This article presents the results of a comparative study on the evaluations of 4th grade students of Elementary Schools from Paraná State. The evaluations were carried out by the Education Department in 1997 and 1998. The study was accomplished based on the percentile of the students achievement in the different tests. The results show improvement in mathematics, sciences and composition and a decline only in Portuguese. In spite of this, the results do not reach satisfactory levels, because in approximately 50% of the tests a high number of students reached percentile inferior to the average. This tendency reveals the need of a review on the system itself, an evaluation beyond the student's performance, with views to the identification and solution of their real deficiencies and vulnerability.
Elementary School of Paraná; quality of education; evaluation of the education
