During the 1980's, the reorganization of the Brazilian traditional grades of elementary school into cycles began, based on the principle of enlarging the students' learning period and on the idea of continuity. This study aimed to investigate the evaluation practices in a public school organized in cycles, as well as the necessary conditions to implement the formative assessment in their daily lives. A qualitative study held from 2004 to 2006 proposed the adequacy of the students' evaluation. The research was developed in four stages: a study group with the teachers and the technical-pedagogical body was carried out; assistance to teachers in the preparation of their annual and bimonthly schedules; development of cards to monitor the students' performance; help teachers fill out their classes cards and monthly meetings to evaluate and route the difficulties encountered in the construction of a continuous and reflexive assessment practice. Positive results were obtained with 50% of the teachers. The high turnover of teachers was the major problem, which highlights the necessity of formulating policies to combat it and also to ensure teachers conditions to take part in projects which aim to improve the pedagogical work and to cope with the difficulties in the daily school life.
Educational policies; Elementary school; Cycles system; Formative assessment