The Catch-Up Clubs Project was implemented by Save the Children (in Uganda) with a focus on improving learning outcomes. The project uses two-pronged approaches: Catch-Up Clubs (CUCs) and Levelled Learning (LL). The project is being funded by People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL) and implemented in Kyangwali, Nakivale and Rwamwanja refugee settlements in Western Uganda and Wakiso in Central Uganda. The project was designed to address the foundational learning needs of children in upper primary grades, appropriate for the different needs of girls and boys, who have been put at a greater risk of academic failure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPL project aims to ensure that all marginalized children benefit from quality and relevant learning opportunities during and after crises, through more resilient education systems.

The Endline Evaluation was to assess the extent to which the project achieved selected objectives and what resulted, and why/why not, conduct designated research on selected areas of learning that have emerged in recent years as part of the project. The evaluation also assessed the progress on the competences of leaders to support teacher well-being and to address learning loss. This was guided by 9 key learning questions.
Overall, a combination of quasi experimental design and non-experimental designs were required to fulfil the evaluation objectives. Data sources included both primary and secondary sources. The different data sources and methods are linked to different indicators. The primary data sources included beneficiaries such as Children in P4-P6 (girls, boys and children with disabilities), Mentors, Teachers and Head Teachers of schools targeted during PPLIII and CUC Project Staff. Secondary data sources include project documents and external reports.

The baseline assessment sample comprised 10,461 participants (Male=46.9%, Female=53.1%). Data was collected through literacy and numeracy assessments; administered interviews with school stakeholders, self-administered interviews among teachers; focus group discussions and key informant interviews with different stakeholders and document reviews.

86.2% (male=86.2%, female=86.2%) of the assessed CUC and LL learners progressed to the next level of reading proficiency between the baseline and endline. This was higher than PPLI (84.9%) but also slightly lower than PPLII achievement of 90.6%. This is interesting as CUC groups were increased in size in PPL III from 12 children per
group to 25 children per group.

The endline evaluation results revealed that 62.4% (male=54.1%, female=69.9%) of learners who attended two cycles (cohorts) of CUCs attained proficiency in reading compared to 73.4% of the learners who attended one cycle (cohort) of CUCs. Attending two cycles of reading clubs contributed seven percent to the overall project result on attainment of reading proficiency (72.7%). In other words, out of 72.7% who attained proficiency, 4.1% had re-enrolled into CUCs while 68.6% attended only one cycle.

The endline data had 484 intervention group learners compared to 633 learners at baseline who participated in numeracy CUC experimental study. Similarly, the endline had 122 comparison group learners compared to 566 learners at baseline. Clearly, the two groups had extremely unequal samples. The high variation in endline samples of the two categories of learners point to fidelity gaps in the design and implementation of the quasi-experiment (high dropouts of comparison group). These samples had to be balanced before analysis of the data.

Overall, the Endline Evaluation findings show that the learners have sustained acquired abilities in reading. Targeted boys and girls also continue to improve their abilities in reading. The study also shows that CUC learners have continued to
progress with education. Learners had retained acquired knowledge in reading proficiency. The longitudinal survey results affirm 92.2% (girls=92.4%, boys=92.1%) of learners retained proficiency acquired during PPLI and PPLII. These learners were at the same or higher reading level at the endline of the two phases.

At PPLII endline, 96.9% of the teachers were categorized as having acceptable wellbeing compared to 90.3% at baseline. The improvement between baseline and endline of PPLIII was small (+6.6%) owing to the fact that the baseline figure was very high, giving a very small wiggle room for possible improvement.

Endline evaluation results revealed that all sampled school leaders (100%) compared to the baseline of 97.7% (male=94.4%, female=100%) were involved in collecting attendance data. It was also noticeable that percentage of leaders transmitting data to higher offices increased by 13 percentage point between the baseline 48%,
endline=61.3%.