Alan Shatter
Question:62 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will publish the initial findings in respect of early start in order that an informed debate on options for pre-school can commence. [15523/99]
Written Answers. - Early Childhood Education.
Róisín Shortall
Question:90 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the evaluation of the early start programme; if he will make a copy of the report available (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15632/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 90 together.
Three assessment instruments were used in the recent evaluation of early start children which compared the attainment of children in junior infants with that of children who had not been in early start.
Early screening profiles designed for use with children aged between two and seven were used to assess cognitive and motor development. Subscales of the test were used to assess verbal concepts, visual discrimination, logical relations, basic school skills, in particular, receptive and expressive language abilities, gross motor development and fine motor development.
The Drumcondra primary reading test – Level 2, Form A – was used to assess pupils' achievement in word analysis, reading vocabulary and reading comprehension. Drumcondra mathematics test – Level 1, Form B – was used to assess pupils' achievements in computation, mathematical concepts and problem solving, involving number and measurement. There were no significant differences between the cognitive attainment of the experimental and control groups on the tests.
Longitudinal literacy and numeracy tests on the first cohort of early start pupils in second class have been carried out in November-December 1998 and tests on the second cohort will be carried out in November-December 1999. Reports on these tests will provide comparisons with the attainment of the children's peers in second class who did not participate in early start. They will also provide comparisons with the attainment levels of pupils who were in second class in the project schools at the start of the scheme in 1994. These reports will be available in early July 1999 and June 2000 respectively.
The process of in-career development for the teachers and child care workers in early start is ongoing and is under continuing review in light of developments in the project. A core group of early start personnel engaged in innovative professional development during the 1997-98 school year. Through their work with the trainers, a draft working document that identifies structured play activities and the holistic development of the children, including cognitive development, was prepared. This work is being disseminated to a further group of early start personnel in the current school year.
A White Paper on early childhood education is being prepared by my Department. This paper will take into account the report on the forum on early childhood education and the evaluation report on early start. It is not proposed to make any changes in early childhood education provision until this White Paper is published and considered by all the partners involved.
I regret that a copy of the evaluation report was not made available to Deputy Shortall as I indicated to her in my reply on 23 March 1999. I have taken measures to ensure that this situation has now been rectified. I am also arranging to forward a copy of the report to Deputy Shatter.