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This paper argues the need for broader criteria than are customarily used, for measuring pupil achievement, school effectiveness and impact on educational policy in the plural and highly unequal societies of Mexico and Central America. We proceed by first presenting the context of highly centralized mainstream educational provision, concentrated in urban areas contrasting with the extremely limited services available in rural communities. Second, we describe grass-roots educational solutions to this latter condition. Finally, we will situate these solutions within the framework of international scholarship on assessment, evaluation and impact measurement in order to permit the achievements of these experiences to be credited and lessons to be drawn from them. We conclude that comprehensive, contest-sensitive evaluation establishes a two way communication between the educational system and local school experience.

The 2017 Puebla Earthquake on 19 September struck a big part of central Mexico causing the loss of historic buildings in several states, being the state of Morelos one of the most damaged in the whole country. Jojutla de Juarez was the most affected locality of Morelos presenting important structural damages or total collapse in the built heritage, being the traditional earthen buildings, made of adobe bricks, the most vulnerable buildings to seismic efforts. Some of the causes which contributed to the poor behaviour of the buildings were the improper handling of the constructive systems and materials, the insufficient resistance of the structures and the problems with the foundations. The adobe houses of Jojutla presented a mixture between the traditional building techniques and industrial materials like concrete, cement and steel; also with irregular heights and plant layouts and inadequate connections between the walls and foundations and roofs, resulting into a higher seismic vulnerability when the earthquake impacted. Also the adobe bricks presented irregularities in its composition and use of additives which resulted in completely different typologies and the loss of the traditional construction techniques. A study was conducted to determine the properties of the remains of the adobe bricks of the houses in Jojutla, considering that the structures were severely damaged and a whole study of the seismic vulnerability would not be convenient due the loss of the physical traditional buildings. The grain size and composition of the adobe samples of the buildings were determined as well as the natural aggregates like straw, sand, and its proportion. A colorimetric study of the adobes and clays was also conducted, analysing the change of colour on account of the aggregates in the bricks. Also the compressive strength of the pieces was tested with two methods: the compression test and the point-load test, in order to obtain the indicative values which could be compared to other patrimonial and vernacular study cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inspection/Maintenance Program in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (MAMC) mandates a test every 6 months for allgasoline motor vehicles as one of the strategies to decrease emissions of vehicular pollutants. FTP-75 and ASM procedures were performed in our facilities to a fleet of 108 in-use motor vehicles before and after the approval of the I/M mandatory test. When our laboratorysimulated ASM data were compared with those of the official certificate, a large difference was observed between them. On the other hand, audits at the test-only centers indicate poor maintenance of the analytical instruments and dynamometers. On the basis of our FTP results, an estimation of the emissions change for the MAMC fleet shows a net 4% decrease in CO emissions, while total hydrocarbons and N0[sub x] increased 9 and 8%, respectively. Our results indicate that the I/M system in the MAMC lacks the technical capability and investment to ensure that software and hardware are properly maintained, calibrated, and upgraded. Sometimes limited attention is paid to ensure adequate training of inspectors, auditors, and quality control staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the environmental implications on the oxygenation of gasoline with ethanol in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. Motor vehicle emission tests on light duty vehicles; Emission control technologies; Evaluation of exhaust regulated and toxic emissions for MTBE.

Focuses on the implications of using ethanol in gasoline for pollutants in Mexico City, Mexico. Increase of postcombustion acetaldehyde emissions; Decrease level of formaldehyde emissions from the use of ethanol-gasolines; Importance of ethanol-containing gasoline in reducing carbon monoxide emissions.