15th January, 2010.
The Secretary,
Board of Management,
each Community and Comprehensive School.
Members of the Executive and Trustees of ACCS.
ACCS/Info Bulletin 02/10
Sinéad Breathnach, National Co-ordinator of the School Development Planning Initiative has been in contact with ACCS re the issue of support for DEIS schools.
“DES has asked SDPI to give priority to DEIS schools to ensure that they can avail of support in meeting official requirements to prepare and implement a DEIS plan. The Department has identified 8 key areas for attention in DEIS plans: retention, attendance, literacy, numeracy, examination attainment, educational progression, partnership with parents, and partnership with others. It is expected that a school’s DEIS plan would specify targets in relation to these areas, measures to address the targets, monitoring arrangements and evaluation procedures.
We in SDPI are currently cooperating with the management bodies to provide support on a cluster basis for DEIS schools in the respective sectors. SDPI provides the professional input, sometimes in collaboration with other relevant support services (JCSP, HSCL, SCP), and the partner body provides the venue and catering (where applicable) and makes the arrangements with the schools.
As you may be aware, evaluation of the first phase of DEIS is to be completed in 2010. I understand that the evaluation is likely to include DEIS-focused inspections and a questionnaire to school principals about their DEIS planning.”
Sinéad would be very interested in hearing from DEIS schools in the C & C sector with a view to providing such support from SDPI, which can be facilitated by ACCS where feasible. I would be grateful to hear the views of the DEIS schools in our sector in order to set up such a support network for them.
Is mise,
le mór mheas,
____________________
Ciarán Flynn,
General Secretary ACCS.