DCU’s EQI commissioned to develop new framework for Educate Together schools
DCU’s Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection (EQI) has been commissioned by Educate Together to develop a national Quality Framework for Ethos in Educate Together Schools.
The framework involves setting out standards and statements of effective practice which schools will use as part of a self-evaluation process to evaluate practice, and to plan and implement improvements in the school. Draft guidelines for self-evaluation of ethos have been developed and are being tested by 20 Educate Together primary and post-primary schools across the country, over the 2019/20 school year.
Following the Pilot Phase, the guidelines for schools will be redeveloped in advance of the 2020/21 school year.
The project is being led for DCU by Dr. Shivaun O’Brien, from the Centre for Evaluation Quality and Inspection and builds on almost 20 years of her experience in developing improvement frameworks and supporting schools and educational organisations to undertake self-evaluation
Dr. O’Brien said:
“We’re incredibly excited and enthused to be working with Educate Together. The school self-evaluation process provides a clear pathway for schools to examine their own practice and to decide on the actions that will improve the lived experience of the Educate Together ethos across the whole school community.
In developing the ethos standards and statements of practice, we actively engaged with key stakeholders, from the Board of Directors of Educate Together, though to principals, teachers, students, parents as well as members of school boards. Four, DCU-based training sessions, will prepare teachers from participating schools to lead the self-evaluation process during the current school year”
About Educate Together
For over 40 years, Educate Together has been working to establish inspirational schools for children and young people in Ireland. Educate Together schools are state-funded and teach the National Curriculum. They are non-fee-paying schools and are open to students of all backgrounds. They operate a national network of 92 primary schools and 17 second-level schools in Ireland, catering to over 30,000 students.
About Dr. O’Brien
Dr. Shivaun O’ Brien is a lecturer in the DCU Institute of Education and is involved in a number of initial teacher education programmes and the Doctor of Education programme, where she delivers a module on evidence based leadership. She has carried out extensive research in Ireland and abroad on school improvement, quality assurance in education and self-evaluation in particular. Her research focuses on models of professional development for school self-evaluation, the use of data by schools and the involvement of students and parents in school self-evaluation processes.
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