Indicadores de qualidade da educação? Avaliação das escolas de São Carlos para além dos indicadores

Abstract

This study aims to understand what defines a quality school from the perspective of school principals, going beyond the limits of quantitative indicators from external assessments. The investigation starts from the recognition that, although the quality of education is widely acknowledged as a priority, there are significant disparities between schools, highlighting the need for a broader and more contextualized analysis. A qualitative approach was adopted, through semi-structured interviews with principals from five public schools in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo state, selected for being located in different socioeconomic realities. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis, allowing categorization into three main axes: external evaluations and indicators, family participation, and local specificities. The results indicate that principals acknowledge the importance of external evaluations but emphasize that they do not fully represent the concept of quality. Elements such as adequate infrastructure, safety, community engagement, a supportive school climate, leadership performance, and pedagogical support are considered essential. The study also notes the lack of access to key documents from the National Education Plan (PNE), which reveals weaknesses in the articulation between national guidelines and local practice. It is concluded that the notion of quality in education is complex, contextual, and cannot be reduced to numerical indexes. Although indicators play a relevant role, they must be aligned with qualitative and social dimensions of the school environment. The applicability of the results lies in contributing to the development of public policies that are more responsive to local realities and capable of integrating pedagogical, structural, and social dimensions into their planning and evaluation criteria. Furthermore, the study reinforces the importance of listening to school actors as a way to broaden the understanding of what truly promotes quality education.