DOI: https://doi.org/10.70092/1413183.0325

Authors: Joanne Kiniry, Anastasios Karakolidis, Sharon M. Nelis, Alice Duggan, Rachel Cunningham, Vasiliki Pitsia and David Millar​

Title: The National Assessments of Mathematics and English Reading and 2021: Context Report​

Abstract:

The 2021 National Assessments of English Reading and Mathematics (NAMER) Context Report offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing achievement in Second class English reading and Sixth class maths in Ireland. Due to pandemic-related disruptions, NAMER 2021 was postponed from 2020 and adapted to reduce the testing burden. Pupils had experienced approximately two months of remote teaching prior to returning to face-to-face instruction in March 2021.

Drawing on data from questionnaires administered to pupils, teachers, and school principals, this report situates performance outcomes within broader educational and socio-economic settings. Key variables examined include, pupil background, language, instructional time and homework, teacher professional development, digital practices in school and home, and school factors such as school gender, planning and COVID-19 impact.

Recommendations stress the need to build on existing good practice in schools as well as the strengthening initiatives to improve liking and confidence in reading and mathematics.

[Download Report]

Publication date: 25th April 2025

The ERC has published its Strategic Plan for 2025-2030, a blueprint that will guide the organisation through the next phase of growth, innovation, and impact in the fields of education and research in Ireland. This plan builds on the ERC’s almost 60-year history of producing evidence-based research insights and high-quality assessment support services that facilitate the improvement of educational practices and policies.

This strategic plan outlines a vision to not only sustain but to elevate the role of the ERC. We aim to do more, engage further, and strengthen the impact of our work. Our five-year goals are ambitious, and rightly so. They are designed to position the ERC as a leader in educational research, while comprehensively supporting Ireland’s educational community with actionable insights and innovative assessment support services.
The strategic plan is the result of wide consultation with educators, researchers, policymakers, and learners, and reflects the ERC’s evolving role as a national leader in educational evidence and evaluation.

The full plan is now available here: English Version and Irish Version (FTO Plean Straitéiseach_2025-2030)

You can read the ERC’s April 2025 Newsletter here.

This newsletter includes information on:

• The ERC Drumcondra Tests
• The benefits of online testing via DOTS
• ERC’s redevelopment of its Irish langauge tests
• Exemptions and Reasonable Accommodations

The ERC is pleased to announce that we have commenced the redevelopment of our two primary-level Irish language standardised tests, which are used in Irish-medium and English-medium primary schools across Ireland. 

The current tests (Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach do Bhunscoileanna Gaeltachta agus Lán-Ghaeilge (TGD-G) and Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach do Scoileanna Rialta (TGD-R)), which have been a cornerstone of language assessment of students for the past 15 years, are being comprehensively reviewed and renormed to better reflect current educational needs and practices, and up-to-date standards of Irish among children nationally. The current versions of TGD-G and TGD-R continue to provide a valuable tool for assessing Irish in schools.

The redevelopment of these standardised tests over the coming three years marks a significant step in ensuring that language assessment tools remain accurate, effective and relevant. The existing tests, which have provided invaluable data to support language learning and teaching, will be thoroughly reviewed and modernised. This process will involve collaboration with language experts, educators, and other stakeholders to ensure that the new assessments meet the highest standards of validity and reliability.

The ERC recognise the importance of providing up-to-date and robust assessment tools that reflect the evolving landscape of language education. The redevelopment of these Irish language tests will support schools in effectively evaluating language proficiency and guiding language instruction.

The new tests will aim to accommodate diverse learning contexts and will be designed to better align with current curricular objectives and linguistic research, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of students’ language abilities. Both paper and online versions of the tests will be developed by the ERC.

The ERC remains committed to supporting Irish language education through ongoing research and innovation. Further updates on the redevelopment process will be shared as the project progresses.

The ERC is pleased to announce that we have commenced the redevelopment of our two primary-level Irish language standardised tests, which are used in Irish-medium and English-medium primary schools across Ireland. 

The current tests (Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach do Bhunscoileanna Gaeltachta agus Lán-Ghaeilge (TGD-G) and Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach do Scoileanna Rialta (TGD-R)), which have been a cornerstone of language assessment of students for the past 15 years, are being comprehensively reviewed and renormed to better reflect current educational needs and practices, and up-to-date standards of Irish among children nationally. The current versions of TGD-G and TGD-R continue to provide a valuable tool for assessing Irish in schools.

The redevelopment of these standardised tests over the coming three years marks a significant step in ensuring that language assessment tools remain accurate, effective and relevant. The existing tests, which have provided invaluable data to support language learning and teaching, will be thoroughly reviewed and modernised. This process will involve collaboration with language experts, educators, and other stakeholders to ensure that the new assessments meet the highest standards of validity and reliability.

The ERC recognise the importance of providing up-to-date and robust assessment tools that reflect the evolving landscape of language education. The redevelopment of these Irish language tests will support schools in effectively evaluating language proficiency and guiding language instruction.

The new tests will aim to accommodate diverse learning contexts and will be designed to better align with current curricular objectives and linguistic research, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of students’ language abilities. Both paper and online versions of the tests will be developed by the ERC.

The ERC remains committed to supporting Irish language education through ongoing research and innovation. Further updates on the redevelopment process will be shared as the project progresses.

The ERC is grateful to schools for their participation and support in helping us administer PISA in schools in Ireland. Over 8,000 students from 172 post-primary schools will take part in PISA over the next 6 weeks. PISA is a skills based assessment that informs us how well equipped students are for life after school.

Táimid an-bhuíoch de scoileanna as a rannpháirtíocht agus as a dtacaíocht i PISA a riar. Tá níos mó ná 8,000 scoláirí ó 172 scoil ar fud na hÉireann ag glacadh páirte i PISA. Déanann PISA measúnú ar mhéid an eolais agus na scileanna atá bainte amach ag scoláirí, eolas agus scileanna a mheastar a bheith riachtanach chun páirt iomlán a ghlacadh sa tsochaí. 

The ERC is pleased to publish the results for Ireland from TIMSS 2023 in a new report: TIMSS 2023: Insights into mathematics and science achievement in Ireland (https://doi.org/10.70092/2009137.1224). 

TIMSS assesses the mathematical and scientific knowledge and skills of students in Fourth Grade and Eighth Grade (Fourth Class and Second Year in Ireland). TIMSS 2023 is the eighth cycle of the study and included 656,360 students from 65 countries. 

This national report focuses on trends in overall achievement in Ireland, as well as the distribution of achievement (performance at various percentiles), student performance at the TIMSS International Benchmarks, relative strengths and weaknesses on the TIMSS content and cognitive domains, and teachers’ reports of curriculum coverage.  

Performance in Ireland is explored in the context of selected countries; compared with previous cycles of TIMSS where data are available (since 2011 for Fourth Class and since 2015 for Second Year); and, where applicable, examined by gender and by socioeconomic status at both individual level and at school level (DEIS status). 

Some key findings from the report include: 

• The mean achievement of mathematics and science at both Fourth Class and Second Year is similar to 2015 and 2019, indicating stability in mathematics and science achievement since 2015. 

• There were no significant differences in the achievement of boys and girls at Fourth Class, while boys significantly outperformed girls in mathematics and science at Second Year. 

• At primary level, pupils in DEIS Urban Band 1 and Urban Band 2 schools had significantly lower mean mathematics and science achievement than pupils in non-DEIS schools. Similarly, at post-primary level, pupils in DEIS schools had significantly lower mean mathematics and science achievement than students in non-DEIS schools. 

The full report can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.70092/2009137.1224 

Summary infographics are available here.

The ERC is pleased to announce the forthcoming launch of the TIMSS 2023 national report which will be available from https://doi.org/10.70092/2009137.1224 at 9am on Wednesday 4^th December 2024.

TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) has been assessing the mathematics and science skills of Fourth Grade and Eighth Grade students internationally (Fourth Class and Second Year in Ireland) since 1995, serving as a valuable tool for monitoring trends in mathematics and science achievement. It also collects contextual information from students, parents/guardians, teachers and school principals.

TIMSS 2023 is the eighth cycle of the study which started in 1995, providing almost 30 years of trend data. TIMSS 2023 was administered in 65 countries (including Ireland) and includes over 650,000 students worldwide. In Ireland, 360 schools and almost 13,000 students took part in TIMSS 2023.

TIMSS 2023 marks Ireland’s transition to digital testing. A national mode effect study was also included to monitor how student achievement may be affected by the mode of assessment (paper vs digital).

The TIMSS 2023 report will be accessible at: https://doi.org/10.70092/2009137.1224.

The ERC is pleased to announce the release of our latest report: P-TECH Student Survey Report 2024. This report focuses on the experience of the first cohort of P-TECH students in Ireland as they complete post-primary school. The report is now available for download here: https://doi.org/10.70092/1620538.0924

The ERC is pleased to publish the final report of the longitudinal Digital Learning Framework Evaluation. It evaluates the implementation of the DLF from multiple perspectives over a three-year period. The report examines the current policy and research landscape on the use of digital technologies in schools and considers how schools have had successes and met challenges in their embedding and implementation of the DLF.

For more, read the report here.

The ERC is pleased to announce the release of our latest report: Principals’ initial perspectives of action planning in new DEIS primary and post-primary schools. This report focuses on action planning implementation in schools entering DEIS for the first time in 2022. We encourage all stakeholders in the DEIS community to read this resource!

The report is now available for download here and an infographic summary is available here.