Reinforcing the development of a range of key competences is in line with the EU Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, 2018:

“The development of key competences, their validation and the provision of competence-oriented education, training and learning should be supported by establishing good practices for better support of educational staff in their tasks and improving their education, for updating assessment and validation methods and tools, and for introducing new and innovative forms of teaching and learning”.

Therefore, basing itself on the experiences of the last decade, this Recommendation should address the challenges in implementing competence-oriented education, training and learning.

Research shows that student achievements in Lithuania and Romania are not good enough and lack systematic growth (PIRLS, OECD PISA). The OECD’s “Education 2030” project’s analyses (Education 2030. OECD, 2018) show that certain personal qualities, skills and values are insufficiently included in the Lithuanian and Romanian Framework Programs, or are included of only one subject, or are not included at all. Although competences are very often referred to in the general frameworks of different subjects the above-mentioned data on students’ achievements show insufficient effective development of these competences.

Lithuania developed new school curriculum aimed to promote inclusive, high-quality education for all students. New descriptions of general competences have been created, but there is no evaluation system presented. Teachers (at pre-service and in-service) lack knowledge and skills how to plan, deliver competence-based curriculum at school and at class level. New curricula and a description of general competences entering into force from new academic year in 2023. School communities face a huge challenge not only to develop competences, but also to assess them.

While the competence-based national curriculum has been introduced to the Romanian education system over a decade ago, teachers in secondary education still focus on knowledge and content mastery, and are disoriented when it comes to competence assessment. They complain of too much content `to be covered`, and therefore claim that they do not have time to develop competences, although, in recent years, the national evaluations also are starting to focus on assessing competences. However, the overall education system – including pre-service teacher education – is still not systematic and coherent in preparing and assisting teachers to assess competences and support the development of students’ competences.

Finland is a model for many countries on how to focus on overall development of student and his/her competences. In Finnish education, transversal skills (competencies) are integrated into the national core curricula along the subject objectives. The competencies are taught and assessed within the subject assessment, but assessment is still a challenge.

The project aims to support teachers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff in development and assessment of students’ competences, for the progress and success of all and each single student, and promote an inclusive approach to education.

This is to be achieved by developing and testing a universal competency assessment model at classroom/subject and all school levels.

1. Strengthening the knowledge of teachers and the pedagogical communities on competency development and assessment in the EU and other countries around the world, based on scientific knowledge and good practice, through the development of a Compendium of summarized and tailored scientific literature and Report on in-country documents and existing practices.

2. Providing a universal tool for assessing competences by development of a methodological Model and Guidelines for its piloting in partner countries.

3. Supporting and sustaining a culture of professional sharing, mutual learning among teachers and pedagogical communities by teaching and learning together (nationally and internationally) and by putting competency assessment practices in a Set of best Practices.

4. Providing Recommendations for teachers, educators, schools and education policy makers on competence assessment.

Primary target audience: teachers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff.

Secondary target audience: educational policy makers.

Beneficiaries: students of all schooling levels.

Tangible results of the project are embedded in the intellectual outputs (IOs):

• IO1: Compendium of scientific literature summarized and tailored for teachers (see/download EN, LT, RO, FI).

• IO2: Report on partnership’s in-countries documents and existing practices (see/download EN, LT, RO, FI).

• IO3&IO4: COMPASS Model and Guidelines for the development and assessment of generic competences (see/download EN, LT, RO, FI).

• IO5: Set of best Practices of piloting / practising of competence assessment methodical Model (EN, LT, RO, FI).

• IO6: Recommendations on competence assessment for teachers, educators, schools and education policy makers (EN, LT, RO, FI).

Non-tangible results include: strengthened inclusive and quality education approach; supported national in-countries reforms; improved professional competencies of project staff and project participants, increased teachers' knowledge and skills.