The diagnostic evaluation is carried out at the beginning of an action or process to explore the current state of what is being evaluated and provide information about the starting point. It defines the central characteristics of what is being evaluated, its magnitude and scope, and provides information to allow educational agents to make inferences about causes and effects associated with the situation. It also provides information to allow educational agents to make adaptations and implement improvement actions based on this initial evaluation.

1. EVALUACIÓN DIAGNÓSTICA
L A E V A L U A C I Ó N D I A G N Ó S T I C A S E R E A L I Z A C O N L A F I N A L I D A D D E E X P L O R A R
E L E S T A D O E N Q U E S E E N C U E N T R A L O Q U E S E P R E T E N D E E V A L U A R Y O F R E C E
I N F O R M A C I Ó N S O B R E E L P U N T O D E P A R T I D A Q U E C O N S T I T U Y E L A B A S E P A R A
L L E V A R A C A B O A C C I O N E S D E M E J O R A .
S U S P R I N C I P A L E S C A R A C T E R Í S T I C A S S O N :
 S E R E A L I Z A A L I N I C I O D E U N A A C C I Ó N O P R O C E S O , O P A R A D E T E R M I N A R L A
S I T U A C I Ó N A C T U A L D E A L G O Y A P U E S T O E N M A R C H A , C O N E L P R O P Ó S I T O D E
A N A L I Z A R Y V A L O R A R D I V E R S O S R A S G O S O C A R A C T E R Í S T I C A S
C O N S I D E R A D O S D E I N T E R É S ;
 D E F I N E L A S C A R A C T E R Í S T I C A S C E N T R A L E S D E L O E V A L U A D O , S U M A G N I T U D
Y A L C A N C E , Y P R O P O R C I O N A I N F O R M A C I Ó N Q U E P E R M I T E A L A S Y L O S
A G E N T E S E D U C A T I V O S H A C E R I N F E R E N C I A S A C E R C A D E L A S C A U S A S Y
E F E C T O S A S O C I A D O S C O N L A S I T U A C I Ó N ;
 A P O R T A I N F O R M A C I Ó N Q U E P E R M I T E A L A S Y L O S A G E N T E S E D U C A T I V O S
I N V O L U C R A D O S R E A L I Z A R A D A P T A C I O N E S E I N S T R U M E N T A R A C C I O N E S D E
M E J O R A A P A R T I R D E E S T A V A L O R A C I Ó N I N I C I A L ; Y
 P O S I B I L I T A A L A S Y L O S A G E N T E S E D U C A T I V O S I N V O L U C R A D O S D I S P O N E R
D E U N M A Y O R C O N O C I M I E N T O D E L O Q U E S E E V A L Ú A Y D E S U C O N T E X T O
( N I R E N B E R G , B R A W E R M A N Y R U I Z , 2 0 0 3 , P P . 2 3 - 2 4 ) .