Category: News

All DES funding to promote engagement with standardised tests at post-primary level has now been allocated.  Successful applicants will now have free access to new tests of English reading and Mathematics for Second Years, using the Drumcondra Online Testing System (DOTS). Funding was on a first-come first-served basis. All our tests remain available for sale.Read more…

The ERC published the baseline report on the Digital Learning Framework (DLF) Trial Evaluation on May 17, 2018. The report gives a starting context for interpreting the overall findings and progress made by participating schools over the course of the trial, which concludes in June, 2018. The final report on the DLF trial evaluation will beRead more…

Tom Kellaghan, founding Director of the Educational Research Centre, has died aged 83 years on March 10 after a short illness.  Born in Mullingar, he lived in Tralee for several years before returning to Mullingar to complete his secondary schooling.  He spent time as a seminarian in the African Society of Missions before studying atRead more…

The current report describes the results of testing in reading and maths among 17,000 second, third, fifth and sixth class students in 118 urban DEIS schools in 2016. Data on these students’ attitudes to school and school work are also described. The findings indicate that achievement in reading and maths has continued to improve inRead more…

The ERC is currently standardising new reading and maths tests for primary school pupils (from 2nd to 6th class). A small number of free tests are available on a first come, first served basis to interested schools. The tests have to be taken before the end of the current school year (i.e. June 2018), withRead more…

On March 10th, Minister Richard Bruton, launched the new Drumcondra Online Testing System (DOTS) and a suite of standardised “Drumcondra” tests for post-primary schools.  The DOTS is a cloud-based, fully integrated, secure system for the delivery of standardised tests to Irish students. In parallel with the development of the testing platform, three new standardised testsRead more…

The ERC has been conducting an independent evaluation of the DEIS programme in primary and post-primary schools since 2007. As well as assessing the programme’s effects on participants in a range of areas including student outcomes, much of the evaluation effort has been aimed at ‎monitoring implementation of the programme in key areas. These includeRead more…

The science, mathematics and reading literacy results from PISA 2015 were launched by the Department of Education and Skills, on December 6th. The major domain for this cycle of PISA was Science. Reading literacy and Mathematics were minor domains. PISA 2015 marks the first time PISA was administered entirely on computers. For the full report please click here. ForRead more…

A report on the first set of results from TIMSS 2015 for Ireland was launched by the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D., on November 29th. The report provides trend information on student achievement in mathematics and science at Fourth Class (primary) and Second Year (post-primary) as well as international comparisons. Click hereRead more…

Two new reports on PISA 2012 mathematics were released on October 7th. The first, A Teacher’s Guide to PISA Mathematics and Problem Solving: Findings from PISA 2012, describes findings from the mathematics and problem-solving assessments in PISA 2012 and reflects on how these findings are relevant to the teaching and learning of mathematics in Ireland.Read more…