Recommendations on renewal policies to tackle educational disadvantage to be produced this year. The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn T.D., has welcomed further positive research results for DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools).
At a Joint Department of Education and Skills/Educational Research Centre (ERC) Seminar “Learning from DEIS”, initial findings from an ERC study of post-primary schools are being presented.
The evaluation at post-primary level indicates that the overall performance on public examinations of students in DEIS schools has improved since the introduction of the programme.
The study also found that the majority of schools are responding very well to the programme, reporting that DEIS is helping them to address what are, in many cases, very challenging circumstances. The post-primary study follows on from the ERC’s longitudinal research on primary schools published in December last[1].
Speaking at the Seminar in Marino Institute of Education in Dublin, Minister Quinn said, “The research to date demonstrates very encouraging results. Literacy and Numeracy rates in primary schools are improving steadily; second level attainment levels are also improving; and, critically attendance, participation and retention levels are also increasing.”
“In short, DEIS is working and the additional resources given to DEIS schools are bearing fruit. This is particularly true at primary level where there are vital windows of opportunity to make early and important interventions for children.”
The Minister continued, “We can be very encouraged by the improvements that have been achieved. However, we should also be aware that they need to be further built on because average results for pupils in DEIS schools still fall below the national average. During the month of June, I am going to commission one further piece of research relating to DEIS. This research will provide, within the next six months, recommendations for a renewal of our policy to tackle educational disadvantage, including DEIS. I am determined to act upon those recommendations early next year.”
The Seminar brought together researchers, education experts, DEIS school Principals parents and officials from the Department of Education and Skills to share knowledge, best practice and plan for the future.
Presentations from the Department on the Retention rates and Progression of Pupils in DEIS Schools show that the improvement in DEIS schools’ retention rates in recent years has been significantly higher than the overall improvement nationally.
For pupils who entered post primary in 2007, there is approximately a 3.5% difference in the Junior Certificate rate between DEIS and non-DEIS schools. The Leaving Certificate retention rate for the 2007 entry cohort in DEIS schools is just over 80%, which is around 10% lower than the national average rate.
Data on where school leavers went after completing the Leaving Certificate in 2010 , contained in a 2013 DES report - ‘School Completers - What’s Next?’ shows that some 24% of school completers in DEIS schools went onto higher education compared to 49% overall from non-DEIS schools.
The Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate presented research findings in relation to planning processes in DEIS Schools at the Seminar. This showed that the majority of schools are engaging in effective planning for improvement in relation to a range of DEIS themes such as attendance and literacy. The evaluations indicate that where schools have taken a whole-school, evidence-based approach to improving literacy, especially at primary level, they report improvements in pupils’ attainment levels.
DEIS school Principals from urban disadvantaged areas in Dublin and Limerick presenting case studies based on their frontline experience of managing a DEIS school described the benefits of collaboration, school leadership and planning.
In conclusion, Minister Quinn said that he would be using the information and feedback from today’s seminar to guide policy development and inform future interventions to combat educational disadvantage.
[1] The Evaluation of the School Support Programme under DEIS – Changes in pupil achievement in urban primary schools between 2007 and 2013 – Bulletin Report – Susan Weir and Sylvia Denner Dublin: ERC 2013
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Notes for Editors
The DEIS Programme was introduced in primary and post-primary schools in the 2006/2007 school year. The aim of DEIS is to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. One of its core elements is an integrated School Support Programme (SSP) which brings together and builds upon existing interventions for schools and communities with concentrated disadvantage.
There are currently 852 school (658 primary and 194 post-primary) with enrolment of almost 166,000 in the School Support Programme.
The cost to the Department of Education and Skills of the DEIS programme in 2013 was €96.4 million, including some €16million in additional grants to DEIS schools. Additional funding is provided by the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for the School Meals Programme and the School Completion Programme respectively.
A key commitment under DEIS is to have ongoing evaluation of the programme to ensure successful implementation and the best possible approaches to measuring progress and outcomes at both local and national level with an increased emphasis on formative evaluation, in the sense of providing regular feedback on the operation of the programmes, as well as on summative evaluation, which assists in assessing the overall value of a particular measure.
The Educational Research Centre has been carrying out a longitudinal evaluation of DEIS on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills since the inception of the programme in 2006/7. The DES Inspectorate has prioritised DEIS schools in its ongoing work programme with particular emphasis on school planning and self-evaluation and the implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.