The Multi-Speed and Non-Linear Process of Decentralization of Education: a Look at Italy

Increasing attention has been paid to the vertical and horizontal dimensions of education in recent years. The vertical dimension refers to the decentralization of powers towards intermediate public and non-public organizations. The horizontal dimension refers to school managers’ and teachers’ power to create school networks and peer relations among schools. National and supranational governing bodies, based on the increasing legitimacy of polycentrism in assessment measures, are adapting their approach to a decentralized decision-making process, creating a link between local and core systems. Focusing on a specific study of decentralization in Italy, a review of the main laws and directions regulating the evaluation system will be introduced to describe the main actions implemented at a decentralized level to support schools in the process of self-assessment and improvement. Specific attention is paid to the definition of the objects and main activities of funded projects, enabling us to identify the main areas of attention in schools in reference to the outcomes, processes and main activities developed in the field. The documentary analysis of both web portals and funded projects shows the complexity of the improvement process due to the articulated ways in which schools proposed it.