Mexico City • President of the National Institute for Evaluation of Education (INEE), Silvia Schmelkes, claims that in order to evaluate teachers fairly, the focus should not be on a single standardized test, but instead utilize a set of instruments.
"One problem is the diversity of schools, teachers, working conditions, so the same instrument cannot be used to evaluate everyone," stated the president of the INEE in an interview with Sergio Sarmiento on Radio NetworkSchmelkes pointed out that, used alone, one standardized instrument is incapable of demonstrating the status of the teachers.
"International evidence shows us that a fair evaluation of teachers cannot focus on a single standardized test, because teachers are known by their practice [skill with students], so an evaluation necessarily has to include observation of their practice [classroom teaching]. There are also other judges of the work of teachers like students, parents, communities, and the director [principal]," she said.Therefore, she argued that a toolkit is needed to make a fair evaluation of teachers [that could yield]
"a more holistic vision of how teachers are performing in their specific context."
Sylvia Schmelkes believes that it is the ability of teachers to improve that must be evaluated:
"The evaluation must be dynamic so it tests the ability of teachers to improve, [not on their own] but by giving them support so they can improve their practice [skill level]. This is something that belongs to the education system to do," she stated.
She pointed out that the National Institute for Evaluation of Education should have a better way to conduct evaluations.
"Every time I speak with experts on the subject, I realize it's not as easy as just administering a test.
"One of the INEE's important tasks is to coordinate a national educational assessment that involves evaluation of all components of the education system , including assessment of programs, policies and operations," declared the researcher [and INEE head].