This was a case study of Kenya’s Tusome Early Grade Reading Program implemented in 2018-2020 with funding from USAID through the LASER-PULSE consortium. The study aimed to document the factors that enabled Kenya’s Ministry of Education to scale and sustain a nationwide early grade reading program from 2011 to 2018. The study also documented challenges encountered during scaling, including resistance from some stakeholders, variations in implementation, sustainability concerns as funding reduced, and tensions between standardization and adaptation to local contexts.

The study employed a mixed-methods retrospective design, combining desk reviews, key informant interviews with over 50 stakeholders, focus group discussions, and analysis of program implementation data. The research framework examined multiple dimensions of scaling: technical factors, political factors (government ownership, alignment with national priorities), institutional factors, and contextual factors.

The case study revealed that Tusome’s success was attributed to a combination of factors: government leadership since the Ministry of Education played a central role in it’s design and implementation; use of rigorous evidence from pilot phases to make the case for scale; capacity building through cascade training initiatives for researchers in conducting or generating robust knowledge products from development; and strategic partnerships that brought complementary multi-disciplinary expertise and resources.