I Servizi di assistenza educativa scolastica nel territorio di Bergamo: dai dati dispersi a una governance inclusiva

School Educational Assistance (AES) is a key service supporting the school participation of students with disabilities. In the Municipality of Bergamo, AES involves a complex network of institutional actors and includes the deployment of professional educators, coordination with schools, and, to a lesser extent, the provision of complementary services such as assisted transport and technologies for autonomy. However, the fragmentation and partiality of available data hinder effective monitoring and strategic planning. As part of the research project More than just numbers: Disability Data Matter, promoted by the University of Bergamo and funded by Fondazione Cariplo, an integrated analysis of both quantitative and qualitative AES-related data was carried out to explore existing challenges and opportunities in view of developing a local data management system. The analysis – based on descriptive statistics and an in-depth interview with the service coordinator – highlighted mismatches between needs and responses, a lack of disaggregated data, inconsistencies in allocation criteria, and the absence of evaluative tools. Findings point to the urgent need for predictive indicators and shared monitoring instruments to improve the equity of interventions, optimize resource allocation, and guide public policies towards full school inclusion.