The Piauí Educational Assessment System (Saepi) in the context of collaborative governance and results-based education management

Abstract

This article examines the Educational Assessment System of Piauí in relation to the collaborative arrangements established between the state and municipal education systems. Rather than treating assessment only as a technical instrument, the study considers how Saepi has become part of a broader model of educational governance, marked by the use of performance data, monitoring procedures, and accountability mechanisms. The aim is to understand how this policy has shaped forms of intergovernmental cooperation and what effects it has produced for educational management and school organization. The research is linked to the Research Network on Educational Assessment Policies and Accountability. It draws on bibliographic research in the fields of educational assessment, accountability, results-based management, and collaborative governance, as well as on the analysis of legislation, official regulations, and institutional documents concerning educational policy in Piauí. The study shows that the consolidation of Saepi has helped strengthen coordination among education authorities and has expanded the monitoring of student learning. At the same time, it has reinforced a management logic strongly oriented toward targets, performance indicators, and accountability. These findings point to ambivalent effects: while the policy may contribute to more systematic planning and follow-up, it also raises concerns about pedagogical autonomy, democratic participation, and the place of educational inequalities in public decision-making.