The ERC has a long history of work in the area of educational disadvantage. Our work began in 2007, undertaking an independent evaluation of the DEIS Programme (Delivering Equality of opportunity In Schools) in primary and post-primary schools. Since then, the evaluation has been monitoring implementation of the DEIS programme and assessing its impact on participants. Periodic monitoring of achievement and other pupil outcomes has been a key feature of the evaluation at primary level since 2006/07.
Current and planned work
The current work of the ERC in evaluating DEIS is guided by the DEIS action plan 2017.
At primary level, the assessment of pupils in DEIS urban schools has been incorporated into the 2021 National Assessment of Mathematics and English Reading (NAMER). The NAMER 2021 DEIS Context Report draws on data from the pupil, teacher and school questionnaires from NAMER ’21 and profiles the homes, classrooms, and schools of participating pupils in Urban DEIS schools. Download the report. Download the infographic summary.
At post-primary level, recent work has focused on secondary analysis of data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
As part of its work on DEIS, the ERC is also supporting the evaluation of P-TECH in Dublin’s North-East inner city. Data collection has taken place with participating students in three schools, industry partners and mentors. Findings were reported to the Department of Education and P-TECH Steering Group in September 2021.
DEIS action planning for school improvement in primary and post-primary schools
The ERC launched a report in September 2024: 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. The report is available for download here and an infographic summary is available here.
P-TECH Ireland
The ERC launched a report in September 2024: P-TECH Student Survey Report 2024. Report to the Department of Education. 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 available for download https://doi.org/10.70092/1620538.0924
Evaluation of the implementation of DEIS
Implementation studies have been a key feature of the evaluation since the outset. Weir and Archer (2011) noted high levels of programme implementation in general in participating schools. This was particularly true in the case of school planning for DEIS. Engagement with planning and target setting required in key areas (e.g., in relation to pupil achievement and parent involvement) was found to be very high among participating schools.
In another implementation study, Weir and McAvinue (2012) noted that the programme had largely had the expected effects on class size in schools participating in the urban dimension of the programme. Analyses of more recent class size data in urban DEIS schools have also been completed (Kelleher & Weir, 2017).
More recently, the results of a survey of Home-School-Community-Liaison coordinators in primary and post-primary schools was published, and show positive implementation results (Weir et al., 2018).
