Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the general criteria used to have a school or a group of schools included in the DEIS programme up to now and prior to the review which is due in 2017; the guidelines that were issued to assist applicants; the supporting information that was required to process an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40551/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the underlying criteria used in 2005 for participation in DEIS was a school's relative level of disadvantage against all other schools. Schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage were selected for participation in the DEIS programme. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the programme.

At Primary level the identification for participation in DEIS was based on analysis of a survey, carried out by the Educational Research Centre (ERC), of all primary schools. This analysis identified the socio-economic variables that collectively best predict achievement, and these variables were then used to identify schools for participation in the School Support Programme. The variables involved were:

% unemployment

% local authority accommodation

% lone parenthood

% Travellers

% large families (5 or more children)

% pupils eligible for free books.

At Post Primary level the identification process was based on centrally held data on pupils from the Post Primary Database and the State Examinations Commission database, using the following criteria:

Medical card data for Junior Cert candidates;

Junior Cert retention rates;

Junior Cert exam results aggregated to school level;

Leaving Cert retention rates by school;

The identification process for DEIS was in line with international best practice and had regard to, and employed, the existing and most appropriate data sources available.

The Educational Research Centre (ERC) conducted surveys of new and amalgamated schools that were established up to September 2008. These surveys sought the same information as the original DEIS survey and the same variables were used to calculate the schools relative level of disadvantage. With the exception of two or more DEIS schools amalgamating to form a new school, no newly established school has been admitted to the DEIS programme since 2009.

As the Deputy may be aware, a process to review the DEIS Programme, which began last year is nearing completion and it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on the Department’s website at .

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed starting date for the review of the DEIS programme in 2017; his plans to have a target date for the conclusion of this review; when he anticipates the approximate date when the new programme will begin roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40552/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A process to review the DEIS Programme began last year and is now nearing completion. It is the my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks.

The review process is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness.

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 area of:

School leadership

School networks and clusters

Teaching methodologies

Integration of schools and other State supports within communities

Greater use of Home School Community Liaison services

A new assessment framework is also being developed using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in a new Programme. The number of schools to receive supports under a new School Support Programme will be determined by this proposed new identification process, which will assess all schools in the country. Schools will not be required to submit an application for assessment as the methodology being applied involves the use of centrally held data already available to my Department.

Implementation of actions arising from the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on the Department’s website at .

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the ranking of Tipperary town in terms of level of need in the current DEIS programme, as an urban centre and the individual ranking of the schools in the town, based on information and research in the possession of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40553/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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There are 14 schools in Tipperary which participate in the current DEIS Programme. Of these 2 are categorised as DEIS Band 1; 5 as DEIS Band 2; 7 in the Rural strand of DEIS and 7 Post-Primary schools. One of the Post-Primary schools is located in Tipperary Town. Under the current programme inclusion in DEIS is based on school data rather than area based information.

As the Deputy will be aware a process to review the current DEIS programme is nearing completion. The review process is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and Agencies, in order to improve effectiveness.

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 area of:

School leadership

School networks and clusters

Teaching methodologies

Integration of schools and other State supports within communities

Greater use of Home School Community Liaison services

A new assessment framework is also being developed using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in a new Programme. The number of schools to receive supports under a new School Support Programme will be determined by this proposed new identification process, which will assess all schools in the country. Schools will not be required to submit an application for assessment as the methodology being applied involves the use of centrally held data already available to my Department.

Implementation of actions arising from the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on the Department’s website at .