Action of CAED/UFJF in the “specialized assessment market”: Constitution, expansion and conformation (1997-2018)

Abstract

The Center for Public Policies and Education Evaluation (CAEd/UFJF) has assumed an importance role in consolidating the external evaluation systems of basic education in Brazil during the past two decades. Considering the ambiguities of its structure, resulting from both stricto and lato privatization processes, this article analyzes CAEd/UFJF’s activities between 1997 and 2018, along with its nature and configurations. Based on a literature review and an analysis of educational policy documents, this article identifies three key phases in the history of CAEd/UFJF: its creation and institutionalization (1997-2001), its expansion and dominance in state evaluation systems (2002-2018), and the establishment and accreditation of the CAEd Foundation (2018-2019), which reflects its aim to enhance its “autonomy” from UFJF and expand its role in the “specialized evaluation market.”