Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) can be included in the DEIS scheme for the 2017-2018 academic year; the procedure to be followed by the school in order to be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29516/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The school the Deputy refers to applied for the DEIS Programme in 2005 but was assessed not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage for inclusion in the scheme at the time.

As the Deputy may be aware, a review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and, as I have recently announced, a New Action Plan Educational Inclusion will be published before the end of this year. The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, particularly the scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness. 

As I have already announced, among the measures to be included in the plan are a series of pilot schemes aimed at introducing measures which have been shown to work well in improving results for disadvantaged children and students.  The plan is expected to include targeted measures in the areas of:

- Supporting school leadership. We are lucky in Ireland to have exceptionally strong school principals in disadvantaged schools – even small improvements in supports for and retention and performance of school leaders in these schools can have a dramatic impact on outcomes.

- Networks and clusters for DEIS teachers and schools – including greater supported self-evaluation.  Stronger networks of peer groups for teachers can help develop new methods and improve outcomes.

- Teaching methodologies.  There is evidence that, for example, changing the way literacy is taught to children who struggle can achieve major improvements in results.

- Explore ways in which the work of schools could be better integrated with other state supports within the community.

The results of pilot programmes will be carefully monitored before any decisions around mainstreaming are considered.

Also under consideration is the development of a new assessment framework using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in a new programme to tackle educational disadvantage.  The number of schools to be included in the programme will be determined by this proposed new identification process which will assess all schools in the country, including the school in question.

The Review process has included extensive stakeholder consultation, in particular engagement with relevant education partners. 

The work undertaken by the Technical and Advisory Group is ongoing and its outcome will form part of the Action Plan, when published.  

It is envisaged that actions arising from a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion plan will be implemented in the 2017/2018 school year.

Further details on the Review Process and the groups involved are available at www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/.