first it describes the main trends within educational evaluation with particular emphasis on the expansion and diversification of evaluation and assessment procedures second it reviews the contextual factors shaping the development of evaluation and assessment in school systems more specific trends within student assessment teacher appraisal school evaluation school leader appraisal and system evaluation are analysed in the respective chapter in the last two decades most countries have introduced a wide range of measures intended to improve evaluation and assessment at all levels from the student to the school system itself