Using the evaluation system to promote better assessment and learning

This chapter looks at how the evaluation system – teacher appraisal, school evaluation and system evaluation – interacts with practices for student assessment. While Turkey’s evaluation system encourages teachers and schools to focus on student achievement, achievement is frequently measured by numeric marks. This encourages a perception that it is high marks which are most important for learning. It also means that policymaking decisions around student outcomes are not based on reliable and valid data, since marks from classroom assessment can vary significantly across classrooms and schools. This chapter suggests how teacher appraisal, school evaluation and system evaluation frameworks can be revised to encourage the kinds of quality assessment practices that research shows are most effective for learning.