Breakthrough Horizon Europe research on educational success for all launches amid decline in students’ basic competences

ACHIEVE4EDU (Advancing the Use of Scientific Evidence of Social Impact in Education Policy and Practice to Improve Student Achievement) is a major European research project focused on educational success for all. It launched this September amid alarming evidence of a sharp decline in students’ basic competences. Findings from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show the lowest average performance in reading and mathematics yet recorded.

ACHIEVE4EDU responds to calls for urgent action to address declining attainment for all students. The three-year Horizon Europe-funded Research and Innovation Action is supported by an EU grant of €2,623,635.92 (Grant Agreement No. 101288796).

The project brings together 11 partner institutions from nine European countries. The research will move beyond documenting trends in poor performance in reading, mathematics and science, and inequalities in learning outcomes. It will generate knowledge about policies and interventions that have demonstrated Scientific Evidence of Social Impact (SESI).

High-performing education systems worldwide, alongside schools and policies that have already made progress in Europe, offer valuable evidence. ACHIEVE4EDU will examine how this evidence can inform education policy and practice across the European Union.

Speaking at the launch of the project, Professor Martin Brown, DCU Institute of Education Coordinator for ACHIEVE4EDU, stated:

The reported decline in performance in reading and mathematics is a serious concern for education systems across Europe. It points to the need for policies and practices informed by robust evidence and capable of improving outcomes for all learners. ACHIEVE4EDU will examine what has worked in different settings, and how evidence of social impact can support education authorities and schools to respond to declining attainment and persistent inequalities.

The DCU research team comprises Martin Brown, Gareth Burns,  Audrey Doyle, Sarah Gardezi,  Marie Conroy Johnson, and Joe O'Hara from the School of Policy and Practice and EQI - The Centre for Evaluation Quality and Inspection.

The ACHIEVE4EDU consortium includes national education authorities, civil society organisations, and Universities. Inspeção-Geral da Educação e Ciência (Portugal); Support Group Network (Sweden), Population and Social Policy Consultants (Belgium). Universitat de Barcelona (Spain, coordinator), Dublin City University (Ireland), the University of Cyprus (Cyprus), the University of Siena (Italy), Universidade do Porto (Portugal),  New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria).

ACHIEVE4EDU runs from September 2026 to August 2029.

More information can be found at: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101288796