The New Public Education (NEP) in Chile has introduced an innovative approach to addressing persistent challenges in the educational system, particularly in contexts of inequality (Anderson et al., 2023). Within the framework of the FONDEF project ID22I10009, we have developed a social accountability model aimed at moving beyond high-stakes performative approaches, characteristic of New Public Management (NPM), by implementing a system of shared accountability. This model prioritizes local self-evaluation, trust-building, and the strengthening of social capital in educational communities, aligning NEP's strategic principles with meaningful improvements in educational and social outcomes (De la Vega & Picazo, 2016; Darling-Hammond, 2004). Through a participatory methodological approach, the project has designed and implemented tools that foster collaborative reflection, data-driven analysis, and the creation of improvement strategies tailored to the specificities of each context. The project has focused on three key areas: (1) identifying fundamental responsibilities at different levels of the system (national, local, and school) (see Carrasco-Aguilar et al., 2024), (2) designing indicators and rubrics to evaluate their fulfillment, and (3) creating operational mechanisms that enhance interactions among key stakeholders, including school networks, local steering committees, and educational councils. The model draws inspiration from successful international experiences (Bjorkman & Svensson, 2009; Rahman, 2018; Hevia & Vergara-Lope, 2019; Singh & Vutukuru, 2010; Hargreaves, 2020), adapting them to the Chilean context by emphasizing the ethics of care, distributed leadership, and technical-pedagogical support. The pilot implementation has demonstrated the transformative potential of this approach, particularly within the context of public education. By fostering collaboration among educational communities and other territorial actors, the groundwork has been laid for advancing towards a more inclusive governance model that links accountability with social justice and educational equity. This Chilean experience aligns with the global debate on the shift from NPM to New Public Governance (NPG), highlighting the need for models that go beyond traditional accountability and position shared responsibility as the cornerstone of more democratic and comprehensive educational policies.

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