Targeted Teaching to Improve Learning in Secondary School

Despite substantial gains in secondary school enrollment in India, the median 9th-grade student is below grade-level in numeracy and language. Previous studies of primary school students have shown that targeted instruction—teaching at the level of the student instead of following the standard grade-level curriculum—can improve learning outcomes. Can it improve learning outcomes for remedial secondary school learners? Can remedial learners transition to grade level learners within one school year with additional non-remedial support? Does this package of remedial and grade-level support increase the likelihood that students pass the high-stakes lower secondary school completion exam? We request funding for a 24-school pilot to evaluate the Secondary School Readiness Program, a government-led remedial and grade-level educational program for students in grade 9 in Odisha, India. The pilot will inform the design and implementation of a multi-armed, full-scale RCT and will provide lessons for a state-wide scale-up of the program.