Strong Foundations for Quality and Equity in Mexican Schools

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and acronyms
Executive summary
	Mexico’s recent education reform
	Reflection on future policy development
		Priority 1: Providing equity with quality in Mexican education
		Priority 2: Providing 21st century learning to all students
		Priority 3: Supporting teachers and schools
		Priority 4: Focusing evaluation and assessment on schools and student learning
Chapter 1.  An overview of the education system in Mexico
	Introduction and background of the report
	The Mexican context shaping education
		A large, young and geographically dispersed population
		Economic transformation and social inequalities
			Persistent and high inequalities
	Main features of the Mexican education system
		A large and complex system
		Education governance
		Increases in education spending
		The teaching workforce
		Assessment and evaluation practices
		Student outcomes: Achieving quality with equity
			Attainment and completion of upper secondary education
			Student performance
			Equity and inclusiveness
	Recent education policy reforms
	Looking towards the future
	References
Chapter 2.  Providing equity with quality in Mexican education
	Introduction
	Policy issue: Provide equity with quality in education in Mexico
		Improving equity in a challenging context
		Offering universal access to an education of quality
		Providing resources for equity in education
		Balancing standards and introducing flexibility to guarantee quality for all
		Reinforcing coherence among targeted equity programmes
		Strengthening conducive learning environments for all
	Assessment
		System-level measures: Extending opportunities for learning to all
			Improving enrolment in ECEC and upper secondary education
			Exploring equitable funding solutions for education
			Standardising basic operational conditions to improve schools’ capacity
			Promoting full-day schooling for inclusive education
		Targeted approaches: Extending support to the most disadvantaged
		Safer and more adequate learning environments
	Recommendations for future policy development and implementation
		Introduce educational and school funding formulas so resources are distributed equitably between schools
		Guarantee that disadvantaged schools attract and retain qualified education professionals
		Monitor the coherence and impact of targeted programmes
		Consolidate school infrastructure and continue with investment and maintenance of the physical environments
	Notes
	References
Chapter 3.  Providing 21st century learning to all students
	Introduction
	Policy issue: Focus the curriculum on learning for all students
		A curriculum built around student learning
		Setting high expectations for all students
		Curricular autonomy
	Assessment
		A curriculum built collaboratively and aligned with the Mexican vision for education
		A clear sequence for curriculum implementation
		Instructional and teaching material tailored to the new pedagogical approach
	Recommendations for future policy development and implementation
		Prioritise investment in teachers’ and school leaders’ capacity to implement the new curriculum
		Give schools the time and agency required for effective curriculum implementation
	Notes
	References
Chapter 4.  Supporting teachers and schools
	Introduction
	Policies targeting schools and teachers
		Schools as learning communities: Placing schools at the centre
		The Teacher Professional Service
	Assessment
		Supporting schools as learning communities
			Ensuring a full occupational structure in each school
			Promoting collaborative professional practice among teachers and across schools
		Effective leadership and management
			Developing capacity at the school level
			School and system leaders
		Developing the teaching profession
			Efforts to strengthen teacher professionalism
			Appraisal for quality teaching: A career perspective
			Matching teachers’ appraisals with support for better learning
	Recommendations for future policy development and implementation
		Strengthen leadership and school-level collaboration to enact the School at the Centre strategy (La Escuela al Centro)
		Promote the career perspective of the Teacher Professional Service
		Prioritise continuous professional development and the SATE to grow education professionals’ quality
		Keep adjusting the performance appraisal to deliver on both its formative and summative functions
	Notes
	References
Chapter 5.  Focusing evaluation and assessment on schools and student learning
	Introduction
	Policy issues: Evaluation and assessment practices to support quality and equity in education
		The formative value of standardised student assessment
		Reinforcing evaluation and assessment institutions
		Governance
		Main components of the assessment and evaluation system in basic education in Mexico
			Student assessment
			School evaluation and system evaluation
			Connection between system and school evaluations
			Basic conditions of schools
			School and system management
			Information for decision making and administration
	Assessment
		An autonomous (and collaborative) evaluation and assessment system
		A high-quality standardised instrument for formative student assessment, system evaluation and school monitoring: PLANEA
		Recent changes to PLANEA
		Enriching knowledge for the administration of the education system
		Strong capacity at national level and commendable efforts and school level
		Identifying inequalities in the system
	Recommendations for future policy development and implementation
		Ensure that all evaluation and assessment information (like PLANEA results and all the information contained in the SIRE) is used to improve policies and school practices
		Use system evaluation to identify vulnerable student groups and inform policy instruments to support them
		Invest more in evaluation and assessment capacity development at the state and school levels
		Encourage the formative use of the results of PLANEA to improve school practice
		Use the mechanisms for educational information and management to their full potential at the national, state and school levels
	Notes
	References
Conclusion: Building strong foundations for quality and equity in Mexican schools
	Education reform in context
	Mexico’s education policy
	Reflection on future policy development
		Priority 1: Providing equity with quality in Mexican education
			Introduce educational and school funding formulas so resources are distributed equitably between schools
			Guarantee that disadvantaged schools attract and retain qualified education professionals
			Monitor the coherence and impact of targeted programmes
			Consolidate school infrastructure and continue with investment and maintenance of the physical environments
		Priority 2: Providing 21st century learning to all students
			Prioritise investment in teachers’ and school leaders’ capacity to implement the new curriculum
			Give schools the time and agency required for effective curriculum implementation
		Priority 3: Supporting teachers and schools
			Strengthen leadership and school-level collaboration to enact the School at the Centre strategy (La Escuela al Centro)
			Promote the career perspective of the Teacher Professional Service
			Prioritise continuous professional development and the SATE to grow education professionals’ quality
			Keep adjusting the professional performance appraisal to deliver on both its formative and summative functions
		Priority 4: Focusing evaluation and assessment on schools and student learning
			Ensure that all evaluation and assessment information (like PLANEA results and information contained in the Integral System of Evaluation Results (SIRE) is used to improve policies and school practices
			Use system evaluation to identify vulnerable student groups and inform policy instruments to support them
			Invest more in evaluation and assessment capacity development at the state and school levels
			Encourage the formative use of the results of PLANEA to improve school practice
			Use the mechanisms for educational information and management to their full potential at the national, state and school levels
	General considerations for implementation
		Reinforce the vision and goals of the education system
		Promote stakeholder engagement
		Take the context into consideration
		Secure enough resources
		Revise the strategy
	References
Annex A. OECD team members
	External experts
	OECD analysts
Annex B. Meetings and interviews conducted by the OECD team
	School visits and interviews in federal entities
		Mexico City
		State of Morelos
		State of Puebla
	Interviews within the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP)
	Public agencies and councils
	Congressional representatives
	National Union of Education Workers (SNTE)
	Non-governmental organisations
	Scholars and experts
	Informal meetings