Improving Second-level Education: Using Evidence for Policy Development

Second-level education has a crucial role to play in Ireland's long-term economic prosperity, as well as being intrinsically valuable, allowing young people to develop intellectually, socially and personally. Much of the debate internationally has focused on how countries compare against international benchmarks and indicators like PISA. This paper argues that, while we can potentially learn from what other systems have 'got right', it is important that we do not fall into the trap of engaging in 'policy borrowing'. Furthermore we now have a rich evidence base in Ireland on 'what works' in terms of school organisation and process. The paper reviews this evidence in a number of key areas: ability grouping, school climate, teaching and learning methods, and curriculum and assessment. The discussion reviews how these aspects of school policy and practice can make a substantive impact on student outcomes and act as 'drivers' of improvement, often requiring relatively modest levels of expenditure.education/Policy/policy development/Ireland

STUDENT, TEACHER AND PARENT PERSPECTIVES ON SENIOR CYCLE EDUCATION. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 94 NOVEMBER 2019

The nature of senior cycle has been subject to much policy discussion. Most recently, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) initiated a review of senior cycle, with a scoping phase followed by consultation with casestudy schools and national seminars. Forty-one schools were involved in this process; they conducted consultations with staff and parents and NCCA staff carried out focus group interviews with junior and senior cycle students. This report draws on the two phases of the school-based consultation to document teacher, parent and student perspectives on the current senior cycle and potential directions for change. Because the schools volunteered for involvement, there should be caution in generalising to the broader population of schools. Nonetheless, the findings yield important insights into the benefits and challenges of senior cycle, closely mirroring findings from previous Irish research

THE EARLY IMPACT OF THE REVISED LEAVING CERTIFICATE GRADING SCHEME ON STUDENT PERCEPTIONS AND BEHAVIOUR. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 85 JANUARY 2019

This report examines the early effects, on student perceptions and behaviour, of a change in the grading structure for the Leaving Certificate (LC) examination, which took place in 2017. Potential change in LC outcomes is an important policy issue, given the crucial role played by upper secondary grades in access to higher education (HE) and in (higher quality) employment in Ireland (Hannan et al., 1998; McCoy et al., 2010a; Smyth and McCoy, 2009). In Ireland, the terminal, externally assessed system, with its high-stakes character, has been found to profoundly influence the nature of learning and skills development experienced by young people (McCoy et al., 2014b; Burns et al., 2018; Smyth et al., 2011). This report assesses whether an adjustment in the grading system has had an impact on the perceptions and behaviour of the first cohort of students experiencing the new scheme, in their final year of school

INVESTING IN EDUCATION. ESRI Research Bulletin 2009/3/3

Education matters because it is intrinsically valuable, allowing children and young people to develop intellectually, socially and morally. It also matters because, in Ireland, as in many other countries, education is a powerful predictor of adult life chances. Young people who leave school early do not reach their full potential and experience restricted opportunities across many dimensions of their lives. A new study by Emer Smyth and Selina McCoy,† addresses the costs of early school leaving to the individual and to the broader society. The study draws on a range of information to assess outcomes among early school leavers and to analyse policy interventions designed to prevent school drop-out

Investing in Education: Combating Educational Disadvantage. RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 6 MAY 2009

Education matters because it is intrinsically valuable, allowing children and young people to develop intellectually, socially and morally. It also matters because, in Ireland, as in many other countries, education is a powerful predictor of adult life chances. Inequality in educational outcomes means that some groups do not reach their potential and experience restricted opportunities across several aspects of their lives: Equality in education matters … because education is indispensable for the full exercise of people’s capabilities, choices and freedoms in an information-driven age. (Baker et al., 2004, p. 141

INVESTING IN EDUCATION. ESRI Research Bulletin 2009/3/3

Education matters because it is intrinsically valuable, allowing children and young people to develop intellectually, socially and morally. It also matters because, in Ireland, as in many other countries, education is a powerful predictor of adult life chances. Young people who leave school early do not reach their full potential and experience restricted opportunities across many dimensions of their lives. A new study by Emer Smyth and Selina McCoy,† addresses the costs of early school leaving to the individual and to the broader society. The study draws on a range of information to assess outcomes among early school leavers and to analyse policy interventions designed to prevent school drop-out

Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

education

Senior Cycle Review: Analysis of discussions in schools on the purpose of senior cycle education in Ireland. ESRI WP607, December 2018

This report is intended to inform the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) review of senior cycle and draws on the first cycle of the consultation process with 41 schools with different profiles and characteristics. The first cycle of the process has looked at teacher, parent and student perspectives on the purpose of senior cycle. The report outlines their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the current senior cycle and their views on how senior cycle could be changed to address these challenges and to foster greater inclusion

Why Does School Social Mix Matter? ESRI Research Bulletin 2014/3/4

Policy to address educational inequality in Ireland focuses on providing additional funding to schools with a high proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. A recent study by Selina McCoy, Amanda Quail and Emer Smyth examines whether students in primary schools that serve disadvantaged populations have lower test scores in reading and mathematics than their peers in other schools and, if so, what explains the variation

Acting Up or Opting Out? Truancy in Irish Secondary Schools. ESRI WP212. October 2007

This paper explores the way in which truancy levels are structured by individual social class and the social mix of the school within the Republic of Ireland. Drawing on a national survey of young people, truancy levels are found to be higher among working-class and Traveller students. Truancy is more prevalent in predominantly working-class schools, mainly because young people see them as less supportive and more disorderly environments. The empirical analyses are situated within the context of the concepts of individual and institutional habitus as well as resistance theory. Our findings suggest the institutional habitus of the school is a strong factor in influencing truancy levels among young people. While truancy operates as a form of student resistance to the school system, it serves to reproduce social class inequalities since it is associated with more negative educational and labour market outcomes in the longer term