The challenge of dropout in public elementary schools: A case study in the city of Rio de Janeiro

In this paper we present a critical reflection around a learning acceleration project directed to students of seventh and eighth school grades, with more than 2 years of age-grade gap. Created by a private institution, the Autonomia Carioca Project was recently implemented in the public municipal schools of Rio de Janeiro and has been developed from the perspective of public-private partnership with a specific pedagogical, with teachers who are able to focus on the development of different languages, emphasizing the construction of values ​​and the recovery of self-esteem of students, encouraging the formation of studies habits. Aiming to tackle the dropout, the Project formed during two years eight thousand and five hundred students who completed the first stage of elementary education. From a brief of the Project objectives and methodology, we developed field observations and interviews with managers in a school unit in which the design has been applied, to identify and discuss the challenges and possibilities of success. By monitoring the different routines in a public school we came across to a peculiar way of develop the Project. From the proposal on paper to the implementation in classroom, there are many factors involved in the task of teaching those who for several reasons, were not reached by the traditional education. The support of school director, the pedagogical coordination attendance, the profile and teacher training, the classes arrangement, the partnership with families and the accompanying of different students are some of the aspects that we address in this case study. The results of our exploratory study point to the joint action of the agents involved in school as a determining factor for the success of this project.