Innovation for quality and equity Rio's reform in education 09-14

Initial contexts

In 2007

•Good IDEB in comparison to Brazilian average;

•Dropping grades in Prova Brasil: from 33.05% of students with adequate performance for the 5th grade in language arts in 2005 to 29.07% in 2007;

•Social promotion created paternalistic culture: no tests, no homework, no assignments = drop in students’ learning and performance.

In 2009

•28,000 students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades (14%) were illiterate;

•40% performed below grade level in Math;

•Lack of clear policies (curriculum, teacher training, assessment, learning reinforcement);

•De-motivation among teachers;

In 2009

•Lack of teachers for elementary and middle schools and not enough personnel for early childhood education;

•Low involvement of parents in their kids’ education;

•Areas controlled by traffic or militias had double the average dropout rate and much worse performance in standardized national tests.

Mission: improve quality and equity

to show strong improvement in less than 4 years

First actions

•Planned and implemented a comprehensive intervention program to ensure learning;

•Started a strong civil society participation and social control scheme: monthly meetings with Parents Council and “Partners of the Carioca Education”;

•Created an innovative intervention to deal specifically with schools situated in violent areas – Schools of Tomorrow;

First actions

•Created a clear set of curriculum guidelines;

•Established Portuguese, Math, Science and Writing tests;

•Got teachers’ involvement in decision-making;

•Established separate tracks for illiterate and/or older students;

•Increased the number of school (learning) hours;

•Constant monitoring of Schools of Tomorrow’s results – especially academic achievement and dropout rates;

First actions

•Focused on 4 areas: reading skills (1st and 2nd grades), learning reinforcement, middle school, and early childhood education;

•Signed management contracts with schools establishing goals to be achieved in academic achievement and dropout rates;

•Rewarded school teams that reached the goals – one extra monthly salary per year;

•Created an online digital platform with teachers - Educopédia;

•Created a network of innovative experimental schools - Ginásios.

Schools of Tomorrow

Schools of Tomorrow Main Actions

Educopédiahttps://youtu.be/uY-kzwFUplg

GENTEhttps://youtu.be/-x-7iwKm1i8

Some results•81% of 1st year students adequately reading and writing;

•21,000 illiterate students re-alphabetized;

•18,000 students with discrepancies age/grade accelerated;

•+500 schools received bonuses (percentage was higher among the Schools of Tomorrow);

•Evasion rate dropped from 5,1% to 3.26%;

•Grades have increased in all years (about 22% in final years);

•Level of attendance was dramatically increased;

•Experimental schools have constantly scored among the top schools in the network.

Policy Recommendations

•Dose continuity and change;

•Identify and communicate precisely the problems that need to be addressed;

•Build good teams;

•Use project managers for new initiatives and have them work with the permanent structure team (different skills);

•Build good partnerships with civil society and private sector;

Policy Recommendations

•Put in place a good incentive system;

•Focus on results (learning – not buildings) and create new metrics if needed;

•Study recent literature and ensure team members are updated, but avoid academicism;

•Inform society systematically about phases and results, even the negative ones;

•Make sure infrastructure, buy-in and competence are adequate for new actions.

Thank you!rafaelparente@labi.org.br

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