African Harmonised Early-Grade Assessment Data 2008-2021
Africa, 2008 - 2021
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afr-df-ahead-2008-2021-v1.1
African Harmonised Early-Grade Assessment Data 2008-2021
AHEAD 2008-2021
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Africa | AFR |
AHEAD pools and harmonizes microdata from Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) surveys conducted in African countries. The harmonisation was undertaken within the Gates funded 'African Foundational Learning Data Hub' project of DataFirst. Each constituent survey was originally captured with its own variable names, numeric codes, and value labels. The harmonization assigns a single canonical variable name, code, label scheme to comparable items across surveys to produce one analysis-ready pooled data file suitable for cross-country and cross-time comparative research on early-grade literacy and numeracy across diverse educational contexts. Survey-level documentation, including assessment sub-tasks, sampling design commands, and source-linking instructions, is available in Study Catalogue: [https://datafirst-aflearn.github.io/ahead/]
Sample survey data [ssd]
Individuals
Version
v1.1: Edited, anonymised data for public distribution
2026-07-31
DataFirst
Changes from Version 1 to Version 1.1:
- Two new projects were appended. They are Nal'ibali Story Powered Schools (SPS) in 2017, 2018, and 2019 from South Africa; and Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA) in 2017 and 2019 from Uganda.
- Three projects are excluded because the original source microdata for these records are not available. Users of Version 1 release that included these projects should treat the current file as authoritative and expect those country-years to be absent. These are Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity (MERIT) in 2016, 2017 and 2018 from Malawi; Tunoze Gusoma in 2022 from Rwanda; and a national assessment in 2021 from Zambia.
No variables from the Version 1 were dropped.
Scope
Coverage
National coverage
Early-grade primary school pupils assessed in the respective EGRA/EGMA samples. Exact target grades and eligibility rules differ by survey
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| DataFirst |
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Gates Foundation | Financial support |
Sampling
Constituent surveys used different sample designs. Harmonised survey design variables are present in the pooled file where supplied by the original survey. There is no single pooled sampling frame. Weighted and sampling error estimation analysis requires a separate survey design specification for each source.
survey_instrument
Different Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) instruments were used in data collection. Original instruments, languages of assessment, and field protocols differ by constituent survey.
Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2021 |
Cross-section [cross section]
| Start date | End date |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2021 |
- Face-to-face
Data processing
Full description of the cleaning operations can be found in the User Guide in the Downloads tab.
Data appraisal
Known limitations, residual unresolved codes, and cross-survey variable availability are documented in the User Guide.
Access policy
DataFirst data repository
Data Access
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 attribution license
DataFirst. African Harmonised Early-Grade Assessment Data 2008-2021 [dataset]. Version 1.1. Cape Town: African Foundational Learning Data Hub, DataFirst [producers], 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/2287-mw84
Researchers agree to cite the data in their publications using the recommended citation in this metadata record, including the DOI (unique dataset identifier)
Researchers agree to send DataFirst a link to any research publication based on the data
Metadata production
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | DF | University of Cape Town |
2026-07-31
Metadata version
3
11-08-2026