Drawing on a combination of insights on the singular nature of policymaking in the context of federal states (Savage 2016) and a policy trajectories approach (Maroy, Pons and Dupuy 2017), we examine the evolution of educational reform in a setting characterized by complex multi-scalar interactions, namely the Catalan region within decentralized Spain. Based on interview data and a thorough document analysis, we focus primarily on understanding how and to what extent Catalonia has been able to use its margin of political and administrative autonomy within the Spanish (quasi)federal state to promote a unique approach to educational policy. Results are presented according to four different reform stages: (1) Structural reforms after the democracy restoration (1980s and 1990s); (2) Experimenting with New Public Management (NPM) ideas in education (2000s); (3) The conservative modernization agenda (2010-2015); and (4) Governing schools through educational innovation (2016-ongoing). The policy trajectory we describe shows how educational reform has been shaped by the constant interaction between the Catalan and Spanish governments in a context where the division of competences and responsibilities is ambiguous and in constant renegotiation. Nonetheless, scalar tensions do not necessarily result in diverging policy approaches on school governance. Policies on school autonomy, evaluation, leadership, and competence-based education have been encouraged by the Spanish legislative framework since the 1990s. The singularity of the Catalan education policy lies more on the fact that it has pioneered the instrumentation of such policy ideas embedded in a broader NPM approach to education, rather than in offering an alternative policy orientation within the Spanish education context.

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