Questions/Answers

The Jaboatão Prepara Program aims to offer students of the last year of middle school in the public school system - District of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, didactic-pedagogical support for the selection state and federal processes in professional technical schools. Historically, vacancies are competitive and require a high level of skills and curricular knowledge proper to human and professional training. Implemented in 2015, the initiative arose due to evidence of a very low approval of District students in these technical schools. From the implementation period until 2018, the program has reached satisfactory levels, with significant approval and participation numbers. This happens especially because Prepara's new methodological framework, adopted in 2017, is organized into two action areas, namely: (i) providing professional guidance; and (ii) offering preparatory course with planning and organization of weekly study routine and teaching-learning strategies aligned with specific curricular components. Regarding the first area, the program has as its guiding principle, promotion of professinal orientation, directed to young people's personal and professional aspirations, considering their life project, highlighting the working world's social aspects, since their choices will influence the world's social, political and economical reality. The second area, is systematized classroom lessons in order to bring the proposed contents closer to the students' reality. The program makes the pedagogical approach meaningful, identifying the difficulties and potentialities in the learning process of each student, with continuous guidance, including, for individual study moments. In the developed activities, the direct and democratic participation of the whole school community is prioritized, with rounds of cine-debates to discuss all the important questions about getting into the job market, promoting notes about professional vocation and the importance of obtaining technical qualification

The Program encourages young people's access and attendance in school environment, based on professional guidance and offering a preparatory course with extra classes on Saturdays. It particularly involves students who live in a situation of social vulnerability, coming from extremely poor families with low education levels. It also seeks to encourage access to technical and professional qualification, increasing job opportunity at the end of high school. In 2018, the program enrolled 2,000 young people, equivalent to 40% of students enrolled in the 9th grade of the district's school system, helping minimize social inequalities of students in the school system.

The program enables students, in an inclusive and equitable way, the mastery of knowledge and the development of cognitive and social skills necessary to meet individual and social needs, seeking inclusion of labor market and citizenship constitution, for the construction of a fairer and more equalitarian society. It ensures the elevation of young people's school levels through vocational orientation professional guidance actions and preparatory courses that reinforces the necessary contents for the development on subjects that everyone must reach in basic education. It enables students to compete for spots in technical schools on an equal basis with other competitors, thus reducing the inequality of the selection process outcome. It promotes professional qualification, access to formal employment and reduction of youth unemployment rate. Empowers students and their families regarding the importance of meeting the weekly study plan. It encourages equity and social inclusion by considering all existing vulnerabilities, regardless of student's physical condition, social or economic status. The classes happen on Saturday at six educational centers with accessibility, offering tailored didactic resources (written in Braille, extended sources, reading support and sign language) and activities that makes a more dynamic and motivating meetings.

The program is ensured by a Law project that was submitted to the District's Chamber of Council. It enables young people to plan and develope their personal and professional desires in a continuous and assertive way, strengthening their stay in school until middle school completion and contributing to high school acceptance, making the initiative socially sustainable because the initiative has low cost (uses 0.2% of the total budget) and all expenses are paid from its own resources. It is environmentally sustainable because all the material used is disposed of in a proper place and sent for selective waste.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, 11.8% of the poorest young Brazilians between 15 and 17 years old have dropped out of school without completing high school in 2018, eight times higher than the rich young people. Jaboatão dos Guararapes District Education Network, welcomes students from the socially vulnerable group that is socially more vulnerable and less able to get into the job market. Uncomfortable with this reality of dropping out, low schooling and employability, the District, through the Secretariat of Education, created the Prepara Program as a dynamic and motivating tool for young people to be stimulated to attend high school and get into the job market with professional qualification through acceptance in technical schools. All work aims at making the school environment more attractive and exciting, inspiring not only the students enrolled in the program, but their families and all those who make up the school community. It seeks to correct weaknesses in the teaching-learning process in order to minimize dropout rates, promote personal fulfillment and fight social inequalities.

The program does not distinguish student's gender at the time of enrollment, however, periodic actions are carried out that prioritize the approach of issues related to women's access and performance in the job market and its social impacts, as it is known that women study more, earn less money and are the largest number of people living below the poverty line. Although there has been a significant improvement in women's participation in the labor market, some weaknesses need to be overcome. Prepara Program seeks to contribute to improving equal and equitable access to the job market for women and men.

The Program Prepara follows up with 9th grade students, the last year under the responsibility of Jaboatão's public network and the ages vary from14 to 16 years. They come from low-income, low-educated families and are out of the formal job market or are working informally, having little expectation of changing their reality and personal fulfillment. The program has been advancing regarding the approval numbers of these young people in state and federal technical schools, providing for these individuals and their families, life changes and overcoming social vulnerabilities through access on quality basic education, combined with professional qualification. At the end of the course, students who fail to pass the selection process feel prepared, motivated and excited to continue their studies and achieve positive results in their personal and professional lives. In 2018, 86% of those enrolled in state and federal selection processes were approved. Between 2015 and 2018, more than 1,500 Prepara students got approved in state and federal technical schools. The District of Jaboatão contributes significantly to equal opportunities and reduction of youth unemployment rate. It provides dignity and personal, family and professional growth of students by having access to education and professional qualification.

The project emerged in 2015 from the Education Department's concern that students who completed the 9th grade of middle school did not go to or drop out of high school before graduation. Guided by this finding, the team of teachers and coordinators planned strategies to minimize these impacts and leverage the District's learning indicators. Highlighting that the 9th grade of the middle school arises little interest of the Brazilian Districts, as this is the last year under their responsibility. Jaboatão has been adopting a different profile when considering all teaching levels to implement public education policies. Initially, face-to-face classes were organized on Saturdays, in Portuguese and mathematics, distributed in four teaching centers, with the objective of having 1,200 students from the 9th grade during the four months preceding tests. The District professionals adjusted the subjects methodological structure to the student's reality, elaborating specific pedagogical materials and participating in training. In 2017, the methodology was remade to increase approval numbers and class quality. The number of meetings was increased and students had more time to organize their studies. By 2018, the centers were expanded to six and enrollment rose to 2,000. “Prepara Online” has been implemented so all 9th graders, whether enrolled or not in the program, have access to materials and guidance at any time, anywhere. Program monitoring is based on student attendance and review of teaching material. The Assessment is conducted by two mock tests, made in-perso, in the middle and at the end of school year; and ten on the digital platform.

One of the main obstacles encountered refers to the distance from the centers to student's homes. To overcome it, the District provided school transportation, guaranteeing their coming and going safely. Another challenge refers to the ID Card issuance, necessary for registration in tests, which is the State's reponsibility, there is a great difficulty in scheduling these issuances. As a strategy, the District began the school year with student and family mobilization emphasizing the importance of scheduling the document issuance in advance and articulated strategies with the state to ensure said issuance.

The program is a pioneer in the State of Pernambuco/BR. The initiative is innovative, mainly because it offers a free preparatory course for low-income students, who are in the last year of middle school, aiming to get approved in state and federal technical schools that, historically, are competitive and difficult to get approved. Develops pedagogical technology to ensure interaction with all students in the network, through the creation of a virtual environment called “Prepara Online”, which provides students with conventional and simulated content in a virtual environment at any time and anywhere with professional guidance and, individual study strategies.

The initiative is a pioneer in the state of Pernambuco and was fully developed by the pedagogical team of the District Secretariat of Education. The methodological framework was inspired by private preparatory courses experiences in the region. The private courses mostly attend young people with good financial and social conditions. Thus, the Prepara pedagogical methodology was structured considering the student's social and family context, the existing social vulnerabilities and inequalities and possible weaknesses in the learning process, so that these low-income students compete for the selection process under conditions of equality with other students who have different conditions.

As it is a pioneer program at State level, several surrounding cities, such as Moreno, Recife, Olinda and Ipojuca implemented the program methodology and started to perform actions that stimulated student's participation in technical schools, ensuring the student's attendance in school environment, thus obtaining professional certification. The program is easy to implement because it uses the District's own financial resources, physical structures are District's schools and technical staff (teachers, coordinators, lunch maker, and pedagogical support) that are already part of the District's staff. From a positive repercussion of obtained results with this initiative, representatives of these cities sought our District to know the work dynamics and the activities performed and to verify the possibile program transferability. In a short period of time, the initiative's methodological structure was being implemented and the realities of each locality were adequated. These Districts, as well as Jaboatão, have been successful in the actions undertaken. Each year, more students from disadvantaged population groups are getting approved in technical schools. It is observed an increase of self-esteem and protagonism from the students and their families, with a perspective of getting a decent job by obtaining a technical degree in reference institutions at state and national levels.

The initiative was transferred and adapted to other contexts - Districts of the metropolitan region that showed interest after the program was implemented in the District of Jaboatão dos Guararapes. It is easy to transfer and has a low cost.

It was used the District's own resource in the total amount of R$ 886,464.40 - equivalent to U$ 221,616.10, exchange rate - R$ 4.00 for U$ 1.00. It represents 0.2% of the total budget for Education. Resource was used to pay for didactic and pedagogical materials, transportation, uniforms, cleaning material, school meals and our professionals worked extra hours for the project's execution i.e.: teachers, coordinators, pedagogical support and lunch makers, who are staff members and for any indirect expenses with maintenance. The meetings were held at six places that use the entire existing physical structure of network schools or partners.

It is sustainable because it has a low cost and represents only 0.2% of the total budget and was made with its own financial resources guaranteed by the Annual Budget Law - LOA, prepared by the Executive Power which establishes the expenses and revenues that will be made throughout the year. This law contains a spenditure plan that defines the services that are a priority for the District, considering available resources and PREPARA was a priority. It is institutionally sustainable, because the program's implementation was guaranteed through a project Law that was submitted to the District's Chamber of Council.

Yes

The program is periodically submitted to internal and external evaluations. The internal evaluations occur in two ways: first, through continuous dialogue between the pedagogical technical team and students, aiming to redirect actions and, second through mock tests offered by the program. One mock test happens in the first half and the other at the end. The mock tests are focused on detecting, during the teaching and learning process, which students have difficulty in achieving the proposed objectives, considering the critical and relevant descriptors. External evaluations are performed by students when subjected to state and federal external selection processes.

The main indicators evaluated are: percentage of approved students, percentage of students enrolled in Prepara compared to the total number of students in the network, percentage of students enrolled in the selection process and dropout rate. Weekly, monthly, semester and annual reports are generated. The first refers to the dissemination of school attendance and absentee list, the second presents the mock test results (made in person), the third addresses student participation in the virtual environment and the last one brings a balance with the main indicator results evaluated by the program.

In 2018, of the 2,000 students enrolled in Prepara, 781 submitted to the vestibular test, where 88% were approved, 631 being approvals to State Technical Schools and 60 to Federal Technical Institutes. A student with mental disorder was approved in first place for electrotechnical course for the Federal Institute of Education of Pernambuco - IFPE. 1,587 students were approved between 2015 and 2018. There is an improvement in educational indicators. The dropout rate fell 27% compared to 2017 and remained below Brazil's and state average, and Jaboatão is raked 4th among Recife's Metropolitan Region. The program had a 67% increase in the number of vacancies compared to the initial number. In 2017, the District government improved the preparatory course, which contributed to the development of students' potentials. As a result, it obtained 181% more approvals compared to the previous year. In 2018, the “Prepara Online” was implemented and allowed students of the network, enrolled or not in the program, to enjoy the pedagogical technology. The main challenge is to make the universal face-to-face course for all middle school students.

Horizontally, Prepara Program articulates with several partners in the areas of social assistance, health and District Management public safety. The Secretaries of the strategic areas are in connexion with the program and provide staff whenever requested. Families are key partners for the program's success, as they are integrated into the dynamics of activities throughout the year, stimulated and sensitized, in collective and individual follow-up meetings, to understand that the moment of study at home should be stimulated and preserved. Students are the main protagonists and partners, as they are always willing to plan and perform the study routine, by filling in the weekly study map. Higher level institutions play a fundamental role in the preparation period of students. The University of Guararapes - UNIFG, in partnership with the District of Jaboatão, opens the doors for students to know the reality of each profession and receive professional guidance. The State Government of Pernambuco has been acting as a vertical partner by providing one of its technical schools for the operation of a Prepara facility.

During the implementation period, officials from the social assistance, health and safety departments were involved to support the program implementation. Teachers, coordinators and pedagogical support from the entire school system supported the methodological structure's planning and elaboration. All members of the program's technical teams were trained to deal with the new pedagogical structure. 55 District schools were integrated into the program mobilization and dissemination process. Students and their families actively participate in all activities from planning the study routine to taking the tests, with motivation and aspiration for personal, professional and social growth. Articulations with external institutions occurred throughout the process. The University of Guararapes - UNIFG offered students moments of professional immersion by providing the academic environment to exchange experiences with undergraduate teachers and students. The state government has made one of its technical schools available for the operation of a center, helping meetings become more dynamic. Prepara's pedagogical team conducts periodic program evaluation through face-to-face and virtual mock tests. District management follows the program's success through results indicators obtained from the external selection process.

Among the lessons learned, we highlight the quality of the service provided, students' performance in the tests, teenager empowerment and focus not only on results, but on the teaching/learning process. Moreover, a certainty that successful actions can serve as an example for other places that sees education policy as a means of helping students become protagonists of their story. Although Prepara's enrollment accounts for 40% of 9th grade students, the District Department of Education intends to universalize the program, ensuring that the most vulnerable young people complete their studies with quality and possibility of getting into the formal job market. It is intended that 100% of students enrolled in the program have their applications made in the selection processes. The pedagogical team will carry out joint enrollment efforts at the study centers, intensify the families' awareness about the importance of issuing the identity card (RG) and will continue the articulation with the state Government to facilitate its issuance. Finally, we learned from our great educator and philosopher Paulo Freire that: “No one walks without learning how to walk, without learning how to make the path by walking, redoing and retouching the dream by which he/she set out to walk”.