Skills for Life: Measuring 21st Century Skills in Latin America and the Caribbean

Measuring 21st century skills is one of the most important tasks of education and training systems. Measurement is what allows program managers to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular education program, diagnose the needs of individual students, or assess their development over time. Still, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and around the world face challenges in this area. Using data from interviews, case studies, and an in-depth literature review, this policy brief evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of different types of assessment tools for measuring 21st century skills, discusses challenges of applying them in less-developed countries, and offers recommendations for stakeholders seeking to measure 21st century skills among children and youth, by utilizing existing instruments or adapting and testing them in local contexts.