{"doc_desc":{"producers":[{"name":"DataFirst","abbr":"DF","affiliation":"University of Cape Town ","role":""}],"prod_date":"2026-07-31","version_statement":{"version":"3","version_date":"11-08-2026"}},"study_desc":{"title_statement":{"idno":"afr-df-ahead-2008-2021-v1.1","title":"African Harmonised Early-Grade Assessment Data 2008-2021","alternate_title":"AHEAD 2008-2021"},"authoring_entity":[{"name":"DataFirst","affiliation":""}],"production_statement":{"prod_date":"2026-06","funding_agencies":[{"name":"Gates Foundation","abbr":"","role":"Financial support "}]},"version_statement":{"version":"v1.1: Edited, anonymised data for public distribution","version_date":"2026-07-31","version_notes":"Changes from Version 1 to Version 1.1:\n1. 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. \n2. 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. \n\nNo variables from the Version 1 were dropped.","version_resp":"DataFirst"},"study_info":{"keywords":[{"keyword":"Education","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Early grade reading","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Early grade mathematics","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Literacy","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Numeracy","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Learning assessment","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"EGRA","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"EGMA","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Early foundational learning","vocab":"","uri":""}],"abstract":"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\/]","time_periods":[{"start":"2008","end":"2021","cycle":""}],"coll_dates":[{"start":"2008","end":"2021","cycle":""}],"nation":[{"name":"Africa","abbreviation":"AFR"}],"geog_coverage":"National coverage","analysis_unit":"Individuals","universe":"Early-grade primary school pupils assessed in the respective EGRA\/EGMA samples. Exact target grades and eligibility rules differ by survey","data_kind":"Sample survey data [ssd]"},"method":{"data_collection":{"time_method":"Cross-section [cross section]","sampling_procedure":"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.","coll_mode":["Face-to-face"],"research_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.","cleaning_operations":"Full description of the cleaning operations can be found in the User Guide in the Downloads tab."},"analysis_info":{"data_appraisal":"Known limitations, residual unresolved codes, and cross-survey variable availability are documented in the User Guide."}},"data_access":{"dataset_availability":{"access_place":"DataFirst data repository","access_place_url":"https:\/\/www.datafirst.uct.ac.za\/dataportal\/index.php\/catalog\/?page=1&ps=15"},"dataset_use":{"cit_req":"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","deposit_req":"Researchers agree to cite the data in their publications using the recommended citation in this metadata record, including the DOI (unique dataset identifier)\nResearchers agree to send DataFirst a link to any research publication based on the data","conditions":"Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 attribution license"}}},"schematype":"survey"}