Case Study

Early Grade Education Activity Program

Led by our strategic partner IREX, DG is supporting Jordan’s efforts to strengthen inclusive early grade education for students in kindergarten to grade three over a five year period through the ASAS program. Through ASAS, DG’s globally-based team will supply technical expertise and in-country assistance to enhance data usage and interoperability related to pre-service teacher education programs, continual professional development, institutional capacity, and quality assurance.

2023 - Present Advise, Build, Research

Through the USAID-funded, IREX-led Early Grades Education Activity (ASAS) program, DG will work to strengthen Jordan’s early grade (EG) education data ecosystem and promote a brighter future for public school students and teachers across the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. DG will work through the ASAS program to facilitate improved access to timely, relevant, and high quality data in order to inform strategic and meaningful education policies, practices, and reforms. The ASAS program was launched in November 2023 and will run through April 2028.

To sufficiently meet the diverse needs of students, teachers, and supervisors, comprehensive and accurate data must be accessible and utilized consistently across both national and local levels. However, data-related challenges impede the systematic collection, analysis, sharing, and interpretation of data. Current challenges that Jordan is working to overcome include fragmentation in data infrastructure and the overall education data systems as well as outdated digital tools. These challenges have hindered the holistic evaluation and analysis that can drive informed decision-making. DG’s extensive technical and advisory experience make us well-equipped to address these country-specific challenges and empower Jordanian actors to support educators, students, and policymakers alike.

Jordan’s global leadership in hosting and supporting refugees, together with its overall surge in youth population, present both a strain on the education system and an incredible opportunity to lay the foundation for growth. The effective use of data is crucial in this effort and can help to inform investments, assess the impact of teacher training, and understand and guide system transformation for a bright and dynamic future. I’m excited to see DG bring our years of expertise in improving data systems to support Jordan’s efforts.

Joshua Powell DG’s CEO

During the initial stages of the ASAS program, DG worked closely with the Jordanian Ministry of Education (MoE) and civil society organizations to complete a data landscape assessment related to the early grades and teacher training in higher education. This assessment was done in order to establish a comprehensive roadmap of stakeholder needs and priorities as well as to identify any existing data gaps and silos.

After priorities are established, DG will support the project on the following activities:

  • Institutionalize early grade data quality assurance processes;
  • Expand diagnostic assessment tools to cover more areas of childhood development;
  • Enhance quality of instruction and learning assessments;
  • Analyze the cost effectiveness to high “return on investment” reforms; and
  • Boost MoE data systems and learning capabilities.
Share

Related Posts

Shared Struggles, Shared Solutions: Education and Cross-Sector Data Use Insights

This blog draws on DG’s experience in climate, health, aid management, and agriculture to explore connections between the challenges of data collection, data hosting, and data governance across different sectors and what the solutions to overcoming them can teach us about strengthening education data systems.

June 6, 2025  
Economic Toll of Tobacco-Related Diseases in Kenya: New Research Findings

Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) is pleased to announce the publication of a research manuscript on the Economic Costs of Tobacco-Related Illnesses in Kenya. This research was carried out as part of the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) activities in Kenya and is part of a broader report on Morbidity and Mortality from Tobacco Use in Kenya.

May 9, 2025  
The Data Crisis Following USAID’s Withdrawal: Opportunities to Reimagine Data Systems

For decades, USAID and other US government funding supported global data systems, from health surveys and early warning tools to digital infrastructure for ministries. The abrupt termination of USAID funding has triggered twin crises: a halt to data collection and the undermining of digital systems – reveal existing inefficiencies and instabilities in how data is collected, managed, and shared both within and between countries.

April 16, 2025 Strategic Advisory Services