Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 March 2014
77. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the new system of self-evaluation will be introduced to schools; and the information that schools will be required to publish. [11347/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool self-evaluation (SSE) was introduced as a mandatory requirement for primary and post-primary schools in November 2012, when the SSE Guidelines were launched. Schools are required to engage in a process of internal evaluation of three aspects of teaching and learning, including literacy and numeracy in a four-year period from 2012/13 to 2015/16. They are required to produce a school self-evaluation report and a three-year school improvement plan on each of these aspects of teaching and learning and to provide a summary of the report and plan to the school community. The first report and plan should be available by the end of the school-year 2013/14. Guidance has been provided to schools about the content of the summary reports and plans. Schools are advised to provide a brief account of the school context, evidence gathered, overall findings in terms of the school's strengths and areas for improvement in the aspect of teaching and learning evaluated and the steps that the school intends to take to achieve the required improvement. Boards of management of schools have the autonomy to decide how the summary report will be provided to the school community.
