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...
Developing students’ social-emotional and leadership competencies has become a priority for modern education systems worldwide. A student’s growth can no longer be measured by academic outcomes alone. Research from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) demonstrates that students in SEL programs perform significantly better academically and show stronger skills in self-regulation, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and collaboration.
Academic Improvement
Average academic performance gain for students in SEL programs (CASEL, 2020)
Partner Schools
Schools working with Teach For Armenia in the CRESST research study
Months of Collaboration
Partnership duration with UCLA CRESST for instrument validation
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). Programs designed to strengthen these skills help reduce stress and anxiety levels while fostering positive interpersonal relationships.
In 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 individual competency development as a national priority and a key factor for national security, economic growth, and democratic progress.
Countries that integrate social-emotional skills into their assessment systems are more successful in designing meaningful education reforms and creating effective professional development opportunities for teachers.
Developing social-emotional and leadership competencies cannot be truly effective without a thoughtful assessment system. Measuring progress 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. The success of social and emotional learning programs largely depends on having meaningful and consistent tools for assessment.
Assessment also helps create more equitable opportunities for students. When competencies are measured and recognized as part of overall learning outcomes, schools and teachers gain a clearer understanding of students’ needs and can apply teaching accordingly.
3 of 3 questions shown
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. It starts with self-guided learning opportunities designed by the Learning Design team and extends into collaborative spaces such as educational summits, where leadership skills are demonstrated and assessed in practical, tangible ways.
When planning their lessons, teachers intentionally target specific leadership competencies and outline clear strategies for development. During lesson observations and discussions, teachers work with their mentors to reflect on how effectively those competencies were fostered and what outcomes were achieved.
Based on the Leadership Competency Framework, the organization developed a student self-assessment tool. This tool allows students to reflect on their own development while helping the organization track overall progress. Since 2022, the instruments have gone through multiple rounds of testing as part of an 18-month collaboration with CRESST at UCLA School of Education and Information Studies (SEIS), analyzing surveys for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha.
The student self-assessments are conducted at the beginning and end of each academic year, serving as both a diagnostic and summative tool. Two versions were developed: one for grades 3–6 and another for grades 7–12, ensuring age-appropriate and developmentally relevant questions.
A quasi-experimental study conducted by CRESST examined the impact of Teach For Armenia’s Teacher Leadership Program (TLP) on both teachers and students. The study involved 39 partner schools and 39 comparison schools.
The findings (Bozeman, Cai, & Griffin, 2025) show that students in TLP demonstrated growth in leadership competencies during 2023–2024 compared to the control group. Students in grades 3–6 showed progress in managing emotions, initiating change, and collaborating in team projects. Students in grades 7–11 demonstrated improvement in emotional regulation and initiating open discussions, reporting feeling more capable of bringing positive change to their communities.
Overall, TLP contributed to students’ growth in leadership, self-awareness, and community engagement, creating a more supportive and inclusive learning environment.
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.
Organizational Practice
Based on 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 has been formed to revisit defined competencies and align assessment approaches. The updated framework and accompanying 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.
