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We will introduce a study about teachers taking part in networking for personal development and becoming teacher leaders. In 2011 a multilevel national joint collaboration network of schools with innovative experience was created to foster dissemination of new teaching and learning experiences among teachers. In order to organize learning for teachers, a lesson based collaborative continuous teacher professional learning model was implemented. The research shows that conducting and analyzing lessons has helped participants become more competent professionals and develop skills that are crucial for a good leader. Categories characterizing teacher leaders and lead schools were identified. Factors that facilitate or limit teachers or schools to become leaders are discussed.

<p><em>The implementation of new skills (competencies) according to education regulation documents in 2006 – 2008 demanded a change in the Mathematics and Science teaching practice in Latvia. Work on the new education reform started this year (2015). The aim of the research is to look for the answers to the following questions – do the changes in learning approach occur and are teachers’ skills sufficient for organizing a different teaching process? What are the learning needs expressed by teachers and concluded by experts? The range of cognitive activity, collaboration and focusing on students’ learning are the criteria set for lesson observations. The research shows a tendency that changes envisioned in education policy resolutions fail to be reflected in school practice. In many cases, the demonstrated teachers’ instructional skills were insufficient. The research shows the clear need to improve the instructional skills - to develop higher order cognitive skills (HOCS) oriented learning activities, to organize students’ collaboration etc. </em><em>The research proves the existence of the need to improve teachers’ reflection skills and points to the deep contradiction between teachers’ performance in the classroom and their own understanding about it. </em><em> </em></p><p> </p>

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Approaches for competence assessment are becoming increasingly important to plan school development goals, especially during complex educational changes. This paper outlines authors’ experience and recommendations from the designing and piloting of teacher online tests as part of a wider competence management process. A developed theoretical model of a universal teacher competence profile is presented. Tests represent four thematic parts related to teacher performance in classroom to facilitate: student cognitive activation, student self-regulation, student collaboration, and leveraging digital. Test questions were developed based on a framework of teacher performance assessment that consists of a structured set of performance level descriptors to help determine teacher level of competence (0-4) according to criteria developed. Online tests were completed by 197 teachers. Test results were analysed to determine their validity. Proposed online tests can be used for interpreting assessment results of teacher knowledge and beliefs necessary for teaching 21st century skills and plan teacher professional development for goal attainment in schools.