This study aims to analyze the characteristics of the Literate Brazil Program (PBA) in towns of the state of Ceará that joined the program. For this, we selected, by means of statistical criteria of representativeness, 15 towns in the state that adhered to the program. Data were collected from the literacy teachers in PBA at these towns, by filling out a structured questionnaire, and analyzed using the cluster analysis technique. Through the arrangement of towns into different groups, the findings pointed out divergences with regard to: criteria for selecting literacy teachers and their participation in training courses; workload, teaching material, and instructors of literacy teachers' training course; frequency of course coordination; length of the literacy course for students; existence of programs for visually and hearing-impaired people; and dropout and continuity of studies by literate students. Therefore, such results enabled us to observe the following needs for strengthening with regard to PBA: continued training of its literacy teachers; creation of programs for visually and hearing-impaired people; improvement of the monitoring of course coordinations; and fight against the high dropout rates on the part of enrolled students.
public policy; illiteracy; Literate Brazil Program
