Governance and successful secondary schooling

a comparative case study of Castile and León (Spain) and Ceará (Brazil)

Abstract

The present study aims to compare the curricular organization of secondary education in the state of Ceará (Brazil) and in the autonomous community of Castile and León (Spain), in order to understand how successful educational reforms are operationalized in decentralized contexts. Methodologically, a comparative case study approach is adopted, articulating normative and organizational dimensions through the analysis of legal frameworks, curricular matrices, and educational performance data.  The results show that, although both systems share global orientations—such as the centrality of competencies and curricular flexibility—as well as successful outcomes within national contexts, their policy directions and corresponding forms of implementation differ. While in the state of Ceará a trajectory of progressive improvement is observed, associated with a governance model based on the articulation between curriculum, assessment, and results-based management, in Castile and León a strong performance in international assessments is recognized, linked to a set of historical, cultural, and teacher-related factors that go beyond policy decisions alone. It is therefore concluded that the impact of educational reforms does not depend exclusively on their curricular design, but on their alignment with institutional capacities, contextual conditions, teacher engagement, and social support. The comparison highlights how two different governance models produce relevant outcomes, provided there is coherence between policy, implementation, and context, along with sustained social and teacher support.