Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the performance metrics used by him to measure the performance of students, teachers, principals and schools at primary and post-primary levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13809/11]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the metrics information processes in place to identify primary and post-primary school principals who would benefit from additional support for their own performance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13811/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 109 together.

All primary schools are required to implement standardised tests of English reading and mathematics at two stages of the primary cycle. The tests have been devised taking account of the learning objectives of the published Primary School Curriculum and have been standardised for the Irish population. My Department commissions cyclical national assessments of English and mathematics based on tests administered at two grade levels in primary schools, the results of which are published. At second level, student performance is monitored through participation in the OECD International Programme of Student Assessment, which provides a national and international benchmark of student performance in reading literacy, mathematics and science.

The junior and leaving certificate examinations are designed to assess the achievement of the objectives of the published syllabuses that are approved across the range of subjects in second-level schools. The performance of teachers and schools is evaluated on an ongoing basis by the inspectorate of my Department. The frameworks for these evaluations are set out in the following publications: A Guide to Whole School Evaluation (WSE) in Primary Schools; A Guide to Whole School Evaluation in Post-Primary Schools; A Guide to Whole School Evaluation – Management, Leadership and Learning (WSE-MLL); and A Guide to Subject Inspection.

Inspectors use a four-level quality continuum to describe the quality of educational provision in a school. This continuum is described in two departmental publications, Looking at Our Schools: An Aid to Self-evaluation in Primary Schools; and Looking at Our School: An Aid to Self-evaluation in Second-level Schools. All these publications and all the inspection reports published since February 2006 are available on my Department's website. As part of the whole-school evaluation - management, leadership and learning (WSE-MLL) - process in post-primary schools and the whole-school evaluation process in primary schools questionnaires are administered to a representative sample of parents and students to get their views on the operation of the school. The completed questionnaires provide an insight into the views of parents and students on the performance of the school and are a key source of evidence as part of the evaluation.

Responsibility for school improvement rests primarily with the staff and board of management of each school and with the school's trustees or patron. The board may use the school's own planning and review processes to review the school's performance. They may also use the school's inspection reports, which provide teachers, principals and boards with feedback on the quality of the education provided in a school and how this can be improved. These reports deal with key aspects of the work of the school and they make recommendations on aspects for development that will improve the quality of the educational provision in the school.