23. Graduation Rate

23. Graduation Rate

VERSION

V5.0 - 2026.03 — Existing

INDICATOR CODE

23

TECHNICAL OWNER

SBP

INDICATOR TYPE

Country Level Outcome Indicator

INDICATOR CLASSIFICATION

Complementary

INDICATOR SCOPE

Programme specific

APPLICABILITY

The selection of this indicator is recommended against the following sub-activities in CSPs logframes. Selection of the below sub-activities will NOT trigger the mandatory selection of this indicator:

1. School Meals Programme On Site (SF_ONS)

2. School Meals Programme Take Home Incentives (SF_THI)

UNIT OF MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

Percentage of students

DEFINITION

The graduation rate is defined as the total number of graduates from the last grade of primary (or where relevant, secondary education) regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population at the theoretical graduation age for primary.

RATIONALE

The indicator captures several aspects of the potential outcomes achieved through school -feeding. The indicator is a proxy measure for the degree to which girls and boys in an area complete primary school. This combines aspects of enrolment (getting into school), and retention (staying in school), but also of learning success in terms of passing to the next grade, surviving all the way to the last grade, and finally, completing the last grade of primary/secondary education.

One aspect of school feeding is that it strengthens the ability of students to concentrate and to learn while they are at school. This, combined with a higher level of attendance, should also decrease the necessity of repeating classes (thus increasing the efficiency of schooling) and help students to pass to the next grade and successfully finalise their primary education. The Gross Primary Graduation Ratio is thus highly relevant, as it captures multiple aspects in one indicator.

DATA COLLECTION TOOL

The indicator requires data on primary graduates at the school level. School level data can be gathered from school registers, school survey or census if available at the required disaggregation level for WFP programmes. A CO considering using this indicator may have to assess the availability and reliability of national data. UNESCO UIS data, navigate Education – Completion – Gross Graduation Ratio), are available for about 61 percent of WFP countries, which points to the fact that in these countries, sufficiently reliable and timely national data should be available.  

Where this is the case, COs will have to assess if they can access data series at the required level of sub-national disaggregation to allow an analysis and comparison between WFP assisted and other schools or areas. Where a national monitoring system appears weak, and there is interest of government as well as sufficient potential for tangible improvements, COs can consider supporting work to address identified capacity gaps in this system, ideally in close cooperation with relevant partners.  

This data is available at schools and WFP must compile this information on annual basis at the end of each school year.

SBP is piloting School Connect which is a digital data collection tool that could be used to collect attendance data. For more information or specific support on data collection tools, consult SBP MEAL team.

SAMPLING REQUIREMENTS

No sampling required. Data should be collected at all schools assisted by WFP.

If CO is unable to collect data from all schools, contact SBP MEAL team for further guidance.

INDICATOR CALCULATION FOR REPORTING

To calculate this indicator, divide the number of primary school graduates in WFP-assisted schools, irrespective of age, by the population of total number of students enrolled in the last grade of primary in the same year.

Where:

G: Number of primary graduates, in school year (in WFP-assisted schools)

P: Population of theoretical primary graduation

DATA ENTRY AND DISAGGREGATION IN CORPORATE SYSTEMS

The following elements are mandatory in the combination entered in COMET for this indicator: 

• Country 

• Target group 

• Activity 

• Sub-activity 

BASELINE

1. Baselines are established only once for the entire CSP. They remain fixed for the full CSP period unless otherwise specified.

2. Baselines must be set using data collected within three months before or after the start of the activity.

3. If no baseline is established within this three month window, the first collected value will serve as the baseline.

4. If a new CSP begins and the activity continues from the previous CSP, the last reported value from the previous CSP becomes the baseline for the new cycle.

TARGET SETTING

Annual targets:

Country-specific

End of CSP target:

Country-specific. It is advised that this is greater than annual target.

FREQUENCY OF DATA COLLECTION

Annually as applicable

INTERPRETATION

A high ratio indicates a high degree of current primary education outputs. Depending on the monitoring design and the programme Theory of Change, school feeding can be correlated to higher educational outcomes including school enrolment, attendance, completion, and the academic performances among school children. WFP’s intervention could be linked to higher graduation as the basic needs of children are met (food), they are able to focus on other higher-level needs such as academic success.  Children are also able to spend more time in school and focus on their studies because they do not have to worry about food. This could be related to improved academic performance in school as hunger and malnutrition can inhibit educational outcomes of primary school children.

REPORTING EXAMPLE(S)

While graduation rates for boys in school A and B are comparable; graduation rate among girls in school B is well above school A. Lower graduation rate among girls could be correlated to lower attendance due to protection concerns.

INDICATORS COLLECTED & ANALYSED AT THE SAME TIME

Combine with other education indicators such as enrolment rate (getting children into school), and retention rate and/or attendance rate (helping them stay in school).

COMPLEMENTARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

This indicator can be complemented by many types of qualitative research to provide more insights into programme implementation and results achieved. Below are examples of topics that can be explored but other avenues are also possible based on CO interest and implementation:  

• Reasons behind children repeating classes – differences between genders.

• Children’s planned projection post-graduation from primary school.

• Understanding regional differences in graduation rates and what can be done to improve the % of children graduating from primary school.

• How to enhance the School Feeding Programme funded by WFP.

• Students/School staff/family/community perception of programme

DECISIONS DATA CAN INFORM

This indicator can support many CO level decision, below are some suggestions:

• Whether programme is achieving intended results,

• Results can be used to advocate for further funding,

• Avenues for future collaboration with other agencies and enhancement of SF programmes,

• Additional needs that need to be met to support children’s well-being and future progression.  

VISUALIZATION

LIMITATIONS

As the indicator covers many different aspects and is monitored over a longer time span, it is more prone to be influenced by other circumstances than school feeding alone, including good curricula and textbooks, trained and motivated teachers of both sexes, and child friendly learning environment. When interpreting any changes in the graduation rate, COs will have to make specific efforts to explain at least partial attribution of such change to the programme: how the programme contributed to the change, brought into perspective by the contributions made by other programmes and efforts.

In contexts where education related outcomes are high prior to WFP interventions, this indicator is not sensitive enough to measure progress achieved through school feeding programmes. It is advised in such contexts to use other health, nutrition, learning indicators to measure progress.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Reach out to SBP HQ MERL team for further information.