Testing an Approach to Distance Professional Development in Senegal .

To respond to a variety of needs — from COVID-19 disruptions to the adoption of new and diverse instructional approaches — the Lecture Pour Tous program piloted an approach to increase sustainable access to continued professional development.

In July 2020, the USAID Lecture Pour Tous program supported Senegal’s Ministry of Education to pilot a distance learning approach to providing continuous professional development (CPD) to early grade reading educators. The pilot assessed the feasibility and applicability of self-guided distance professional development for teachers, coaches, and school inspectors, that could be used on a wider scale in the country. The pilot’s main objectives were: (1) to address ongoing constraints associated with bringing together large numbers of educators for in-person training due to the COVID-19 crisis; (2) to identify a lower-cost alternative to in-person CPD; and (3) to provide more opportunities during the school year for educators to build their knowledge and skills through peer learning and interactions with coaches.