The National Strategy: Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011-2020 set a clear vision, with targets, for raising standards in literacy and numeracy in early years, primary and post-primary settings by 2020.
In March 2017, I published the Report from the Interim Review of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. The Interim Review involved consideration of research findings, both national and international, and a consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders. The findings of the Interim Review showed that all of the targets set for reading and maths at primary level in the 2011 Strategy have been reached, in little over half of the Strategy’s lifetime, and significant progress has been made towards achievement of targets at post-primary. In light of these findings, the Report of the Interim Review contained new and updated targets, to match my ambition to make the Irish education system the best in Europe by 2026.
These targets, along with additional actions in priority areas, will help maintain focus on progressing literacy and numeracy achievement to 2020.
Professional development support for The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 has been provided in the years 2011 to 2015 by a number of Department funded support services. These include the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) and the Special Education Support Service (SESS).
PDST and SESS have supported teacher training with dedicated literacy, numeracy and leadership teams for both the primary and the post-primary sectors. A comprehensive range of summer courses for primary teachers have also been provided with a focus on Literacy and Numeracy. Full details of the PDST programme of support 2011 to 2015 is contained in the attached document.
The acquisition and development of language and the development of modes of communication are the foundations of the development of literacy and numeracy skills of all students and most especially those students with special educational needs. This has been reflected across the programme of support provided by SESS to teachers of children with special educational needs. In addition, SESS facilitated an average of 250 specific Literacy and Numeracy seminars for the years 2011 to 2015.
The National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) delivers a workshop programme for newly-qualified teachers (NQTs). Their primary literacy programme concentrates on teaching and managing a reading lesson and the primary numeracy workshops places emphasis on developing good practice in mathematics teaching. The key reference for these workshops is Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020.
The Department does not record the number of teacher substitute days which are specific to Literacy and Numeracy events.
The PDST personnel and programme costs together with SESS personnel costs for the training referenced above are set out in the table. The total annual programme cost for SESS is in the region of €2 million. It is not possible to extricate programme costs which are specific to literacy and numeracy support from this total.
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Year
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2011
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2.78m
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2012
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3.54m
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2013
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5.03m
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2014
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5.11m
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2015
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5.49m
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PDST programme of support
School Support
PDST have provided tailored in-school Support every year for Primary Literacy including Gaeilge and Primary Numeracy.
Workshops and Seminars
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Primary Literacy (including Gaeilge)
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English as an Additional Language (EAL) Workshops for Primary
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2011
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Link Teacher Information Seminars for Principals
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2012
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Link Teacher Information Seminars for Principals
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2012/2013
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ICT in literacy Workshops
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2012
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Guided Comprehension Workshops – Teaching for Meaning
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2012
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Literacy Link Teacher:
Literacy Link Seminars Days 1 and 2
Literacy Link Cluster Meetings
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2013/2014
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Literacy Workshops:
Writing 1 and 2
Reading Fluency Guided Reading
Running Records
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2013/2014
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Literacy Capacity Building Initiatives:
Learning Support Facilitator Training
Learning Support Seminars
Learning Support Workshops
First Steps Facilitator Training
First Steps Workshop 1 & 2
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2013/2014
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PDST National Literacy Event
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2013/2014
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Reading Recovery IPD and CPD
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2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
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Primary Gaeilge:
Nascmhúinteoirí:
Séimineáir to Nascmhúinteoirí- litearthacht Gaeilge & Béarla
Cnuasghrúpaí do Nascmhúinteoirí
Ceardlanna: Tuiscint
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2013/2014
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Gaeilge-Ceardlanna
An Ghaeilge Ó Bhéal
Tuiscint
Scríobhleabhair
Cruinneas
Seachtain na Gaeilge
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2014/2015
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Cruinneas
Gaeilge agus an Plean Feabhsúcháin Scoile
An Cur Chuige Cumarsáideach
Ciorcal Comhrá
Gaeilge ó Bhéal
Scríbhneoireacht
Seachtain na Gaeilge
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2015/2016
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Primary Literacy Workshops
Reading Fluency Workshops
The Writing Process and Writing Genre
Phonological Awareness
Word Study 1
Word Study 2
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2014/2015
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Literacy Local Capacity Building:
Training of trainers -Learning Support
Learning Support Seminars (delivered by trained tutors above
Local Capacity Building: First Steps Literacy
Literacy Link Teacher Communities of Practice
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2014/2015
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Primary Literacy Workshops
Phonological Awareness
Oral Language
Word Study
Reading Fluency
Cluster meetings
Team Teaching for Literacy
National Literacy Conference
Additional workshops provided according to local needs
(EAL, the Writing Genre, Guided Reading, Running Records)
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2015/2016
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Primary Language Curriculum
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2 hour information seminar
Full day primary language seminar
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2015/2016
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Primary Numeracy
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Link Teacher Information Seminars for Principals
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2012
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Numeracy Link Teacher 2 day Seminars
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2012/2013
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ICT in numeracy Workshops
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2012
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Numeracy Link Teachers:
Numeracy Link Teacher Seminars Days 1 & 2 / Séimineáir to Nascmhúinteoirí
Number
Shape & Space
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2013/2014
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Numeracy Link Clusters/cnuasghrúpaí
Workshops:
Problem Solving
Mental Maths
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2013/2014
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Primary Numeracy
Workshops
Mental maths (Addition & Subtraction)
Mental maths
(Multiplication and Division)
Numeracy Link Teacher Communities of Practice
Infant maths
Maths Recovery Training (day 1 & day 2)
Numeracy National Conference
Numeracy Summer Course – Infant Maths
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2014/2015
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Primary Numeracy
Workshops
Infant Maths
Number
Shape and Space
Problem Solving with Measures
Team Teaching for Numeracy
Additional Workshops for Local Needs
(Problem Solving, Infant Maths, Mental Maths)
National Numeracy Conference
Numeracy Summer Course
Maths Recovery IPD and CPD
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2015/2016
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Primary School Self-Evaluation
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Primary:
School Self-evaluation Seminars
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2013/2014
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School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Day 1
School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Day 2
School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Day 2
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2014/2015
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School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Gaeilge Lá 1
School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Gaeilge Lá 2
School Improvement: Improving Literacy through SSE Gaeilge Lá 3
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2014/2015
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School Improvement: Improving Numeracy through SSE Day 1
School Improvement: Improving Numeracy through SSE Day 2
School Improvement: Improving Numeracy through SSE Day 3
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2014/2015
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Primary SSE for newly appointed principals
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2015/2016
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Cross Sectoral School-Self Evaluation
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Cross-sectoral : SSE Data Gathering workshops
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2013/2014
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Cross-sectoral : SSE Data Gathering workshops
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2014/2015
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Cross-sectoral : SSE Data Gathering workshops
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2015/2016
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