In its 2014 review, the Superior Auditor of the Federation (ASF) determined that the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) and the National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE) did not meet the objective of using the results of basic level [grades K-9] assessment—of students, teachers and schools—for decision-making, issuing guidelines or taking public policy actions that might contribute to improvement of education quality.
The ASF adds that based on results of quality assessments, the SEP did not make policy proposals, priorities, programs or action steps of a strategic nature, and the INEE neither issued the guidelines derived from those results nor did it have a program for their issuance, so it didn't manage to visualize short and medium term improvements in the quality of education at this level.
The ASF reported that, according to SEP data, the cost of teacher evaluations [to determine eligibility for appointment to a vacant teaching position] was 159.6 million pesos [US$8.8 million, current rate of exchange] and that the cost per teacher tested was 1,086 pesos [US$60]. These resources are in addition to the 7.2 million pesos [US$397,665] that the INEE spent in issuing guidelines, monitoring of the process and issuing results.
The ASF performance audit and assessments of the quality of basic education included, among other things, analysis of the design of student, teacher and school evaluations; the results, and their use in decision-making and formulation of education policy. The findings emphasize that in 2014 the INEE neither designed nor issued guidelines for carrying out student evaluations, nor did it demonstrate progress in these actions.
The report adds that although the INEE published 12 documents outlining norms and criteria for carrying out the process of admission to and promotion within the Professional Teachers Service (SPD), it "[the INEE] did not issue related processes for recognition and job permanence" in the SPD. Therefore, the ASF findings highlight the:
- Prevailing lack of comprehensive policies designed and based on the results of the assessments of quality; and that
- Education authorities "do not have sufficient, relevant and reliable information to support decision-making, which has an impact on the quality of education."
"thus the persistent risk that it is not contributing to improving education quality."
As for the teachers, the ASF points out that in 2014 the SEP and INEE held the competition for admission to the SPD [Professional Teacher Service]. The test was taken by 146,794 candidates:
- 88,714 (60.4 percent) were rated Unqualified;
- 58,071 (39.6 percent) teachers Qualified.
Given the deficiencies found, the ASF issued eight observations and 12 recommendations regarding performance. In so doing, the Auditor judged that attention paid them [by the INEE and the SEP] will contribute to these agencies implementing actions to use the results of evaluations in formulating policies, priorities, programs and strategic measurements that may contribute to improving education quality.
The ASF also emphasized that by implementing these recommendations the SEP will be able to schedule final implementation of the national policy on educational evaluation, which allows the National Institute for Educational Evaluation [INEE] to coordinate the National Education Assessment System [SNEE], in order that it might contribute to the goal of improving the quality of basic [K-9] training. Spanish original