Your support is bringing real change to classrooms across Sierra Leone and Liberia. Students who once struggled to read simple sentences are beginning to confidently comprehend stories. Teachers who taught the same way for years are discovering new methods that bring their classrooms to life.
The midline results are in for the Teaching and Learning in Fragile Contexts (TLFC) project, and it is clear you’re helping make a tangible difference in the lives of the children participating in the program.
Improved reading, writing, and comprehension
Reading isn’t just about recognizing words on a page, it’s about understanding their meaning and the story they tell. That’s why we measure what truly matters: can children recognize sounds, read words, understand what they’ve read, and express themselves in writing?
In just 24 months, reading, writing, and comprehension scores have improved among Grade 2 students in participating schools in both countries.
Sierra Leone project schools
30.5% → 46%
Grade 2 Overall Literacy
↑ +15.5 points
Liberia project schools
50.2% → 62.6%
Grade 2 Overall Literacy
↑ +12.4 points
Perhaps the most dramatic change came in reading comprehension:
- 72% of participating Grade 2 students in Liberia can now comprehend what they read, up from just 14% at the start
- 23% of participating Grade 2 students in Sierra Leone are showing comprehension skills, more than double the 9% baseline
Teachers using improved teaching strategies and tools
Behind every reading breakthrough is a teacher who learned new strategies and had the courage to try something different in their classroom.
CODE supports two types of teachers: in-service teachers (those already in classrooms) and pre-service teachers (those still in training). The results show that when teachers are given the right tools and support, they embrace change.
After teachers receive training through the TLFC program, we observe their classrooms to see if they are using the new strategies they have learned. We look for four key practices: active learning (getting students engaged), differentiation (meeting each child where they are), integrating literacy across all subjects, and teaching in ways that support all genders equally.
Good news! Teachers using new strategies and tools introduced through the TLFC project has increased significantly in both countries.
In-Service Teachers Adopting New Teaching Strategies
In Sierra Leone project schools, in-service teacher adoption jumped from 39.5% to 89% for Grade 2 teachers and 75% for Grade 4 teachers, meaning 4 out of 5 teachers are now bringing these evidence-based strategies into their daily practice.
In Liberia project schools, teachers started from a baseline of 17.9%, and teachers have already reached 46% and 47% for Grades 2 and 4 teachers, respectively. This represents real progress in a challenging context, with room for continued growth.
Pre-Service Teachers Embracing New Methods
Some of the most exciting results come from pre-service teachers, who will shape classrooms for decades to come. By training teachers before they even start their careers, we’re building a lasting foundation for educational quality.
Sierra Leone project schools
98.2%
Pre-Service Teacher Adoption
↑ +50.2 points
129 future teachers equipped with effective strategies
Liberia project schools
80.4%
Pre-Service Teacher Adoption
↑ +46.4 points
256 future teachers ready to transform classrooms
Nearly all participating pre-service teachers in Sierra Leone (98.2%) and the vast majority in Liberia (80.4%) are now using these teaching methods. These teachers will carry these skills into classrooms throughout their careers, multiplying the impact far beyond the project’s timeline.
Your Impact in Action
In 24 months, your support has helped thousands of children discover the joy of reading, equipped hundreds of teachers with proven strategies, and laid the groundwork for lasting educational change in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
In the coming year, TLFC will build on these successes and will expand teacher coaching and support, refine strategies to better support struggling learners, and distribute an estimated 60,000 copies of 12 new reading anthologies. Each anthology includes more than 60 pages of engaging, curriculum-aligned text with local stories and illustrations, bringing classrooms to life with materials that children can see themselves reflected in.
Thank you for helping make this transformation possible.