Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Literacy Levels

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which her Department analyses literacy outcome data trends. [12835/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department participates in a number of surveys at primary and second level both at a national and international level.

The 2014 National Assessments of English Reading and Mathematics were the eighth in a series which began in 1972. These, and the 2009 assessments involve the parallel testing of mathematics and English reading achievement of Second and Sixth Class pupils. Achievement data are complemented by contextual data obtained from questionnaires completed by school principals, teachers, parents and pupils.

Ireland currently participates in two large international assessments of achievement that relate to literacy.

Primary Level:‎

Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS)‎ - Assesses Fourth class pupils

PIRLS is an international study of Fourth class pupils' reading literacy which takes place every five years. It was first conducted in 2001. Ireland took part for the first time in 2011, when 325,000 pupils in 49 countries were assessed. As well as paper-based tests, a new feature of PIRLS 2016 is an assessment of literacy in a computer-based environment (ePIRLS).

Post-Primary Level: ‎

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) - Assesses 15/16 year olds

PISA is implemented every three years, ‎starting in 2000. The subject areas or 'domains' assessed by PISA are reading, mathematics and science. In each ‎cycle of PISA, one of these subjects is the main focus ('major domain') of the assessment, with ‎less emphasis placed on the remaining subjects ('minor domains').

Occasionally, additional ‎domains are assessed. For example, creative problem solving was a minor domain in 2012‎.

The results of the tests are compiled into an international report which compare performance against the previous results and against other participant countries. A national report look at our own results in more detail. The data is further analysed and further thematic reports are produced

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