Culturally responsive teacher evaluation: exploring class implementation in Mexican upper secondary education

This study validates the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Secondary (CLASS-S) within Mexican upper secondary education, a context with unique socio-cultural features and high student dropout rates. Using video-based classroom observations of 78 teachers across 63 diverse schools, certified observers applied the CLASS-S, and data were analysed with confirmatory factor analysis. Results demonstrate strong reliability and support for the original three-domain structure; however, the Negative Climate dimension showed weak discrimination and minimal variance, and its removal improved model fit. This finding reflects both statistical and cultural considerations, as negative teacher-student interactions were rarely observed. This study, to our knowledge, represents the first CLASS-S validation at this educational level in Latin America. Findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive tools for evaluating teaching quality and highlight the potential of CLASS-S to inform teacher professional development and dropout-prevention strategies across diverse school settings.