal to improve their skills. The assessments were piloted in Year One.
Course Materials:
Faculty members can access their course materials on the Learning and Tracking Portal. Both faculty members and teacher aspirants will be able to access the student packets, including the readings for each education course.
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Study Plan of Study Guide:
TESTS developed a Student Plan of Study Guide to be hosted on the Portal and used by teacher aspirants and their advisors to help plan and monitor progress through their programs of study.
Practicum Tracking System:
As demonstration schools are engaged, the mentor teachers who will work with teacher aspirants will be trained in how to capture practicum observation data. Faculty members will use these data to monitor the performance of schools and the quality of the engagement between each mentor teacher and teacher-aspirant.
The Learning and Tracking Portal is usable offline via computer, tablet, or phone, with Internet access needed only for updates, and it is an example of an intelligent risk in technology use and system improvement, informed by current successes in Liberia. The Learning and Tracking Portal was developed on the Moodle platform. TESTS has a commitment to creating inclusive learning environments. Accessibility features are built into the Learning and Tracking Portal and in the rapid intake assessments and the faculty and student course packets uploaded onto the site.
To support access to the Portal, TESTS is providing tablets, enhancements to HETTIs' IT equipment, and training and assistance in the use, management, and safeguarding of the improved infrastructure provided by TESTS. Through grants to TESTS's eight partners higher education teacher training institutions, TESTS will provide tablets for teacher aspirants, faculty members, and demonstration school mentor teachers as well as to the NCHE and the MOE to track their progress over the life of the Activity.
