A promoção da autoavaliação nas escolas - a experiência do SAME

The institutional pressure to the adoption of models, arrangements or simple self-assessment practices has been constant since the beginning of the 21st century, either in a logic of accountability, or in the logic of understanding and improving educational processes and results. In this context, an expressive number of schools and school groupings has been soliciting the “Serviço de Apoio à Melhoria das Escolas - SAME” (School Improvement Support Service) to make references, methodologies and instruments available, that enable them to adopt a systematic practice of self-knowledge production on the various school realities and that induces an improvement actions planning and concretization. The referential that has been serving as a guide to SAME’s consultants considers the domains and indicators that structure the external evaluation of “Inspeção Geral da Educação e Ciência – IGEC” (General Inspection for Education and Science), but goes far beyond what is predicted there, in an attempt to build a more integrated vision, more focused on the processes that have the power to improve academic, social and personal results. This focalization must not ignore the centrality of the classroom, since it is there that an expressive part of the learning prescribed in the curriculum and programs is (or not) accomplished. In order to apprehend and understand a complex reality, a multiplicity of methods and instruments, information sources and subjects is used, in a systematic triangulation practice. Another structuring topic is that this support process assumes a multimodal nature and is based on the specific reality of each school, only making sense if able to contribute to the involvement and development of actors and institutions. It can be hence assumed as a process of self-knowledge production, implication, mobilization and compromise towards a better quality education for everyone.