Santo Domingo.- In the 2025 National Tests, the Mathematics subject put back on the table an old debt of the educational system: the distance between school grades and the real learning of the students.
Data in the educator report Radhames MejíaDirector of the Center for Research in Education and Human Development (CIEDHUMANO) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, show that the national average is around 56 pointsbut with marked differences depending on the type of center.
The students of public sector They obtained an average of 56while those of private they reached 61 and those of semi-official, 60. On the surface, the difference may seem small, but behind those numbers hides a reflection of something deeper: inequality in the “Opportunity to Learn”.
A gap that reveals dysfunctions
The analysis goes beyond the results themselves. It shows that there is a gap of almost 30 points between school grades and National Test resultswhich means that students are receiving grades much higher than their actual competencies demonstrate.
In the public sector, the difference between Presentation Note (NP)the one given by the teacher, and the grade obtained in the National Test (PN) was from 29 points. In the private sector, the gap was 26and in the semi-official of 28.
What explains this distance? Mejía proposes two hypotheses: one curricular misalignment and a possible grade inflation. In other words, what is taught and assessed in classrooms is not entirely connected to what the curriculum demands or what national tests measure. And at the same time, schools seem to be awarding grades that reward effort or assistancemore than deep understanding.
Partial learning, not comprehensive
The Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic itself classifies performance in Mathematics by levels. Those who obtain between 45 and 60 points They are able to recognize or classify information in tables and graphs, but have difficulty applying the concepts in new contexts.
Only those who exceed 82 points They demonstrate the ability to analyze, validate results and solve complex problems.
In that sense, the majority of Dominican students are located at the levels II and IIIwhich reflect partial achievements, but not comprehensive learning. That is, they know how to execute certain steps, but they do not always understand why nor can they transfer what they have learned to real situations.
Beyond the classroom
The problem is not reduced to the teaching of Mathematics. What the tests reveal is a structural fracture of the educational system. If internal grades do not reflect learning, confidence in evaluation as a tool for improvement is lost.
The challenge, according to Mejía, is review promotion policyadjusting the 70/30 scheme towards formulas that require minimums in PN; align curriculum, teaching and assessment; monitor the NP–PN gap as an official indicator; and focus support in critical centers and districts, systematizing good practices.
In addition, it recommends linking teacher evaluation to the real progress of students and strengthening pedagogical leadership.
As long as grades continue to be more of a procedure than a reflection of knowledge, National Tests will continue to show the same thing: a country where many pass, but few learn in depth.
