Middle-Level Inspection: Evaluating inspections to Local Public Education Services in Chile

• In Event: Thinking, Planning, and Evaluating: The Use of Primary and Secondary Data to Improve Schools and Districts

Abstract

This paper examines the “Visit for Evaluation and Guidance,” an inspection device implemented by Chile’s Education Quality Agency to assess Local Public Education Services (SLEP), newly created intermediate governance bodies under the country’s education reform. While most research focuses on school-level inspections, this study addresses the meso level, analyzing how inspections can support capacity-building and institutional learning. Using a theory-based evaluation and a multiple-case study across five SLEPs, the research examines the device’s design, implementation, and perceived utility. Findings highlight limitations, including the absence of a clear theory of change and limited follow-up mechanisms. The study calls for reconceptualizing inspections beyond compliance to support context-sensitive, relational, and future-oriented governance in decentralized education systems.

Authors

• Xavier Vanni, Universidad de Chile

• María Fernanda Goñi, CIAE Universidad de Chile