October 4-6, 2010Nairobi, Kenya

Second READ Global ConferenceEffective Assessment Systems: Strengthening the Enabling Environment

Chile: Creating an enabling environment for an effective

assessment system

Maria Jose Ramirez The World Bank

mramirez2@worldbank.org

2

Where is Chile?

Education in Chile

• 3.5 millions students in the schools

• 8,000 schools (primary and secondary)

• Successful expansion of education system

• Ministry of Education is main authority

– Sets national policies

– Monitors quality of education

Chile’s Educational Assessment System

1. Large-scale assessment for monitoring the quality of education, SIMCE

2. University entrance exam, PSU

3. Classroom assessment for fostering students’ learning and for grading

1. Large-scale assessment: SIMCE

General description• Purposes

– Monitor education quality

– School accountability

• Coverage

– All 8,000 schools (census)

– 2 grades per year (4 and 8 or 10)

– All 500,000 students in both grades (census)

1. Large-scale assessment: SIMCEChanges to Enabling Environment

Pilot program

in university

Unit in

Ministry of Education

Autonomous

organization

Assessment

enforced by

law

New law with

greater focus on

accountability

1990 2009-101980

1. Large-scale assessment: SIMCE

Drivers that allowed for changes

• Need to monitor quality of education

• Curricular reform

• Need to avoid conflicts of interests and ensure autonomy

• Political and professional leadership

• Participation in international studies

2. University Entrance Exam: PSU

General description

• National exam for university selection (since 1967)

– No substantive reforms until 2004

• 250,000 students took exam in 2009

– Number of students grew 56% in 4 years

2. University Entrance Exams: PSU

Enabling Environment: Governance

• Governed by a board representing ‘traditional’ universities

• Governance in crisis because of

– Weak power of the Ministry of Education

– Decreasing representation of board

2. University Entrance Exams: PSU

Pushes for change

• Creation of new private universities• Historical reasons and corporate interests

have blocked reforms• Expansion of secondary education • Higher proportion of low income students applying

to the university• Public pressure from students• Reform of secondary school curriculum

3. Classroom Assessment

General description

• Shifting purposes

– from grading and bureaucratic control

– to pedagogical support

• Very little information at central level

– No quality assurance mechanism

3. Classroom assessment

Changes to Enabling Environment

• New official documents emphasize pedagogical function

• No clear strategy for training teachers

• Evidence of weak practices

• No permanent changes in organizational structures, human resources, budget

3. Classroom assessmentDrivers that allowed for changes

• Reform of school curriculum

• Teachers’ demands for training

• International literature

• Need to counterbalance influence of external assessments (national and international)

• Professional leadership

Key lessons (1)• Renewed emphasis on students’ learning has put

assessment at the center of the education systems

• Political and professional leadership are essential ingredients of reforms

• Gradual changes are better than huge reforms

• Need to anticipate changing circumstances

• Laws are important to institutionalize and ensure budget

Key lessons (2)

• Implementing new policies takes time and effort

• Curricular reforms trigger assessment reforms

• Global influences

– Participation in international studies

– International literature

• Importance of introducing new ideas and knowledge through training current and new staff