mathematics in the WASSCE. Using this outcome variable is particularly relevant for policy makers, as English and mathematics are the core subjects that all students must take. Furthermore, a satisfactory score<sup>10</sup> in these two subjects is among the requirements for university entrance in The Gambia. As in the other columns, the results show that PSI-PMI led to a gain of between 15 and 21 percent more students who met the basic criteria for attending university. These results are statistically significant at the 10 percent level.

**Table 5** : Effects of the PSI-PMI Program on Student Learning Outcomes: Using the WASSCE Exam Score

|Variable|Outcome|variable: St<br>mathemat|andardized<br>ics score|WASSCE|Out<br>satisfac<br>WASSC|come vari<br>tory (“cre<br>E in both<br>Eng|able: Rece<br>dit”) scor<br>mathema<br>lish|ived<br>e on the<br>tics and|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Within<br>contro|-school<br>l group|Betwee<br>control|n-school<br>group|Within<br>contro|-school<br>l group|Betwee<br>contro|n-school<br>l group|
||[1]|[2]|[3]|[4]|[5]|[6]|[7]|[8]|
|PSI-PMI program|0.788**|0.585**|0.717|0.443|0.188*|0.154*|0.207*|0.157*|
||(0.334)|(0.206)|(0.445)|(0.324)|(0.101)|(0.079)|(0.118)|(0.086)|
|Student-level covariates|NO|YES|NO|YES|NO|YES|NO|YES|
|School-level covariates|NO|YES|NO|YES|NO|YES|NO|YES|
|Average WASSCE mathematics<br>score for control|20.18|20.18|20.74|20.74|0.05|0.05|0.03|0.03|
|Standard deviation of WASSCE<br>mathematics score for control|15.6|15.6|15.15|15.15|0.23|0.23|0.18|0.18|
|Observations|873|873|1,037|1,037|873|873|1,034|1,034|
|R-squared|0.096|0.434|0.077|0.247|0.073|0.258|0.097|0.181|

_Note:_ The results are based on equation 1. The outcome variables are the standardized WASSCE mathematics and English exam scores and students receiving satisfactory (“credit”) score on the WASSCE in both mathematics and English. Robust standard errors clustered at the school level are in parentheses. PSI-PMI = Progressive Science Initiative and Progressive Mathematics Initiative; WASSCE = West African Secondary School Certificate Examination. *** p < 0.01, ** p < 0.05, * p < 0.1.

_School covariates_ variables include: presence of electricity in school, good desks in school, school has a library, a computer lab, running water in the school, student enrollment, student-teacher ratio, percentage of qualified teachers, percentage of female teachers, experience of the school principal, age of school principal, administration experience of school principal, level of education of school principal, school principal is female, share of students with high performance in mathematics, English, and science on the WASSCE. _Student-level covariates_ variables include the following: percentage of students not repeating any grade, percentage of students earned credit and above on GABECE mathematics, percentage of students earned credit and above on GABECE English, percent of students earned credit and above on general science, all at baseline. And socioeconomic characteristics of students—percent of students in households that has a quality roof, a wall, television, car, access to grid electricity, parents have some education.

10 The WASSCE is graded on a nine-point scale, with 1 being the best score and 9 being a fail. A satisfactory grade is locally known as “credit,” which is a score between 1 and 6, inclusive.

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