Avaliação da política de busca ativa nas escolas públicas de Ensino Fundamental do Município de Fortaleza (2019 a 2023)

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate the School Active Search Policy in three public elementary schools in the municipality of Fortaleza from 2019 to 2023, with the specific group of actors involved in the policy, with the three schools located in the lowest HDI neighborhoods in the city of Fortaleza as the locus. The study carefully analyzed the questions posed about the context in which the policy was created and implemented, seeking to understand the relationship between the active search policy and the contributions it makes to improving students' school performance, both in everyday learning and in the results obtained in external assessments. To achieve this goal, an analysis was made of the official documents that formalize and regulate this policy at federal and municipal level, as well as semi-structured interviews with school managers and parents/guardians, and questionnaires with active school search agents. This research adopts a qualitative approach, aimed at a sensitive and in-depth understanding of social phenomena in their everyday contexts. It values the perspectives and meanings attributed by the people involved, recognizing the richness and complexity of their experiences. The investigation is based on in-depth evaluation, as guided by Rodrigues (2008), and uses strategies such as document analysis, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, seeking to capture the meanings and nuances that emerge from the shared experiences. It was found that the Active School Search policy has played an important role in reducing school exclusion in Fortaleza, by identifying and monitoring children and adolescents in situations of vulnerability. It was observed that by involving families, communities and different professional areas, it has been possible to create safer ways for these students to stay in school and have their rights guaranteed. However, it is essential to keep this policy active, as withdrawal from school is still a silent and challenging reality. The continuity of this work enables more agile responses, strengthens joint action between sectors and helps to build a more welcoming, fair and accessible education for all, avoiding setbacks in the progress already made. To this end, the research relies on authors who contribute theoretical and methodological foundations in line with this research perspective, such as Rodrigues (2008) who highlights in depth evaluation as a means of understanding the meanings and subtleties of the practices being examined; Guba and Lincoln (2011) emphasize the importance of listening to different voices and the collective construction of knowledge; Lejano (2012) proposes an interpretative reading of policies, considering their narrative dimensions; and Gussi and Breynner (2016) address the relationship between institutional practices and local realities, reinforcing the need for an attentive and humanized look at the subjects who experience public policies on a daily basis.