Resumo

RANGEL, Pedro José. NAVEGANDO HACIA LOS CAMBIOS: EL ESTADO EVALUATIVO. Investigación y Postgrado [online]. 2002, vol.17, n.1, pp.173-188. ISSN 1316-0087.

This article intends to analyze the current crisis of the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Latin America. Emphasis is made on the relational models prevailing between HEI and the different Latin America States. Additionally, it analizes the need to create new assessment mechanisms that will guarantee quality and efficiency enhancement within these institutions. The results of this research indicate that both institutions and programs must be given poper credit within the context of self-evaluation and external evaluation of the HEI, thus assuring a quality educational process suited to the necessities and demands of the job market. On the other hand, it is cuncluded that academic-administrative evaluation of the HEI is fundamental to the establishment of a relationship, between these institutions, the State, and society in general, which is based on trust and credibility. For this reason, this process must be performed on basis of continuous improvement of each institution instead of on comparison amongst institutions. In order to evaluate the HEI it is necessary, then, to establish performance indexes with grounds on quality, excellence, relevance and productivity.

Palavras-chave : higher education; evaluation; assessment.