COMPASS – In support of students‘ competence assessment

The experience gained by all participants during the project made it possible to identify and highlight several key aspects which might help to implement competence-based learning and assessment more smoothly and effectively. These aspects include both educational policy and educational practice – in fact, the creation of a certain culture that enables the consistent development of competences, provides opportunities to demonstrate them, and ensures that they are properly assessed and nurtured throughout the rest of the life.

They were guided by the model to plan and teach lessons, and assess learning in a variety of school contexts – in curricular, cross-curricular and extracurricular activities, with students of different age groups – from primary school to upper secondary, including vocational education, within various school disciplines – from language and literature to science and social studies, as well as technical disciplines. The teachers and mentor teachers who described the practices presented in this collection come from the three countries where the COMPASS project has been implemented: Lithuania, Finland and Romania.

We hope that teachers will find the good practice examples inspiring to plan lessons, teaching materials and assessment instruments, striving to create the best conditions for students to develop their generic competences.

We also hope that head teachers, teacher trainers or a mentors will find our publication useful as a guide their school staff or fellow teachers through professional development in the specific domain of students’ competence development and assessment.

The universal COMPASS MODEL for the assessment of generic competences has been developed. Its piloting in Finnish, Romanian and Lithuanian schools has entered the second half.

The main aspects to be reviewed so far:

• After the international team of mentors was trained to pilot the competence assessment model, they developed the guide and set up the national teams of teachers.

• Mentors and teachers are now testing the MODEL and the GUIDELINES in their schools – different transversal competences are being developed and assessed in different subjects and grades.

The spiral process of the COMPASS MODEL has completed its first loop, demonstrating that the active involvement of pupils in each step – from naming the competence to reflecting on the process and outcome of its development – is both essential and challenging. 

National practices will follow soon. 

During the 1st part of the Training of mentors, we

• got acquainted with the project, its objectives, and the mentors' team;

• got in-depth understanding of competence concept, competence development, and assessment, based on scientific literature analysis (IO1), documents analysis (IO2);

• discussed the proposed model of competence development and assessment and provided initial feedback on it;

• shared good practice examples on competence development and assessment in home countries and schools;

• discussed and agreed upon the following stages, tasks, and responsibilities on testing of competence model in home countries and school.

It was an excellent occasion to connect and to get a common understanding of the next phases of the project.

Many thanks to Asociaţia Lectura şi Scrierea pentru Dezvoltarea Gândirii Critice România (the COMPASS project partner organisation who organised the training), Qub Education generously provided their space to host the training, and to all the participating trainers and mentors; they all contributed to the success of the training!

When learning together in a beautiful learning environment it’s easier to understand how students’ competences are developed and assessed.

Many thanks for your support, Qub Education!

Last minute preparations are being made for the COMPASS mentors’ 3-day training to take place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania starting September 5. Experienced educators from Lithuania, Finland and Romania are getting together to share their good practices in competence development and assessment, and to get ready to engage and support schoolteachers in their respective countries to apply the COMPASS model of generic competence development and assessment.

Thank you, Qub Education for hosting the COMPASS training!

Attention, Finnish teachers and other education professionals. The Finnish version of

• COMPENDIUM of scientific literature on competence development and assessment in general education 

and

• Brief REVIEW of policies and practices of competence development and assessment in general education (cases of Finland, Lithuania and Romania)

is now available. 

Other documents created by COMPASS team coming soon, so follow us!

Dear ROMANIAN teachers, school leaders and educational specialists, for your attention the Romanian versions of the:

• COMPENDIUM of scientific literature on competence development and assessment in general education 

• Brief REVIEW of policies and practices of competence development and assessment in general education (cases of Finland, Lithuania and Romania)

We invite you to read and share! 

For the attention of LITHUANIAN teachers, school leaders and educational specialists - Lithuanian translations of the following documents for reading and/or downloading:

• COMPENDIUM of scientific literature on competence development and assessment in general education

• Brief REVIEW of policies and practices of competence development and assessment in general education (cases of Finland, Lithuania and Romania)

We believe you'll find it worth reading and sharing!

The project team is pleased to announce to all teachers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff that the first two documents on competence assessment in English are ready and waiting for your attention!

To read and/or to download:

• COMPENDIUM of scientific literature on competence development and assessment in general education

• Brief REVIEW of competence development and assessment policies and practices in general education (Cases of Finland, Lithuania and Romania

The national document versions in Finnish, Romanian and Lithuanian are on their way and will reach the educational community soon. Stay tuned! 

Professor Bill Lucas in his article Pisa tests prove creativity can be taught explains how new Pisa test makes it clear students can flourish both academically and in creative thinking – and says this poses questions for policymakers. 

The development and assessment of generic competences is one of the most pressing issues in education policy, science and practice in many countries. This was clearly demonstrated in the meeting of the COMPASS project implementers that took place on 19–20 February in PORVOO, Finland.

After the analysis of scientific literature, educational documents and existing practices, the project partners were able to conclude that there are no uniformed definitions, concepts or practical application schemes. The development and assessment of competences is a highly contextual phenomenon, influenced by political realities, educational traditions and cultural and educational visions.

However, there are also common points of intersection. For example, the notion of competence as something that can be seen and recognized in a concrete, but not a one-off, task. There is as well the agreement that it is impossible to separate the assessment of competences from the development – both go hand in hand. Also, the assessment of competences is the task and responsibility of both – the teacher and the student.

It is on these fundamental criteria that the modelling of competence assessment is based, and which will be tested in the partner countries, supplemented and refined. It is very important that teachers will be the co-authors of the competency assessment model!

Competences – domains of competences, competence assessment, and a model for the assessment of competences – were the main topics during our transnational meeting in Porvoo. We worked hard while enjoying being together. 

Belgium will be hosting the OECD Skills Summit 2024 on 21-22 February 2024 in Brussels on “Skills for the future: Building bridges to new opportunities”.

As input for discussion, the “Issues for discussion” paper presents an analysis of opportunities and challenges for skills policy, consolidates information on what countries are doing in this field, and presents findings from OECD research and beyond for three themes that will be discussed in the three closed sessions on Day 2 (22 February 2024) of the Summit.

Skills Summit 2024 - Issues for discussion paper

Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, in the interview for the portal LRT.lt says: "If you only have an idea of what students should learn, but don't create a pathway for them to acquire those skills, then it will remain an abstract vision". This is in line with our COMPASS project's commitment to contribute to the creation of that pathway through the development of a competency assessment model. So, that competency development does not remain only a vision.

More about why if students do not understand maths it is not a maths problem read here (text is in LT).

Like we in our COMPASS project, this OECD Education webinar explores the opportunities and challenges that face today school communities across the EU and worldwide. 

The international project COMPASS 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. This is to be achieved by developing and testing a universal COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT MODEL at classroom/subject and all school levels with students of diverse backgrounds.

Project partners started the work by exploring the concept of competence. The 1st international project meeting took place on 05–06 October, 2023, in Vilnius, Lithuania.