Los Angeles, CA – January 2010

Juárez & Associates was awarded a new four year contract from USAID/Jamaica. The purpose of this Task Order is to strengthen the Jamaica Ministry of Education (MOE)'s Education Reform Project by providing technical assistance, materials and training that will yield the following overarching results by the end of the project:

• Increased teacher and principal accountability for improved student performance in reading and mathematics for children in the first three grades of primary schools, as evidenced by adherence to established reading and math standards

• Established MOE reading standards for grades 1 – 3
• Established MOE mathematics standards for grades 1 – 3
• Increased early grade reading fluency in 250 target primary schools, as measured by the Early Grade Reading Assessment to the initial baseline
• Increased early grade math acquisition in 250 target schools, as measured by the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment
• Strengthened public private partnerships for education

• Increased private-public contributions to the National Education Trust based on an effective legal tax framework and private outreach plan
• Increased participation of the private sector in policy formulation
• Established capacity of the MOE, the National Education Inspectorate, and the Jamaican Teachers Council to monitor school management and performance in the 250 target schools, as measured by the Snapshot of School Management Effectiveness.

The rationalization of this educational reform effort depends heavily on the involvement of the education community at large, which includes key opinion leaders at the levels of the Ministry of Education, the JBTE/University of West Indies, the teacher training colleges, the Jamaica Teacher’s Association, and the trade unions.