Rede de cooperação entre escolas: uma ação no âmbito do programa alfabetização na idade certa - PAIC

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse an action implemented within the scope of the Programme for Literacy at the Right Age (Programa Alfabetização na Idade Certa - PAIC) – a priority in the Ceará State Government strategic agenda, instituted in 2007, to address the challenge of eliminating student illiteracy. According to the rule established by state legislation, all of the 150 schools included in the School Prize - Prêmio Escola Nota 10 are entitled to receive the award and assume responsibility for collaborating with a school achieving poorer results, enabling schools receiving support to improve their learning outcomes and those awarded prizes to maintain good performance levels among their students. The incentive-based issue of this study examines the potential of such collaboration between schools, led by their principals, for creating a learning environment of new practices, enhanced institutional commitment and, consequently, improved learning outcomes. Dialogue on the agenda defined in this case promotes those studies and research actions which place student learning at the centre of educational quality measurement, provide evidence in respect of the school effect, enable measures of responsibility for results, focus on student achievement and, especially, highlight the role of leadership as an essential strategy for improvement in schools and educational networks. This is an agenda which takes into consideration what makes a school function in the best possible way, regardless of its context. Coordinated with the central line of this analysis, it will be pertinent to know whether this can effectively teach others. Case-study methodology involved document analysis of reports produced by the programme coordinators, school data, results of external assessment, interviews and construction of a theory on the action with reference to Carol Weiss based on declarations of intent made by its proposers and underpinned by the discourse of principals from two pairs of schools selected non-randomly. The proposal for the education action plan, a commitment to be implemented in the final stages of the study, took into account evidence of the power of such collaboration between school teams led by their principals. In addition, knowledge was gleaned from international experiments which used tutoring and coaching (undertaken by well-qualified principals with successful practices) as essential strategies for preparation of new principals. The proposal therefore refers to a preparation model for principals, drawing on evidence that it is possible and desirable that a principal is involved in the training of new ones. Evidence from sound comparative studies indicates the significant importance of the principal in factors which explain student results. Brazilian public systems, as a rule, have yet to respond effectively to this issue. That’s what this study is focused on.