When Does an Educational Policy Produce Inequalities? - A Study on the Implementation of Law 13.415/2017 in Municipalities of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

This article analyzes limits and contradictions in implementing Federal Law No. 13,415/2017, which created the New High School (NEM), focusing on how stage segmentation and the policy’s enactment mechanisms generate educational inequalities in Minas Gerais. The theoretical-methodological approach, grounded in policy enactment theory, combines an exploratory questionnaire phase with a case-study phase using documentary analysis and interviews across four school networks. Evidence supports an analytical comparison of how the same policy is produced in distinct institutional and regulatory contexts, reinforcing institutional and educational inequalities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Research Focus

Implementation of Law 13.415/2017

Mechanisms Producing Inequalities

Methodology and Evidence

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 34 Number 36 14 de abril de 2026 ISSN 1068-2341 | | When Does an Educational Policy Produce Inequalities? A Study on the Implementation of Law 13.415/2017 in Municipalities of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil Cássio José de Oliveira Silva Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí Brasil & Nora Krawczyk Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brasil Citação: Oliveira Silva, C. J., & Krawczyk, N. (2026). When does an educational policy produce inequalities? A study on the implementation of Law 13.415/2017 in municipalities of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas, 34(36) . [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.34.9422](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.34.9422) Abstract: This article analyzes the limits and contradictions in the implementation of Federal Law No. 13,415/2017, which established the New High School (NEM), focusing on the segmentation of the stage and the mechanisms of production of educational inequalities in the state of Minas Gerais. The theoretical-methodological proposition, anchored in policy enactment theory, combined two phases: an exploratory phase, with the application of questionnaires to school administrators from the 32nd Regional Teaching Commissioner in Pouso Alegre (MG); and a second phase based on a case study, with documentary analysis and interviews. In this last stage, administrators from four schools from different networks offering secondary education (state public network, full-time secondary education, federal network, and private network) were interviewed. The documented evidence enables an analytical comparison of how the same policy is produced in institutional and regulatory contexts with significant differentiation and segmentation of the stage. The way in which the NEM was produced in different schools contributed to reinforcing institutional and educational inequalities. The cases analyzed demonstrate that curricular flexibility in the different offerings at this stage intensified preexisting hierarchies, revealing the limits of curricular flexibility policies in deeply unequal and segmented contexts. Keywords: educational policies; educational inequalities; Law 13.415/2017; educational segmentation; high school Quando uma política educacional produz desigualdades? Um estudo sobre aimplementação da Lei 13.415/2017 em municípios do estado de Minas Gerais Brasil.Resumo: Este artigo analisa os limites e as contradições no processo de implementação da Lei Federal n.º 13.415/2017, que instituiu o Novo Ensino Médio (NEM), com foco na segmentaçãoda etapa e nos mecanismos de produção de desigualdades educacionais no estado de Minas Gerais. A proposição teórico-metodológica, ancorada na policy enactment theory, combinou duas fases: uma exploratória, com aplicação de questionários aos gestores escolares da 32.ª Superintendência Regional de Ensino de Pouso Alegre (MG); e uma segunda etapa feita a partir de um estudo decasos, com análise documental e realização de entrevistas. Nessa última etapa, foram entrevistados gestores de quatro escolas de diferentes redes que ofertavam o Ensino Médio (Rede pública estadual regular, de Ensino Médio em Tempo Integral, Rede federal e Rede privada) . As evidências documentadas permitem estabelecer uma comparação analítica sobre como uma mesma política é produzida em contextos institucionais e regulatórios com significativa diferenciação e segmentaçãoda etapa. A forma como o NEM foi produzido nas diferentes escolas contribuiu para reforçardesigualdades institucionais e formativas. Os casos analisados demonstram que a flexibilização curricular nas diferentes ofertas da etapa intensificou hierarquias preexistentes, revelando os limites de políticas de flexibilização curriculares em contextos profundamente desiguais e segmentados. Palavras-chave: políticas educ

FAQs

What law and reform does the study focus on?

The study focuses on Federal Law No. 13,415/2017, which established the New High School (NEM), and examines how its implementation affects educational outcomes in Minas Gerais.

How does the article study the policy’s effects?

It combines an exploratory phase using questionnaires with a case-study phase that includes documentary analysis and interviews with administrators from four different school networks.

What do the cases show about curriculum flexibility and inequalities?

The cases indicate that curriculum flexibility across different offerings intensified preexisting hierarchies, strengthening institutional and educational inequalities in deeply unequal and segmented contexts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda