Abstract
The USAID/El Salvador Education for Children and Youth (ECY) Activity seeks to improve educational opportunities for lower secondary school students and out-of-school youth (OSY) and to create safer communities by increasing access to education and offering youths alternatives to criminal gang activity. This mid-term performance evaluation examines how stakeholders perceive ECY's success in achieving these objectives and how its interventions are contributing to: (1) reducing youth gang and criminal activity; (2) improving the learning environment in schools; (3) reducing the student dropout rate; (4) improving scholastic performance; and (5) increasing the number of OSY who return to school. The evaluation concludes that, during the period of January 2013 through December 2016, ECY has had a positive effect on outcomes in each of the above areas by increasing or improving: student interest and involvement in learning, student self-esteem, cooperation among students, respect for rules and fair play, outlets for positive self-expression, strategies for resolving disputes and dealing with stress, access to psychological counseling, self-image, belief in future life prospects, emphasis on inclusion, and coexistence and harmony within the school community. Particularly effective interventions for achieving the above results include active learning methods, sports activities, and coexistence activities. The evaluation also found several issues that threaten the long-term sustainability of ECY interventions. Paramount among these issues are the failure to integrate the interventions in the Ministry of Education's Full-Time Inclusive School initiative and the lack of follow-up technical assistance. ECY is currently implementing strategies to address these and other issues raised in the evaluation. (Author abstract, modified)