Blog

Building Psychometric Literacy for Education and Policy in Africa. 13-17 April 2026, Online

It is probably true to say that fewer than 1% of teachers have even a basic understanding of item response theory (IRT), yet this statistical theory is widely used to monitor the quality of schooling.

In its 2023 report, the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) classified textbooks as a “bad buy”; however, the real story sits in the fine print.

Building Capacity to Implement EGRA & EGMA Digitally

Learning, leadership, and a missed fugu

In a continent where many children complete primary school without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills, effective tracking of foundational learning continues to be an urgent necessity.

On 7 August 2025, we co-hosted a data rescue event with RDAP and the ICPSR. More than 100 volunteers joined the hackathon, working collectively to prepare files for public release

Millions of children in Africa are unable to acquire age-appropriate skills in reading and mathematics, especially in their early years.

Join the Data Rescue Project: Preserving USAID Education Data

A diverse group representing 13 African countries gathered to strengthen their skills in managing and analysing foundational learning data and build lasting connections.

In many African contexts, classroom-based or large-scale standardized assessments often fall short – either because they are not age-appropriate or because classroom-wide methods are not suitable for young learners.

We are excited to announce that all waves of data from the Early Grade Reading Studies (EGRS) conducted by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa are now available on the DataFirst portal.

AFLEARN’s inaugural one-week residential course took place from 4 to 8 November 2024, focusing on maximising the impact of foundational learning data.