EFL Assessment in Ecuadorian Public High Schools: Aligning International Frameworks with Local Realities

The landscape of English language assessment in secondary education across the Global South reveals persistent tensions between international proficiency standards and locally constrained implementation contexts. Drawing upon a systematic analysis of 24 peer-reviewed and academic sources, supplemented by comparative case analysis with India, this study articulates a framework for sustainable EFL assessment transformation in Ecuador. International research consensus unambiguously privileges formative assessment and authentic portfolio-based approaches (representing 45.8% of the evidence base), yet implementation success depends critically on strengthened teacher assessment literacy rather than technological infrastructure. The comparative analysis between India a contextually similar Global South economy and Ecuador identifies eight structural parallels and demonstrates that glocalization of international frameworks (CEFR) remains both feasible and pedagogically sound. The study forwards five strategic reform priorities: comprehensive teacher professional development in assessment principles, foundational integration of formative and portfolio methodologies, systematic alignment of curriculum-assessment-professional development ecosystems, deliberate attention to educational equity through validation of bilingual and indigenous linguistic contexts, and judicious technology adoption that augments rather than supplants pedagogical design. Evidence suggests that sustainable assessment reform in resource-constrained public secondary education is achievable through strategic prioritization grounded in international best practice evidence