2012年-世界发展银行全球_Mexico___Program_Escuelas_de_Calidad--School_Autonomy_and_Accountability_15页_940kb

Summary of Mexico's Programa Escuelas de Calidad (PEC)

Core Content

Mexico's Programa Escuelas de Calidad (PEC) is a school-based management program that aims to improve education quality through increased funding, training for school principals, and enhanced parent participation. Launched in 2001, it is the first national program to scale up quality-inducing practices in Mexican schools. The program emphasizes school autonomy in budget planning and approval, personnel management, school council participation, assessment of school and student performance, and school accountability to stakeholders.

Main Policy Goals

• School Autonomy in Budget Planning and Approval: PEC schools receive a fixed cash grant for school improvements, and principals, in collaboration with school councils, decide how to use the funds. However, teacher salaries are not included in the budget planning process.
• School Autonomy in Personnel Management: Teacher appointments and deployments are managed by municipal governments, following a centralized pay scale. Schools can request teacher transfers, which are generally granted. Principal appointments are also managed at the municipal level.
• School Council Participation in Governance: All PEC schools must have a school council, which includes teachers, parents, and the principal. Councils are trained and involved in budget planning and implementation, but have no authority over teacher or principal appointments.
• Assessment of School and Student Performance: A national standardized testing system (ENLACE) is used to evaluate student performance. Results are accessible to parents and the public, and PEC schools consistently score higher than non-PEC schools.
• School Accountability: Schools are accountable to parents and local stakeholders, with mechanisms for financial transparency and performance reporting. However, personnel accountability remains limited.

Key Findings

• PEC schools have budgetary autonomy, allowing them to allocate funds for infrastructure, pedagogical materials, and other improvements.
• School councils play a significant role in governance and financial management, though their influence is limited in personnel matters.
• The assessment system (ENLACE) is advanced, with standardized testing conducted annually. It is used for both internal adjustments and public reporting.
• Accountability is established, with parents able to voice concerns and demand transparency. However, more work is needed to strengthen accountability in personnel management.
• The longer a school remains in the PEC program, the higher its test scores, indicating a positive correlation between program duration and student performance.
• PEC schools have higher satisfaction among parents and teachers, and they show greater progress in student learning compared to non-PEC schools.

Status of Indicators

Education System Overview

• Mexico's education system is structured from pre-primary to tertiary levels.
• Vocational education is available at both secondary and tertiary levels.
• The country has one of the highest secondary enrollment and graduation rates among middle-income Latin American countries.
• Public expenditure on education is around 5.3% of GDP and 21.6% of total government expenditure.
• The pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools is 28, and the repetition rate is 3%.

Policy Recommendations

1. Empower School-Parent Associations: Strengthen the role of school councils to improve education quality by enhancing their authority in personnel-related decisions.
2. Enhance Learning Outcome Reporting: Improve the analysis and publication of school performance data, especially in terms of student equity, to reinforce the regulatory framework.
3. Develop Leadership in Principals: Encourage the identification and promotion of principals with strong leadership qualities to further improve student outcomes.

Conclusion

The PEC program has made significant strides in improving education quality in Mexico, particularly through budgetary autonomy, school council participation, and standardized assessments. While there are challenges in personnel autonomy, the program is on a path to becoming a high-performing education system with continued policy support and development.