Teaching by Competency: Mastering the Approche Par les Compétences (APC), its Execution Guides, and the New Assessment Formats

Rationale

The Approche Par les Compétences (APC) is the governing national pedagogy of Côte d'Ivoire, and the strategy's most-repeated CPD priority is *"appropriation des nouveaux programmes éducatifs (APC), des guides d'exécution des programmes et des nouveaux formats d'évaluation des apprentissages."* The ENS professional-competency référentiel (Tableau 23) requires teachers to interpret subject content and situate discipline knowledge within the APC. This course directly addresses the gap between the 2015 curriculum reform and classroom practice, equipping teachers to plan, deliver, and assess competency-based lessons. Completion feeds the four valorisation domains, linking CPD to promotion, allowances, accelerated advancement, and certification under the Statut général de la Fonction Publique (loi n° 92-570).

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. Foundations of the APC in Côte d'Ivoire, the shift from disciplinary to competency logic

Participants begin by examining why the national curriculum moved from a disciplinary logic to a competency logic. The lesson traces the APC reform from its policy origins through its implementation in Ivorian primary and secondary schools. Participants analyse the distinction between knowledge transmission and competency mobilisation, and they identify the key structural changes the reform introduced: the profil de sortie, families of situations, and integration situations. Through a guided reading of the strategy's priority statement, participants articulate the rationale for the shift in their own words. After the lesson, participants can explain to a colleague why the APC replaced the previous approach and can name the three core components of the competency framework.

Lesson 2. Reading the official programmes and guides d'exécution

This lesson trains participants to navigate the DPFC-published programmes and execution guides. Participants receive a sample programme and guide d'exécution for a primary or secondary subject. They learn to locate the competency statements, the progression of learning objectives, the suggested teaching sequences, and the assessment indicators. The lesson emphasises that the guide d'exécution is not a script but a framework for teacher decision-making. Participants practise extracting the key information needed to plan a week of teaching. After the lesson, participants can independently locate the relevant programme and guide for their subject and grade level, and they can identify the competency statements that structure their teaching.

Lesson 3. Situations, families of situations, and competency profiles

Participants explore the APC architecture of situations, families of situations, and the profil de sortie. The lesson defines a situation as a meaningful context that requires the mobilisation of resources, and a family of situations as a set of situations that share a common structure. Participants examine how the profil de sortie for each cycle defines the competencies a learner must demonstrate. They analyse sample situations from Ivorian programmes to identify the resources (knowledge, skills, attitudes) each situation mobilises. The lesson includes a mapping exercise: participants trace a competency from the profil de sortie down to a specific classroom situation. After the lesson, participants can design a simple situation that targets a stated competency and can explain how it connects to the profil de sortie.

Lesson 4. Planning a competency-based lesson (progression annuelle)

This lesson focuses on the practical skill of aligning weekly teaching to the national progressions. Participants learn the structure of a progression annuelle: the sequence of competencies, the distribution of hours, the integration of assessment points, and the allocation of time for remediation. They receive a template based on DPFC's "Progressions du Secondaire" and primary progressions. Working in pairs, participants draft a progression for one term in their subject and grade. The lesson stresses that the progression must be realistic about time and must allow for the heterogeneity of the PSO-era classroom. After the lesson, participants can produce a progression annuelle that respects the national framework while adapting to their local context.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. Integrating disciplinary rigour inside the APC

Participants confront a common criticism of the APC: that it dilutes subject knowledge. The lesson demonstrates how to keep subject accuracy while teaching competencies. Using examples from mathematics, French, and science, participants analyse how a competency-based task can demand deep disciplinary understanding. They learn to identify the "objets de connaissance" (knowledge objects) that the référentiel Domaine 1 requires teachers to interpret. The lesson includes a case study of a weak integration situation that sacrifices rigour and a revised version that maintains it. After the lesson, participants can evaluate a lesson plan for both competency alignment and disciplinary accuracy, and they can adjust a task to strengthen the knowledge demands.

Lesson 6. Designing an integration situation (situation d'intégration)

The integration situation is the signature APC assessment tool. This lesson teaches participants to design authentic tasks that mobilise several resources. Participants learn the criteria for a good integration situation: it must be meaningful to the learner, it must require the mobilisation of multiple competencies, and it must allow for different levels of success. They analyse sample integration situations from DPFC materials and critique them against these criteria. The lesson includes a design workshop where participants create an integration situation for their own class. After the lesson, participants can design an integration situation that meets the APC standards and can explain how it differs from a traditional test.

Lesson 7. The new assessment formats (nouveaux formats d'évaluation des apprentissages)

This lesson addresses what changed in how learning is graded under the APC. Participants examine the new assessment formats: the shift from norm-referenced to criterion-referenced assessment, the use of competency-based rubrics, the integration of formative and summative assessment, and the role of self-assessment. The lesson presents examples of the new formats from DPFC materials and from the strategy's own description of *"nouveaux formats d'évaluation des apprentissages."* Participants compare old and new assessment items for the same content and identify the differences in what each measures. After the lesson, participants can distinguish the new assessment formats from previous ones and can select the appropriate format for a given competency.

Lesson 8. Criterion-referenced and formative assessment in the APC

Participants deepen their understanding of assessment by focusing on criterion-referenced and formative approaches. The lesson explains that the APC assesses competencies, not recall, and that criteria must be transparent to both teacher and learner. Participants learn to write criteria that describe observable performance levels. They practise giving formative feedback that helps a learner move to the next level. The lesson includes a simulation: participants assess a sample pupil response using a criterion-referenced grid and then write feedback that targets the gap. After the lesson, participants can construct a criterion-referenced assessment for a competency and can provide formative feedback that supports learner progress.

Lesson 9. Building and using grading grids (grilles de correction)

This lesson teaches the practical skill of constructing transparent, criterion-based marking grids. Participants learn the anatomy of a grille de correction: criteria, indicators, levels of performance, and the scoring scale. They examine sample grids from DPFC evaluation formats and critique them for clarity and fairness. The lesson includes a hands-on workshop where participants build a grid for an integration situation they designed in Lesson 6. They test the grid by applying it to sample pupil work and revise it based on the results. After the lesson, participants can construct a grille de correction that is transparent, criterion-based, and aligned to the competency being assessed.

Lesson 10. Diagnosing pupil error to inform teaching

Participants learn to turn errors into next steps for teaching. The lesson presents a typology of errors common in APC classrooms: errors of comprehension, errors of procedure, errors of transfer, and errors of reasoning. Participants analyse samples of pupil work to identify the type of error and its likely cause. They then plan a remediation strategy for each error type, drawing on the national learning-improvement programme's remediation logic. The lesson emphasises that error diagnosis is a professional competency that improves teaching precision. After the lesson, participants can diagnose the type of error in a pupil's work and can select an appropriate remediation strategy.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Differentiating within a competency-based classroom

The PSO-era classroom is heterogeneous, and the APC demands that all learners progress. This lesson teaches participants to adjust tasks for a diverse class. Participants learn the three dimensions of differentiation: content, process, and product. They practise modifying an integration situation to make it accessible to a struggling learner and challenging for an advanced learner. The lesson includes a case study of a teacher managing a class with a wide range of readiness levels. Participants discuss strategies for grouping, scaffolding, and extending tasks. After the lesson, participants can differentiate a competency-based task for at least three learner profiles and can explain how differentiation supports the APC goal of all learners achieving the profil de sortie.

Lesson 12. Life skills and cross-cutting competencies (compétences de vie) inside subject teaching

Participants learn to embed transversal competencies within subject teaching. The lesson presents the four cross-cutting competencies named in the strategy: genre (GIS), TICE, compétences de vie (life skills), and citoyenneté, plus sustainable development and climate change. Participants examine how a subject lesson can simultaneously teach a disciplinary competency and a life skill such as cooperation, critical thinking, or conflict resolution. They analyse sample lessons that integrate GIS and citizenship. The lesson includes a planning exercise where participants add a cross-cutting competency to an existing APC lesson. After the lesson, participants can identify opportunities to embed life skills and cross-cutting competencies in their subject teaching and can adjust a lesson plan accordingly.

Lesson 13. Documenting your APC practice for CPD certification

This lesson prepares participants for the certified assessment that the strategy requires. Participants learn what evidence the certification process expects: a mean of an online academic assessment and a practical in-person assessment, with a pass at 12/20. They examine the certification rubric and identify the types of evidence that demonstrate APC mastery: lesson plans, integration situations, grading grids, pupil work samples with feedback, and reflective commentaries. Participants begin assembling a portfolio of their work from this course. The lesson includes a peer-review session where participants give and receive feedback on their portfolio drafts. After the lesson, participants can identify the evidence they need to submit for certification and can organise it according to the rubric.

Lesson 14. Peer review and the conseil d'enseignement

Participants learn to use the conseil d'enseignement as a vehicle for collaborative improvement of APC lessons. The lesson presents the référentiel competency *"participer à un projet de perfectionnement professionnel"* and explains how peer review supports it. Participants practise a structured peer-review protocol: presenting a lesson, receiving feedback, and revising. They discuss the norms of professional feedback and the role of the conseiller pédagogique in facilitating the process. The lesson includes a simulation of a conseil d'enseignement meeting focused on APC implementation. After the lesson, participants can participate in a structured peer review of an APC lesson and can use feedback to improve their practice.

Lesson 15. From module to promotion, how APC certification valorises your career

The final lesson connects the course to the career advancement system. Participants review the four valorisation domains: professional promotion with allowances, certification/diploma, accelerated advancement or bonus points in professional competitions, and honours/distinction. They examine how the certification from this course (pass at 12/20) opens the door to higher grades and functions under the Statut général de la Fonction Publique (loi n° 92-570). The lesson includes a case study of a teacher who used APC certification to advance. Participants create a personal action plan: what they will do next to leverage their certification, including registering for the practical assessment, submitting their portfolio, and discussing their results with their supervisor. After the lesson, participants can articulate how their APC certification valorises into career advancement and can take the next steps in the process.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.