The article considers innovative activity and research and experimental work as the main factors in the innovative development of a modern educational institution. The need to understand the research and experimental work as an essential component of innovation, as a conscious effective tool for understanding the reform of the traditional school system in innovation is explained. The article examines the value and semantic orientations of teachers, and heads of educational institutions as certain guidelines in the situation of choosing the direction of innovative search by the teaching staff, determining the innovative trajectory of a particular educational institution. Is shown that the critical position of this definition is the awareness of value-semantic landmarks, which become the basis on the way from the emergence of the pedagogical idea (innovation), choosing the direction of innovative search and building an innovative trajectory of development in a particular educational institution to create a model of innovative development of such institution as a whole. The author argues that the separation and development of value-semantic orientations of teachers and, above all, heads of educational institutions in the context of innovation is the basis for creating optimal conditions for research and experimental work in modern educational institutions.

Purpose: The purpose is to define the efficiency and priorities of modernization of Ukraine’s trade integration with the EU countries in the implementation of DCFTA and to attempt to assess the indirect effects of the free trade agreement between countries. Design/methodology/approach: To this end, a comparative analysis was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the Association Agreement and to identify the asymmetry of trade and economic integration between Ukraine and the EU. The correlation regression method was used to determine the dependence of Ukraine’s exports to the EU countries on GDP changes and to identify the integration impacts on economic growth. In turn, the extrapolation method was employed to calculate forecasts for the economic growth rate and GDP per capita. Findings: Determining the effectiveness and priorities of modernization of the trade integration format of Ukraine-EU in the implementation of the DCFTA, as well as evaluation of the intermediate results of the FTA between the countries. At present, it is necessary to modernize the format of Ukraine’s trade integration with the EU in the context of the implementation of the DCFTA. Three main vectors for updating the Agreement have been identified as priorities: deepening sectoral integration; increasing duty-free export to the EU market; eliminating non-tariff measures restricting trade with the EU along with signing a number of agreements for the above-mentioned purpose. Research limitations/implications: The results of the study will be useful to researchers of relevant issues, students, graduate students, doctoral students and teachers specializing in international relations and other academic disciplines, and the developed initiatives can be used by the government to form a new negotiating position on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Originality/value: Forecasting and modeling the Ukraine-EU foreign trade turnover based on the use of the gravity model and correlation-regression analysis confirms that the introduction of the DCFTA in 2016–2017 allowed Ukraine to increase exports to the EU and modernization of the trade part of the agreement will positively affect the economic and social development of Ukraine. In this context, it is necessary to take into account the national interests and trade partners, in particular the possibility of Ukraine’s support for the EU initiative “European Green Deal” on the path to the formation of Europe as a carbon-neutral continent.