However, municipalities have the fr

However, municipalities have the freedom to implement local policies in this matter and to give access to aggregated student results at individual school level to other schools and/or to parents.

The School Portal also presents the results of a pupil survey, which is carried out every year in all schools at the 7th, 10th and 11th grades. The indicators are pupils’ well-being, support from teachers, support from parents and academic challenges. Results are benchmarked to national and regional results, but schools cannot see the results of other schools

In addition to the national mandatory tests and surveys, some municipalities and counties have chosen to develop their own quality assessment tools, such as local tests and surveys, which are obligatory only in their own schools.

In addition to comparative data, the Directorate for Education and Training also provides schools with a manual for reflection to support local discussion by staff on school practices and results in respect of the learning environment, learning outcomes and early school leaving rates (the ‘point-of-view’ analysis). The analysis helps schools to compare examination results as well as data from the pupil survey and national tests with their own assessment of the school's practice.

At regional and local level, a system of external 'evaluators' who assist schools in self-evaluation has been developed. The external evaluator´s role is not to be an overseer of schools, but rather to act as a ‘critical friend’ in their development work. For instance, representa-tives of the local department of education organise dialogue meetings with school staff representatives to discuss a set of key questions derived from school results in national tests and examinations, and subsequently agree on an action plan. Some regions have established external assessment groups working across municipal borders. The main aim is to assist in the assessment and development of education quality by providing an outside view. The assessment group is composed of educators from various municipalities who have worked as teachers, school leaders or with the national