This paper presents the results of an empirical research that sought to estimate the impact of poverty on the Brazilian School Performance Index - Ideb - for elementary schools in more than 5,500 Brazilian municipalities, comparing the performance of state and municipal schools. The investigation examines Ideb data for 2005, 2007, and 2009 through simple linear regressions, residue analysis, and partial correlation analysis. The results showed that poverty has a strong impact in students' performance, explaining up to 60 percent of the variation of Ideb scores. The authors discuss the results vis-à-vis the current trend in educational policies, such as those based on input factors and teachers' accountability, pointing out their shortcomings.
Educational Policies; Municipalities; Poverty; Brazil
