Month: April 2017

On March 10th, Minister Richard Bruton, launched the new Drumcondra Online Testing System (DOTS) and a suite of standardised “Drumcondra” tests for post-primary schools.  The DOTS is a cloud-based, fully integrated, secure system for the delivery of standardised tests to Irish students.

In parallel with the development of the testing platform, three new standardised tests were developed and are now available for use by post-primary teachers.  These are:

·         Drumcondra Reasoning Test – for incoming First Years

·         Drumcondra Maths Test – a curriculum-linked test for the end of Second Year

·         Drumcondra Reading Test – a curriculum-linked test for the end of Second Year

For more information see our site trythetests.erc.ie or email dots@erc.ie

The ERC has been conducting an independent evaluation of the DEIS programme in primary and post-primary schools since 2007. As well as assessing the programme’s effects on participants in a range of areas including student outcomes, much of the evaluation effort has been aimed at ‎monitoring implementation of the programme in key areas. These include school planning, the organisation of teaching and learning support, and the operation of reduced class sizes in junior classes in participating Band 1 schools.  The current report focuses on the last of these issues, and compares class size data in programme schools in 2014/15 with data from of an earlier evaluation study in which data from 2009/10 was analysed.

For the full report click here.

For a brief summary of the report click here.