INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: ISDSC12753 ,2 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 30-Mar-2015 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 04-May-2015 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Kazakhstan Project ID: P153496 Project Name: Education Modernization Project (P153496) Task Team Dingyong Hou Leader(s): Estimated 21-Jan-2016 Estimated 30-Mar-2016 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: GEDDR Lending Investment Project Financing Instrument: Sector(s): Primary education (50%), Secondary education (50%) Theme(s): Education for all (60%), Gender (20%), Education for the knowledge economy (20%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 120.00 Total Bank Financing: 80.00 Financing Gap: 20.00 Financing Source Amount Borrower 20.00 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 80.00 Total 100.00 Environmental C - Not Required Category: Is this a No Repeater project? B. Project Objectives The development objective of the project is to enhance the quality of primary and secondary education in Kazakhstan. The direct beneficiaries are about one million students, teachers and other stakeholders in more than 4,000 rural and underserved urban schools. C. Project Description Aligned to the government's self-owned education program and informed by a strong body of analytical research, the project seeks to provide comprehensive and targeted support for system wide results of enhanced learning outcome in support of the transition to a 12-year schooling model. In particular the project will support system wide reforms to: O U* develop, pilot and roll out modem learning standards and a competence based curriculum for grades 1-11; with aligned learning resources and ICT enabled technology; * enhance teacher quality at entry and support professional development and pedagogical practice of existing teachers; strengthen student assessment system capacity and quality of assessment; * enhance school accountability and autonomy, including school leadership and capacities to effectively and efficiently manage resources; * build school and sector capacities for data driven decision making and use of data for accountability and learning improvement and * ensure adequate distribution of learning resources to reduce disparity in learning outcomes The project also seeks to adopt a result based financing approach to leverage system wide result of enhanced learning outcomes while addressing more equitable provision of essential learning resources to ensure a balance of the result focus and the effective production function in the learning process. The project will have three components. Component One: Enhancing Learning Outcomes This component aims to ensure that all students learn a curriculum that is based on modem competency standards. Their learning would be facilitated by quality teachers with effective student centered and active pedagogical practice. Their progress to master essential competencies would be measured on a continuum and at the end of the schooling cycle. They would have equal access to essential learning materials including ICT enabled resources aligned with the curriculum, with a particular focus on the disadvantaged schools and groups. The focus would be on supporting: 1.1 Evaluation of the learning standards and curriculum for grades 1-4, development and pilot of the standards and curriculum for grades 5-11 including development of textbooks and learning a materials and ICT enabled resources aligned to the curriculum. 1.2 Reform of teacher preparation, professional development and practice by a review of the policy and practice in initial teacher education and recruitment at entry towards a strategy for reform. Enhancing teacher development and practice through in-service training for upgrading qualifications and on new teaching and learning strategies including the use of ICT enabled technology to deliver the new curriculum. Particular attention would be given to teaching and learning strategies to address the achievement gaps of boys in reading. Strengthening the support mechanism for continuous pedagogical guidance through enhanced mentoring, classroom observations and school leadership development. 1.3 Equitable provision of learning resources including textbooks, learning materials, teaching equipment and ICT enabled resources to deliver the new standards and curriculum. This is a targeted measure focused on the disadvantaged schools that face significant challenges in the provision of learning resources to narrow the gaps in the distribution of these resources within the system. 1.4 Strengthening the student assessment system and institutions. This aims to address the gaps in assessment practice and capacity for enhanced assessment quality and effectiveness. It entails building capacity for teachers and assessment professionals for formative assessment in classroom through training and peer learning, introduction of enhancement to the UNT, and adoption of ICT enabled technology to enhance the validity and reliability of the existing assessment instruments as well as more effective use and dissemination of assessment results. Component Two: Strengthening Governance This component aims to ensure that schools are governed by a strong leadership and that resources are accounted for with autonomy and participation of stakeholders in management and improvement planning including a pilot of an enhanced per student financing model. It also aims to equip schools and the system with an Education Management Information System that helps generate the information on school and system performance and the use of that information for accountability to government and stakeholders and for informing teaching and learning. The component will focus on: 2.1 Enhancement of school leadership through training of school principals and Akimat officials; mainstreaming of school boards with representation of parents and other stakeholders and adoption of School Report Card to inform stakeholders on school budge, performance and school improvement planning. 2.2 Capacity building for data driven decisions making. This aims at supporting establishment of a school based Education Management Information System for accountability and learning improvement; training of school heads, Akimat and MOES officials for use of EMIS and data to generate and publish information for public dissemination. Component Three: Supporting Citizen Engagement, Monitoring and Evaluation and Implementation 0 This component aims to engage and support stakeholders and citizens participation in project preparation as well as building capacity for implementation and monitoring and evaluation of key government reform initiatives and project results. It would focus on: 3.1 Supporting stakeholder participation through consultation and communications with stakeholders during project preparation and implementation process and establishment of a grievance redress system to handle public complaints and monitoring project implementation and evaluation of project results through a NGO monitoring exercise and independent evaluation by a third party of project results. 3.2 Evaluation of Government Reform Initiatives. This responds to government requests to review the on-going reforms in three policy domains: (i) a review of the country's Secondary Education Strategy on tracking following the 9th grade in light of a more viable strategy that would enhance efficient pathways and transition for secondary graduates to access tertiary education and decent job opportunities; (ii) a review of the existing Per Capita Funding formula and development of a pilot plan of the revised model in two oblasts and (iii) a review of the current performance based pay scheme for teachers towards a possible enhancement of the scheme. 3.3 Building capacity for project management and coordination through establishment and maintenance of a Project Implementation Unit with proper mix of skills to coordinate project implementation with the oversight of the MOES and building in house technical capacity in key functions to sustain and institutionalize the capacity within and beyond project life. D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) N/A E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies N/A F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment No OP/BP 4.01 Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources No OP/BP 4.11 Indigenous Peoples OP/BP No 4.10 Involuntary Resettlement OP/ No BP 4.12 Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/ No BP 7.60 III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 30-Jun-2015 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timingi should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons. The proposed project does not plan to finance any works or rehabilitation of school buildings that would have any environmental impact. The proposed scope of activities would neither involve any resettlement in any disputed land or waterways nor physical culturallt resources and indigenous people. It therefore does not trigger safeguard policies OP/BP 4.01, 4.04, 4.36, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.37, 7.50 and 7.60. O Further assessment of safeguard issues will be carried out during preparation and the ISDS will be updated accordingly. IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader(s): Name: Dingyong Hou Approved By: Safeguards Advisor: Name: Agnes I. Kiss (SA) Date: 04-May-2015 Practice Manager/ Name: Mario Cristian Aedo Inostroza (PMGR) Date: 04-May-2015 Manager: