DEIS Workshop

Understanding Planning in a DEIS School Ann O’Dwyer (Kerry ETB) Martin Gormley (Donegal ETB)

DEIS Workshop At the end of the session participants will have a clear understanding of: Overview of the Government DEIS Action Plan 2017 The main areas of the School Action Plan The most effective ways to progress a DEIS school Action Plan Key areas that should be included as part of the resource allocation within the DEIS School Plan

Government DEIS Plan 2017 Vision Ambition For education to more fully become a proven pathway to better opportunities for those in communities at risk of disadvantage and social inclusion. Vision To become the best in Europe at harnessing education to break down barriers and stem the cycle of inter generational disadvantage by equipping learners to participate, succeed and contribute effectively to society in a changing world. Ambition

Goals – Government DEIS Plan 2017 To implement a more robust and responsive Assessment Framework for identification of Schools and effective resource allocation 1 2 To improve the capacity of school leaders to engage, plan and deploy resources to their best advantage 3 To Support and Foster Best Practice in schools through Inter-Agency Collaboration 4 5 Goals – Government DEIS Plan 2017 To improve the learning experience and outcomes of pupils in DEIS Schools To support the work of schools by providing the research, information, evaluation and feedback to achieve the goals of the Plan.

The measures within DEIS DEIS Literacy Rates DEIS Numeracy Rates DEIS Pupil Retention Rates Student Wellbeing Progression to Further and Higher Education Teacher Education Parental Engagement Community Links

SMART Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-Based Specific SMART Targets

Effective Target Setting Be realistic Ensure targets are SMART Targets should be evidence-based Don’t confuse actions with targets Targets usually relate to learner outcomes Actions relate to learning experiences and teachers’ practice

Effective Action Planning Is this action clearly linked to the improvement you are looking for? How do you know this area needs improvement? How do you know the actions you have identified to take place in teachers’ practice are actually happening? Are the actions to take place to improve learning clear to everyone in your school community? How will you know the improvement you are looking for has taken place and how will you link this to the actions for improvement that you have identified?

Activity (10-15mins) In groups of 3 or 4, each group is going to take one of the target areas and: Identify three actions that could be included as part of the School Action Plan Identify one method to progress each of the identified actions.

Activity The Plan Each group will work on one of the target areas: Literacy Numeracy Retention Wellbeing Progression to FE and HE Parental Engagement Community Links Teacher Education Each group will work on one of the target areas:

Brief Overview of the Identified Strengths and Weaknesses Arising from the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Evaluation

Are DEIS schools still required to have a DEIS Plan in place? There is no requirement for schools to compile a separate ‘DEIS Plan’. Since 2012/13, all schools, including those in receipt of funding under the SSP, are required to engage in school self-evaluation. Similarly, all schools are required to engage in Action Planning for Improvement and schools resourced under the SSP should continue to plan under the key themes of Attendance, Retention, Progression, Literacy, Numeracy, Partnership with Parents and Partnership with Others. In addition, SSP schools should also include in their Action Plans, training in School Leadership, Wellbeing and Arts in Education Charter initiatives.

Useful Resource: http://www. pdst