1. A Cluster Training Approach
In-service teacher training in Ethiopia

2. Educational Challenges
A nearly 40% increase in Gross Enrollment Rate over the seven-year period of the Basic Education Strategic Overhaul (BESO I)
Large (enormous) class sizes in early primary grades students
Up to 60% drop-out rates in some schools between grades 1 & 2.
Teachers who are overwhelmingly using the “chalk and talk” methodology

3. Improving Teacher Quality
BESO II - USAID/Ethiopia’s Basic Education Strategic Objective focuses on improving
The quality and equity of primary education.
Teacher education -- through improved pre-service and in-service training is a critical component of BESO (Intermediate Result 1)

4. Balancing Pre-Service/In-Service
Pre-service is critical but will impact a minority of the teaching force
In-service is critical to improving educational quality
School administrators and other educational management levels need to be engaged

5. Improving Teacher Education
123,000 public primary school teachers in Ethiopia
85% rural/agrarian - dependent on subsistence agriculture
A country that is roughly twice the size of Texas or 1.1 million sq km
13.2 million children of primary school age

6. BESO I - Piloting of Clusters
Piloting began in the last two years of BESO I -- 14,200 teachers reached in 2001/2 year
Provided resource materials and training kits for two regions of Ethiopia - Tigray and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR)
Models “localized” within each region by Regional Education Bureaus (REBs)
SNNPR decided to use a “mobile book box” model, which contained a selection of reference books and teacher guides for English, mathematics, and science. These boxes were circulated amongt the schools, with no school holding the materials for more than two weeks a a time.

7. The BESO II Cluster System
BESO now nation-wide -- active in 8 geographic regions, and 3 administrative zones.
Cluster model important than ever to reach large numbers of teachers using a cost-effective approach
Goal in in-service training is to reach about 58,000 serving teachers by the end of the SO in 2007, to improve teaching quality, using a cascade or ToT model

8. The Goals of Cluster Training
Assist teachers implement new curricula and policies
Encourage experience-sharing, collaborative problem-solving, and peer teaching;
Provide a forum and venue where teachers can work together on skills development through self-instructional kits
Engage other levels of educational management

9. The Mechanics…
The “central” cluster school -- called the Cluster Resource Center (CRC) -- is selected with REBS based on set criteria, which include:
Complete primary school (Grades 1-8)
Central location
Appropriate facilities to accommodate teachers from up to seven “satellite” schools
Strong, qualified, and enthusiastic teachers
Good resource materials (library, pedagogical center, etc.) - supplemented by USAID
USAID provides additional materials, such as reference books, materials for instructional aid preparation, duplicating machines, and typewrites.

10. CRC Coordinating Committee
Composed of all schools’ directors, key teachers, and woreda education officers.
plans CRC activities
identifies specific training needs (in collaboration with teachers)
develops strategies to improve community engagement, girls enrollment, and address other educational challenges
works to constantly improve functioning of cluster

11. Key Teacher Serves as “in-house” trainer in each school
Has a reduced teaching load
Provides training and support to fellow teachers
Conducts classroom obervations and provides “coaching”
Organizes discussions on specific educational topics to improve teacher skills

12. Tier 1 (TOT) training…
School directors, key teachers, and woreda education officers are trained by staff from AED, the REBs, and Teacher Education Institutes.
Training methodologies are learner-centered, participatory, and focused on group activities so that these approaches are “modeled” in their own training.

13. Cluster Training Topics
Using interactive learning approaches
Applying continuous assessment
Preparation and use of teaching aids
Self-contained classroom methodologies
Integrated lesson plans
Encouraging girls’ classroom participation

14. Self-Instructional Kits
A six-module instructional kit, developed by AED, is distributed to each cluster school
Focuses on:
active learning methodologies (and how to implement them in a large class setting)
using continuous assessment to enhance learning
basic concepts of remediation
gender issues on the classroom
curriculum integration

15. Achievements/Results
Government has adopted model as policy
Increased use of learner-centered teaching approaches, active-learning and increased student engagement
Greater collegiality and joint problem-solving amongst teachers
Improved girls’ retention
School directors/WEOs more engaged/skills improved
Government has released guidelines on continuous professional development of teachers using the cluster model.
School directors were also coached on school leadership and management
WEOs also were coached on school supervision as part of this process

16. Challenges
Incentives … not connected to certification or improved chances for promotion
Per diem
Sustainability -- regional governments need to create matching budget
Capacity of some woreda education offices is rather weak