Avaliação da Política de Atendimento Educacional Especializado (AEE) na rede de ensino de Fortaleza: o texto institucional e a percepção de professores

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate the Specialized Educational Assistance (AEE) policy in the municipality of Fortaleza, establishing a connection between legislation and the perception of teachers working in this modality of education. The evaluated policy is situated within the context of the implementation of the National Policy on Special Education from the Perspective of Inclusive Education (PNEEPEI) (Brazil, 2008), instituted by the Ministry of Education. This policy ensures that students targeted by special education are enrolled in mainstream education and granted access to AEE as a complementary action to their schooling. The research is qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive in nature regarding its objectives. It adopts the experiential evaluation model (Lejano, 2012), based on documentary and bibliographic analysis and the perceptions of AEE teachers working in schools within Education District III of the municipal school system of Fortaleza. Data collection was supported by documentary sources and the administration of an online questionnaire (Google Forms). For the analysis, the Content Analysis method was employed (Bardin, 2016). As theoretical support, the study engages with authors who discuss special and inclusive education, educational public policies, policy evaluation, and specific training for AEE. The scenario that emerges from the teachers’ perspectives confirms a mismatch between legal provisions and school reality; in other words, the written policy does not materialize in practice (Lejano, 2012). The results indicate that the policy has been consolidating through a trajectory marked by both advances and challenges. Legally, the right to education for students with disabilities is well established, as is the mandatory provision of specialized support through multifunctional resource rooms. However, it became clear that the success of this support depends on the articulation between AEE and regular education, in addition to specific funding for this modality and, crucially, continuing education for teachers and other actors involved in the schooling process of students with disabilities. It is hoped that the results contribute to critical reflection on the effectiveness of school inclusion actions and provide input for the improvement of public policies directed at AEE.