School external evaluation models in public and private pre-school establishments

Abstract

The Decade of 1980, rich in political, social and economic changes came to reform the role of the State and how it relates with citizens (Clímaco, 2006). The external evaluation of schools (AEE) legislated by law nr. 31/2002, of 20 December, emerges after the implementation of several national and internationally inspired proposals and promotes the assessment of establishments of pre-school education as much as basic and secondary. However, it is also associated with accountability politics (Afonso, 2009), schools’ autonomy, schools improvement, teaching and professional development (Alves & Flores, 2011) and with the effective schools movement. At the same time, private schools are resorting to internal and external review processes as a way of responding to the needs of its customers and, if possible, exceed theirs expectations, as a way to assure its economic survival. What is the impact and the effects of the ESA model used in public pre-school institutions by IGEC and the Quality Evaluation Model conducted by Social Security Institute in pre-school establishments? What are the main objectives they propose themselves to achieve? What are the main results at a curricular, pedagogical and organizational level? Using a qualitative methodology (Bogdan & Bicklen, 1999) of document analysis and content analysis (Esteves, 2006) of interviews with directors and pre-school teachers from public and private of pre-school education establishments, it can be inferred that the main purpose and common to all respondents is, undoubtedly, the school improvement. The external evaluations conducted by the Institute of Social Security are more frequent and produces greater impact on institutions than those conducted by the IGEC in public establishments. The data collected also suggests organizational effects, such as the admission of pre-school teachers in public decision-making board – in reality, the pre-school teachers assume greater recognition of their work and job by the community and by other school levels teachers. The curricular effects outlined are felt on the applicability of the main documents used (Curricular Guidelines for pre-school education, Learning goals, Educational School Project) on both networks (private and public) and, finally, the pedagogical effects pointed is the adjustment of pre-school teachers practices to the same documents in both realities: public and private schools. This is, in fact, the most positive effect pointed to the ESA by all pre-school teachers (Rodrigues, 2013).