Digital Story Time (DST) Year 1 Report

This report presents endline findings from a quasi-experimental impact evaluation of eKitabu's interventions for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners in Kenyan primary schools. Two interventions were assessed: Digital Story Time (DST) videos—educational content delivered in Kenyan Sign Language—and the deployment of trained, deaf DST teachers. Using a Difference-in-Differences design across three treatment and two control schools, data were collected at baseline (July 2023), midline (September 2023), and endline (January–February 2024) through the Kentalis Observation Tool, enrolment records, and teacher surveys, covering 266 learners and 29 educators. Results indicate positive treatment effects on school reach (+1.92 points) and learners' communication skills (+0.22 points), though neither reached statistical significance given the small sample. Qualitative findings position DST teachers as central to learner engagement and outcomes, and highlight the need to motivate and train teachers to use the assessment tool. The study recommends larger samples and longer intervention exposure for more definitive conclusions.