This article aims to trace the state of knowledge about education and school administration, faced to the neoliberal reform links, highlighted in academic research at PhD level (theses) produced by Brazilian researchers. To this end, we analyzed the summary of 25 theses, collected at the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), using, for data interpretation, the Content Analysis techniques proposed by Bardin (2016). Those research show that education and school administration have changed with the adoption of "new" governance forms and models, with the managerialism principles and new public management, assuming entrepreneurial features. The performance of private actors, from the third sector and the state sector was evidenced through different arrangements and its combinations in the policies formulation, conduction and execution, as well as in the education management. It is noted that there is an emptying of the concept of democratic administration printed in Brazilian legislation. The theses are consistent with the literature on the subject, presenting a critical and current reading, however there are gaps regarding the broad panorama and the recent transformations and guidelines evidenced in the Brazilian context. Keywords: State of knowledge. Education policies.