FGV EBAPE graduate’s groundbreaking research transforms public education in Rio de Janeiro

Innovation does not have to come with a high price tag. In Rio de Janeiro, Felipe Puccioni, who holds a Professional Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MAP) from FGV EBAPE, a PhD from the University of Cambridge, and is a member of the Court of Auditors of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, developed a program that increased productivity by 60% among 16,000 public school students in the city.

The initiative called Programa Ciência e Gestão pela Educação (PCGE) (Science and Management for Education Program (PCGE), was conceived by Puccioni as part of his PhD thesis. After establishing a technical cooperation agreement between the Court of Auditors of the Municipality of Rio, the Municipal Department of Education, and the University of Cambridge, the program was implemented in 40 randomly selected schools. Remarkably, the additional cost was only BRL 45 per student per year, yet the results were substantial.

“The project aims to enhance the efficiency of schools in supporting both teachers and students, using management practices that have been well-established in academic literature worldwide,” Puccioni explained in an interview with one of the most important weekly TV news programs in Brazil, Fantástico.

The PCGE consists of 23 rigorously tested and approved management practices, focusing on five key areas: leadership, performance and learning monitoring, operations, human resources, and the development of objectives and goals. Over two years, the program led to a 29% reduction in dropout rates and a 60% increase in productivity for both students and teachers in the participating schools.

“In just two years, these students have learned what would typically take four years in other schools,” said Puccioni. His research suggests that implementing the PCGE across all 136,000 Brazilian public schools could elevate the country’s education level to that of European nations.