Taabo Tutoring Study

Secondary school completion rates remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries, including Côte d'Ivoire. In rural areas, a substantial share of students do not pass the Grade 10 national examination, and some adolescents leave school before completing lower secondary education. There is limited evidence on the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different tutoring models at the secondary level in West Africa, particularly for both currently enrolled students and adolescents who are no longer enrolled.

This study is a randomized controlled education trial conducted in approximately 25 lower secondary schools in the Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) area of Côte d'Ivoire. The study consists of two related substudies.

Substudy 1 focuses on Grade 10 students identified by schools as being at risk of not passing the national examination. Substudy 2 focuses on adolescents who previously attended Grades 7-9 but are not currently enrolled in school at the start of the academic year.

Within each substudy, approximately 500 eligible participants will be enrolled and randomly assigned at the individual level to one of three groups:

• Peer tutoring
• Teacher tutoring
• Control (no additional tutoring provided by the study)

Tutoring will be delivered in small groups and may include up to 15 sessions over approximately 6 to 8 months. Peer tutors will be selected from higher-performing students nominated by school principals and randomly chosen among eligible candidates. Teacher tutoring will be delivered by trained teachers following structured lesson plans emphasizing curriculum review and examination preparation.

Primary outcomes are:

• Passing the Grade 10 national examination (Substudy 1)
• Enrollment in lower secondary school in the following academic year (Substudy 2)

Secondary outcomes include grade progression, attendance, study time, academic confidence, and cost-effectiveness of each tutoring model. The study will also assess academic performance and well-being among peer tutors and longer-term outcomes.

Study documents will be retained for 15 years to assess long-term education and health impacts of the intervention (educational attainment, early family formation, mental health). Long-term follow-up will occur only for participants who are registered in the Taabo HDSS.

Results from this trial will contribute evidence on scalable tutoring approaches to improve secondary school progression in rural West African settings.

Inclusion criteria

(Substudy 1)

• Enrolled in Grade 10 (troisième) during the 2025/26 school year in one of the 25 participating lower secondary schools.
• Identified by school principals as weak performers at high risk of failing the final grade 10 exam (based on exam scores, teacher assessments, or internal academic performance indicators).
• Males or females, aged 12 years or older at enrollment.
• Residing in the Taabo HDSS catchment area.
• Able to participate in small-group tutoring sessions.
• Parent or guardian provides written informed consent for minors; student provides written assent.

Inclusion criteria

(Substudy 2)

• Attended Grades 7-9 (6e, 5e, or 4e) during the 2025/26 academic year.
• Did not re-enroll in any lower secondary school at the start of the 2026/27 academic year, verified through school records and home visits.
• Males or females aged 12 years or older at enrollment.
• Residing in the Taabo HDSS catchment area.
• Able to participate in tutoring sessions organized after recruitment.
• Parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent for minors; student provides written assent.

Exclusion criteria

(both substudies)

• Individuals with severe cognitive or physical disabilities that would prevent meaningful participation in tutoring, based on information from parents, principals, and teachers.
• Adolescents or families planning to move out of the study area during the intervention period.
• For Substudy 2 only: adolescents who have already enrolled in an alternative education or vocational training programme at baseline.