Long-term impacts of a foundational literacy program implemented in South Africa

There is a large donor interest in foundational literacy, given the belief that it can spearhead future learning. However, there is limited causal evidence on the long-run impacts of these programs. The team examines this question in the context of a successful foundational literacy program implemented between 2015 and 2017 in South Africa—a middle-income country with high inequality, high unemployment, and large returns to tertiary education. The researchers will survey and assess students 10-12 years after the start of the intervention to test for impacts on general academic performance and potential mediators of future economic outcomes: self-confidence; career aspirations; and knowledge of, application to, and acceptance into appropriate tertiary institutions. Using administrative data, they will estimate performance at the end of high school exams. Collecting updated contact information while students are still in school will enable them to continue tracking them into adulthood.