Data-Driven Strategies for Achieving School Equity: Insights From Brazil and Policy Recommendations

Education plays a crucial role in shaping societies and driving progress for future generations. Ensuring an education system that offers equal opportunities to all students is essential to promote equitable education. However, many students face disparities that impede their access to fair educational opportunities. This paper delves into the significance of using data-driven strategies to achieve a more equitable education system. We examine the barriers and inequalities hindering students' access to high-quality education and explore how data can be instrumental in addressing these challenges. To this end, we leveraged open educational data from Brazil, identifying eight school-related factors associated with student performance. We present various visualizations and insights on how these factors can be employed to promote equity among schools in the country. Furthermore, we recommend the implementation of two public education policies aimed at improving digital governance in Brazilian education. In summary, this paper underscores the crucial role of data-driven approaches in advancing educational equity and offers practical guidance for researchers and policymakers alike.