04 Policy Paper | Monitoring learning and the use of assessments for educational improvement

This working document was prepared as part of the Knowledge Mobilization Cycle and KIX LAC Community of Practice on the Use of Evidence in Education under the coordination of the Latin America and Caribbean Knowledge and Innovation Exchange Hub (KIX LAC). The document aims to contribute to the consolidation of systems that support the monitoring of comprehensive learning of children and youth and the use of learning assessment results to inform decisions at the macro, meso, and micro levels.

Learning assessments are an essential measure of educational quality. Through them, it is possible to gather information about students’ educational achievements and the performance of educational centers, thus determining the extent to which education systems are fulfilling their primary purpose.

In this context, most countries in the region have developed learning assessment systems. However, information alone does not generate educational improvement. For learning assessments to be truly useful and effective, it is necessary to develop concrete strategies that link the results with improvement policies.

This document provides an overview of the general situation of the countries in the Latin American region and the main trends observed in the measurement and monitoring of learning developed by the education systems. It also examines some keys and guiding strategies for using the results of evaluations in a way that effectively contributes to improvement.