This study conducted by UNESCO Dakar and the Brookings Institution reviews existing learning assessment items to understand to what extent national education systems value teaching and learning of 21st century skills in classroom practices. The authors, in collaboration with national researchers from nine-countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal and Zambia), analyze several assessment tools and items to suggest potential ways for greater alignment between curriculum, teacher training, pedagogy and assessment. This publication is one of the few in the region that looks explicitly at potential ways to bridge the gap between traditional education needs and the skills children and young people need to thrive in today and tomorrow’s world.