Evaluating the Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP)
Photo credit: Riccardo Niels Mayer on Adobe Stock Images
Policy Context
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have substantially increased school access in recent decades, but school quality—and consequently, student learning—lags behind. In Ghana, although the primary school completion rate is 95%, in 2017, more than 80% of grade 2 students could not read simple words. Improving school quality at scale remains a core challenge for LMICs, and one that Ghana has attempted to address through the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), a $174 million initiative targeting the country’s 10,000 lowest performing basic schools. The proposed evaluation of GALOP will provide evidence on whether a multi-pronged, government-led approach can improve school quality in low-performing systems at massive scale. The study will assess how effectively GALOP improved school quality, strengthened accountability, and promoted equity in Ghanaian basic education.
Study Design
The evaluation uses a quantitative impact assessment with regression discontinuity design. By comparing schools that just about qualified for GALOP with those that narrowly missed eligibility, researchers can isolate the program’s effects while controlling for other factors. The analysis will examine outcomes including scores, enrollment, attendance, teacher training, and school infrastructure.
Results & Policy Lessons
Results forthcoming.
