UNESCO trained regional experts in the correction of the ERCE Study

Between 23 and 26 September, Guatemala hosted experts from Latin America and the Caribbean who took part in the seminar "Education in Latin America" and in the open-ended question correction workshop for the ERCE 2025 Study.

The events, organised by the Ministry of Education of Guatemala with the technical support of the LLECE Laboratory, featured the participation of Valtencir Mendes, Chief of Education at UNESCO's Regional Office in Santiago, and Carlos Henríquez, Coordinator of the LLECE Laboratory.

During the opening seminar, held at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Valtencir Mendes presented on the challenges surrounding regional teacher policy for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and particularly for Guatemala. Meanwhile, Carlos Henríquez addressed the current work of the LLECE Laboratory and its main projects being implemented across the region.

The three-day technical workshop was aimed at strengthening the competencies of national teams responsible for marking the ERCE 2025 Writing, Mathematics, and Science tests. The objective of these sessions was to ensure validity and reliability in the review processes of open-ended questions administered to students throughout the region.

These meetings form part of the capacity-development programme for this cycle of the ERCE application. On this occasion, participants worked in both group sessions and specific modules for each area assessed in the study, combining theoretical presentations with practical exercises on applying rubrics to examples of student responses.

"The opportunity to bring together the teams of specialists from all the countries participating in ERCE 2025 enables us to align criteria, strengthen capacities, and ensure that the marking of open and written responses is conducted with the required technical quality. All these processes are essential to improving learning opportunities for students in Latin America and the Caribbean," said Valtencir Mendes, Chief of Education at UNESCO's Regional Office in Santiago.

Voices from the region

Education experts from Latin America and the Caribbean in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, and Science who took part in the ERCE 2025 open-ended question correction workshop valued the training experience.

Susana Guzmán (Guatemala), Science expert, emphasised:

"I take with me the experience of sharing ideas with a team of teachers who have fabulous thoughts about Science, the environment, and how to foster scientific thinking in children so that they can be more productive members of their societies."

Lilia Baysa (Panama), Literacy expert, highlighted: "This workshop has allowed us to learn about the different elements that must be considered when verifying our students' learning. We have contributed greatly to reaching agreements that are common to all countries, while taking into account each one's context. It is important that, as a large Latin American area, we share common points to be able to carry out the best assessments in our tests with our students." Franklin Estévez (Venezuela), Mathematics expert, underlined: "We have been able to calibrate the rubrics for marking open-ended items. After this workshop, I am leaving with greater clarity to share the experience with the technical teams and to conduct a more accurate review process."