Scales balancing academic disciplines, symbolizing evaluation in Mexico.

Grading the Grades: How Academic Evaluation Impacts Mexican Educators

Jordan Keane in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A deep dive into Mexico's higher education evaluation programs reveals a system of incentives, tensions, and the quest for quality."

Over the last four decades, the landscape of academic work in Mexico has evolved significantly. There's been substantial growth in the number of academics, increased complexity in their roles, and a greater importance placed on their contributions to the national education system. This evolution is well-documented in research exploring the historical development, professional trajectories, working conditions, and experiences of Mexican academics, who are central to higher education's core functions of teaching, research, outreach, and management.

The evaluation of academic work has risen to prominence in Mexican educational research because it directly relates to the multiple roles of academics, their working conditions, networks, and economic well-being. All these factors are shaped by the dynamics within Mexican higher education institutions.

Since the early studies analyzing academic evaluation policies in the 1990s, research in this area has expanded, revealing the consequences of public policies on academics' performance and their commitment to their institutions. Many argue that changes to the recognition and reward systems have led to a decline in institutional and social engagement among academics.

The Evolution of Evaluation Programs and Their Current State

Scales balancing academic disciplines, symbolizing evaluation in Mexico.

The focus on evaluation in Mexican educational policies emerged from international trends promoted by organizations such as the World Bank and UNESCO. It was combined with local challenges such as budget cuts to public universities in the 1980s, driven by the public debt crisis. Furthermore, the massification, differentiation, and diversification of educational institutions had led to a decline in the overall quality of higher education.

Against this backdrop, academic evaluation became central to higher education policies in Mexico, aiming to improve quality through governmental control mechanisms, selective incentives, and economic rewards tied to performance. However, the implementation of these policies faced fundamental issues such as declining faculty income, a lack of evaluation culture, and unclear understanding of academic work itself.

SINAPPES (1979): Early attempts at higher education evaluation.
PME (1989-1994): Institutionalized evaluation, emphasizing internal and external assessments.
CONAEVA (1989): National commission to evaluate the higher education system.
SNI (1984): First system evaluating academic work, offering recognition and financial support to researchers.

While these programs aimed to enhance academic productivity and quality, they also introduced complexities and unintended consequences within Mexican higher education. Understanding the trajectory and impact of these programs is crucial for shaping future policies and practices that support the professional development of educators and the overall improvement of higher education.

Charting a Path Forward

The future requires a shift towards alternative approaches that preserve the fundamental functions of higher education and restore collaborative work towards quality education and academic output. Policies are needed to recognize the diverse contributions of educators at different stages of their careers, ensuring that these efforts translate into tangible improvements in educational quality. Further research is essential to clarify the contextual conditions of academics, their roles, commitments, and specific tasks within universities, with the active participation of those who have been excluded from decision-making processes.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.15366/riee2017.10.2.010, Alternate LINK

Title: Situación Actual De Los Programas De Evaluación Académica De La Educación Superior Mexicana: Sus Efectos En El Trabajo Académico

Journal: Revista Iberoamericana de Evaluación Educativa

Publisher: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

Authors: Patricia Covarrubias-Papahiu

Published: 2017-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

Why has the evaluation of academic work become so prominent in Mexican educational research?

The evaluation of academic work in Mexico gained prominence due to its direct impact on academics' multiple roles, working conditions, networks, and economic well-being, all of which are influenced by the dynamics within Mexican higher education institutions. This prominence increased after the early studies in the 1990s that analyzed academic evaluation policies, revealing the consequences of public policies on academics' performance and institutional commitment. The policies were designed to recognize and reward academics.

What are some of the key evaluation programs that have been implemented in Mexico's higher education system?

Several key programs emerged in Mexico to evaluate and improve higher education. SINAPPES (1979) represents early attempts at evaluation. The PME (1989-1994) institutionalized evaluation with internal and external assessments. CONAEVA (1989) was established as a national commission to evaluate the higher education system. SNI (1984) was the first system to evaluate academic work, offering recognition and financial support to researchers. These programs aimed to enhance academic productivity and quality, but also introduced complexities.

What factors contributed to the increased focus on evaluation in Mexican educational policies?

The focus on evaluation in Mexican educational policies arose from international trends advocated by organizations like the World Bank and UNESCO, coupled with local challenges such as budget cuts to public universities in the 1980s due to the public debt crisis. The massification, differentiation, and diversification of educational institutions had also led to a decline in the overall quality of higher education. Academic evaluation became central to higher education policies, aiming to improve quality through governmental control mechanisms, selective incentives, and economic rewards tied to performance.

What is the significance of the SNI (Sistema Nacional de Investigadores) in the context of academic evaluation in Mexico, and what are its implications?

The SNI (Sistema Nacional de Investigadores) is significant because it represents the first system designed to evaluate academic work in Mexico, specifically targeting researchers. It offers recognition and financial support based on performance and contributions. The implications of the SNI include incentivizing research productivity and providing financial incentives, but it also potentially creates a competitive environment among researchers, which could affect the quality of education in broader terms.

What steps are needed to improve the academic evaluation system in Mexico and ensure higher educational quality in the future?

Addressing the issues within Mexican higher education requires policies that acknowledge the diverse contributions of educators at different stages of their careers. These policies should ensure that these efforts translate into tangible improvements in educational quality. Further research is essential to clarify the contextual conditions of academics, their roles, commitments, and specific tasks within universities, with the active participation of those who have been excluded from decision-making processes. Policies are needed to restore collaborative work towards quality education and academic output.