Concerns about low student performance, as revealed by international surveys, led to the adoption in 2009 of an EU-wide benchmark in basic skills which states that by 2020 the share of 15-year-olds with insufficient abilities in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 %. In order to achieve the target by 2020, we must identify obstacles and problem areas on the one hand and effective approaches on the other (EACEA/Eurydice, Eurostat, 2009. Key Data on Education in Europe 2009. Brussels: Eurydice). Student assessment is an essential tool for monitoring and improving the teaching and learning process. Effective use of assessment for learning has been shown to be beneficial for all students, including those with lower achievement. Student assessment is a complex highly skilled task for which teachers need preparation during their initial education as well as part of their continuing professional development (CPD). That is why during the project activities will be developed materials for direct use in class and for professional development. Also, the Project will work with stakeholders such as educational policymakers, school leaders and parents to create a supportive environment for Assessment for learning. The project Assessment for Learning: Setting and Using Success Criteria in Math and Science Lessons in Primary Education aims to effect a change across Europe in the teaching and learning of math and science by supporting teachers to develop Assessment for Learning (ASL) pedagogies. Learning goals and success criteria are the foundation upon which descriptive feedback, self‐assessment, and goal setting are built. When teachers take time to identify, share, and clarify the learning goals and success criteria with their students, students begin to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to direct their own learning. Through teachers’ new experiences with ASL pedagogies, the project reaches their students, who in return will gain first-hand experience on how to assess their skills for scientific and mathematical inquiry and problem solving. Assessment for learning improves student learning and, in addition, helps students become independent, self‐monitoring learners.
Competence in math and science has been identified at EU level as one of the key competences for personal fulfillment, active citizenship, social inclusion and employability in the knowledge society of the 21st century. The aimed to effect a change across Europe in the teaching and learning of math and science by supporting teachers to develop Assessment for Learning pedagogies (ASL). 3 participating countries: Bureau for Development of Education (BDE) BDE is a public body within the Ministry of Education and Science, that acts as a legal entity and performs professional activities relevant to the development and promotion of education in the Republic of North Macedonia. The Bureau's competences include the improvement of teaching and learning by developing new curricula and plans, developmental research, counseling and training of teachers and evaluation of student achievement. Cambridge International Examinations (UCLES) is the world’s largest provider of international education programs and qualifications for 5 to 19 year olds, producing about 5.7 million examination papers every year. Cambridge is also a trusted education partner for governments in over 30 countries, working with public bodies to provide the national examinations for learners and with governments to develop and introduce new education and assessment systems. As part of this work Cambridge also organizes training for officials, teachers and examiners. Aflatoun International provides social and financial education to children in 117 countries through a partner network. Its materials are tailored to meet the evolving needs of children and young people in diverse settings. Aflatoun’s curricula build stronger capacities and abilities amongst teachers to effectively achieve its educational objectives and facilitates a pool of trainers and mentors in all regions to support all curricula products. Aflatoun focuses on pedagogy along with content in its curricula, equipping teachers with new teaching tools that they can apply beyond the basic curricula. Project activities supported teachers with ASL pedagogies in math and science by providing resources for their professional development. Through teachers’ new experiences with ASL pedagogies, the project reached the students, who in return gained the first-hand experience on how to assess their skills for scientific and mathematical inquiry and problem solving. Effective use of ASL has been shown to be beneficial for all students, including those with lower achievement. In order to achieve sustainable improvements in math and science teaching, it was very important to support 'communities', i.e. small teams of practice where teachers and other relevant players had a chance to cooperate and collaborate with each other with a view to learning autonomously as well as supporting the learning of others. A particular form of collaborative practice was implemented, the 'lesson study', in which groups of teachers met regularly over whole school year to work on the design, implementation, testing, and improvement of a specific lesson. During the project teachers implemented and prepared reports of the lessons learned, particularly with respect to the research question on ASL and their reports were framed as success stories. Results: 5 Intellectual outputs in a form of a modules for teacher training/professional development. Intellectual outputs were pretested during the 4 face to face Training Activities and 1 on-line training. Intellectual outputs were piloted in 30 primary schools for one school year by more than a 60 schools Lesson Study teams. The results from the dissemination of the outputs in the schools are presented in a format of a success stories. The intellectual outputs are presented to the Sector for professional and Career Development of teachers in the BDE for accreditation and they are published on the Erasmus+ Platform for broad use which can help teachers’ professional development. The Lesson Study methodology as a method of action research can be also easily transferred on any research question that teachers can raise, not only directing on assessment. It is a very good example of collaborative professional development activities in schools, and can be developed to help teachers make informed professional judgements about student learning and effective teaching strategies. The Monitoring and evaluation methodology and tools also can be very useful for monitoring and evaluation the effects of any reform that can be introduced in the schools. The Guidance for the pedagogical faculties can be used to empower teachers’ initial knowledge and skills about ASL.