Internal evaluation is intended to provide information about the practices of upper secondary schools, promote improvements and increased quality, and be part of the development of school operations. Systematic evaluation identifies what is going well and what is not, and then decisions about improvements are made based on the results.

Evaluation of the work of upper secondary schools should take into account the goals and values ​​stated in laws, regulations and the National Curriculum Guide. Furthermore, internal evaluation takes into account the working methods and unique situation of each upper secondary school as stated in the school curriculum guide. Internal evaluation should be integrated into daily work, promote reflection and increase staff awareness of responsibility.

The headmaster, in collaboration with the staff, is responsible for the quality of the work carried out in the relevant school. Each school shall formulate a clear policy in accordance with the basic elements of education, the goals and focus areas of the Upper Secondary Education Act and the provisions of the National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools. Each upper secondary school formulates criteria for its own activities and develops evaluation methods that are suitable for the school’s working methods. Democratic methods of internal evaluation contribute to increased quality in the work. Administrators, teachers, other staff, students and parents are important participants in this.

The school curriculum provides the foundation for school operations and shall, among other things, publish the school’s policy and a description of the systematic internal evaluation used to assess the quality of school operations. The school curriculum shall also outline the emphases and plans for internal evaluation.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on school management in upper secondary schools, as part of a regular external evaluation of the quality of school work, together with audits, surveys and research. External evaluation can cover upper secondary schools as a whole, internal evaluation methods or other defined aspects of upper secondary school operations. External evaluation can also cover several upper secondary schools at a time. Upper secondary schools must provide the assistance and data required by the evaluation, including the results of the internal evaluation. After the external evaluation, the upper secondary school reports on how it will respond to its findings. The Ministry strives to follow up on internal and external evaluations with support, education and advice to the schools in question so that such evaluations lead to improvements in school work.

The Ministry shall draw up a three-year plan for surveys and assessments aimed at providing information on the implementation of the law, the National Curriculum Guide for upper secondary schools and other aspects of school operations. The Minister may also decide to have a special external assessment of upper secondary schools or individual aspects of school operations carried out if deemed necessary. It is assumed that an assessment of upper secondary schools will be carried out no less frequently than every five years.

According to the law, the Minister may decide to introduce screening tests in individual upper secondary school subjects, as well as proficiency tests related to competency standards and the division of levels of study.