Developing students’ social-emotional and leadership competencies has become a priority for modern education systems around the world. A student’s growth can no longer be measured by academic...
_Beyond Academics: Developing Students’ Competencies_
Developing students’ social-emotional and leadership competencies has become a priority for modern education systems around the world. A student’s growth can no longer be measured by academic outcomes alone. Research from the _Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning_ (CASEL) shows that students who participate in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs perform, on average, 11% better academically and demonstrate stronger skills in self-regulation, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and collaboration (CASEL, 2020).
Higher Achievement
Students participating in SEL programs perform, on average, 11% better academically.
Social-emotional skills help individuals recognize and manage their emotions, build positive relationships, work effectively with peers, and make responsible decisions. These skills are organized into five core areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2020). These abilities extend far beyond the classroom—they are essential throughout life, supporting social integration, mental well-being, and active citizenship.
Reports from the _Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development_ (OECD) highlight that social-emotional and leadership competencies are just as important as academic knowledge and skills (OECD, 2015; OECD, 2021). Moreover, developing social-emotional skills plays a vital role in supporting mental health and overall well-being. Research shows that programs designed to strengthen these skills help reduce stress and anxiety levels while fostering positive interpersonal relationships (OECD, 2021).
In the Republic of Armenia, the approach to developing students’ competencies has been established at the state level. The “_State Program for the Development of Education of the Republic of Armenia until 2030”_, adopted by the National Assembly in 2022, identifies the development of individual competencies as a national priority and recognizes it as a key factor for ensuring national security, economic growth, and democratic progress (RA National Assembly, 2022).
_The Importance and Challenges of Assessing Competencies_
Developing social-emotional and leadership competencies can’t be truly effective without a thoughtful assessment system. Measuring progress matters because it helps educators see how students are growing—not just in what they know, but in how they apply their skills and behaviors in real contexts. As _CASEL_ points out, the success of social and emotional learning programs largely depends on having meaningful and consistent tools for assessment (CASEL, 2020).
Assessment also helps create more equitable opportunities for students. When social-emotional and leadership competencies are measured and recognized as part of overall learning outcomes, schools and teachers gain a clearer understanding of students’ needs and apply their teaching and support accordingly.
Assessment further serves as a foundation for education policy. According to OECD research, countries that integrate social-emotional skills into their assessment systems are more successful in designing meaningful education reforms and creating more effective professional development opportunities for teachers (OECD, 2015; OECD, 2021).
In Armenia, the assessment of student competencies is emphasized at the state level. The new educational standards, already introduced in general education, ensure the development and evaluation of subject-specific knowledge and general competencies and values. This means that student progress should be measured both in terms of knowledge and competencies. In this way, education policy is shifting toward the comprehensive development and assessment of students’ abilities, which will help nurture both their academic and leadership potential.
The process of assessing social-emotional and leadership competencies in education comes with challenges. One of the main difficulties lies in measurability. Unlike academic knowledge, which can be evaluated through tests, questionnaires, or other standardized tools, competencies are expressed in more subtle and complex ways — through a student’s behavior, relationships, and self-perception.
For example, skills such as _self-awareness_ or _relationship building_ cannot be accurately measured by a single task or indicator. They require long-term observation, contextual analysis, and the combination of data from multiple sources. Because of this, assessment tools often lack the precision needed to inform educational policy decisions or evaluate program effectiveness.
At the same time, the challenge of measurability is accompanied by a high level of subjectivity, as results often depend on teachers’ observations or students’ self-assessments. All of this makes it difficult to collect data that is both comparable and reliable. Still, experience shows that well-designed, multi-level tools combining teacher observations, student self-assessments, and standardized questionnaires reduce these limitations and lead to more balanced and credible evaluations.
In this sense, assessing competencies is not just a technical process; it’s a powerful tool for improving the quality of education and supporting the holistic development of every student. At the same time, it serves as a key foundation for teachers’ professional growth, for uncovering students’ potential, and for shaping evidence-based education policies.
_Teach For Armenia’s Approach to Assessing Students’ Leadership Competencies_
The research challenges the idea that students’ academic achievement and the development of their social-emotional and leadership competencies are opposing goals (CASEL, 2023). Nevertheless, many education systems still tend to prioritize academic outcomes, often overlooking students’ holistic growth (OECD, 2024).
Over the past decade, a wide range of studies has emphasized the importance of fostering both academic achievement and social-emotional development simultaneously. Research shows that well-prepared and skilled teachers play a crucial role in shaping and strengthening students’ competencies (Cipriano et al., 2023; Jones et al., 2021; Grant et al., 2017).
Teach For Armenia’s educational programs are built around the principle of holistic student development. In a previously published article, we explored this approach in depth highlighting its importance in shaping education policy and organizing learning processes (Teach For Armenia, 2025).
Laying the foundation for collective action.
Defining the destination together.
Structuring the path forward.
Executing the plan as a community.
Synthesizing learning and evolving.
In Teach For Armenia’s programs, leadership development happens through several stages and a variety of learning experiences. It starts with self-guided learning opportunities designed by the Learning Design team and extends into collaborative spaces such as the organization’s educational summits. These spaces place strong emphasis on building leadership skills — showing, in practical and tangible ways, how such competencies can be developed and meaningfully assessed in the classroom.
When planning their lessons, the teachers intentionally target specific leadership competencies and outline clear strategies for how these will be developed during class. Later, during lesson observations and lesson discussions, the teachers work together with their mentors to reflect on how effectively those planned competencies were fostered and what outcomes were achieved.
_How Do We Assess Student Leadership?_
Based on the Leadership Competency Framework, the organization developed a student self-assessment tool for leadership growth. This tool allows students to reflect on their own development, while also helping the organization track overall progress and identify areas that need more focused support. It has been designed and refined over several cycles, incorporating feedback from the team and insights gathered through pilot testing.
The student self-assessments are conducted at the beginning and end of each academic year, serving as both a diagnostic and a summative tool. Two versions of the survey were developed: one for students in grades 3–6 and another for those in grades 7–12 to ensure that the questions are age-appropriate and relevant to each group’s developmental stage.
The reliability of the tools being used is of crucial importance. Since 2022, the instruments developed by Teach For Armenia have gone through multiple rounds of testing and refinement, informed by feedback from both students and staff. As part of an 18-month collaboration with the _National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing_ _(CRESST)_ at the _University of California, Los Angeles_ _(UCLA)_ _School of Education and Information Studies_ _(SEIS)_, the student self-assessment surveys were tested and analyzed for internal consistency (using Cronbach’s alpha).
At the same time, student self-assessment has its limitations. The results are based on students’ personal perceptions and can sometimes be subjective or influenced by social desirability — the tendency to give responses that seem more favorable. For this reason, the data from self-assessments are always analyzed alongside other sources, such as teacher observations, qualitative interviews, and group discussions. Combining these perspectives allows for a more reliable and well-rounded understanding of students’ leadership development.
The administration of surveys, data collection, and analysis are carried out through centralized procedures, with all information stored in a centralized data system.
_Let’s take a look at one example of how student competency assessment has been implemented within the organization._ A quasi-experimental study conducted by CRESST examined the impact of Teach For Armenia’s Teacher Leadership Program (TLP) on both participating teachers and their students — including an analysis of the program’s effectiveness in developing students’ leadership competencies.
The study involved 39 schools that partner with Teach For Armenia and another 39 schools that were not part of the program during the research period, allowing for meaningful comparison between the two groups.
The findings of the study (Bozeman, Cai, & Griffin, 2025) show that students participating in TLP demonstrated growth in their leadership competencies during the 2023–2024 academic year compared to students in the comparison group. Specifically, students in grades 3–6 showed progress in managing their emotions, initiating change, and collaborating effectively in team projects. Students in grades 7–11 demonstrated improvement in emotional regulation and in initiating open discussions and reported feeling more capable of bringing positive change to their communities. At the same time, the students in the comparison group showed relatively stronger abilities in managing their behavior during emotional situations.
In the “Reflection and Growth” category of the Leadership Framework, the students participating in TLP showed progress and a consistent approach to developing both their academic knowledge and leadership skills. They regularly discussed their results and success factors with their peers, while students in the comparison group tended to rely more on their previous experiences when setting learning goals.
Overall, the results show that TLP contributed to students’ growth in leadership, self-awareness, and community engagement. The program had a strong positive impact on classroom participation and the creation of a more supportive and inclusive learning environment.
_Next Steps_
Teach For Armenia encourages open discussions about leadership assessment results between teachers and students, emphasizing deep reflection on the data and the implementation of meaningful follow-up actions. This approach helps strengthen a sense of responsibility, builds a culture of self-reflection, and supports the planning of concrete steps toward continued growth.
Based on the data collected and team reflections over the past three to four years, the organization decided to review and refine its leadership framework. A dedicated working group was formed to revisit the defined competencies and align the related assessment approaches. According to the plan, the updated framework and accompanying assessment tools will be implemented across all programs beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.
_In the next article, we will explore how Teach For Armenia supports the development and assessment of teachers’ competencies within the Teacher Leadership Program._
Senior Data and Impact Analyst
Teach For Armenia
With the theme "Towards a Greener Vision, Towards a Greener Vision" Tumanyan Secondary School warmly hosted the Teach For Armenia educational foundation.
