Abstract
This paper attempts to provide an overview of the key assumptions underpinning the Whole School Evaluation (WSE) inspection policy developed in Ireland since 2003. Beginning with a documentary analysis the paper argues that the capacity to generate useful self evaluative data in schools was seen as being at the heart of the model of school evaluation proposed by the Department of Education and Science. It further suggests that while the rhetoric of self evaluative capacity building has been key to the emerging system the lack of a meaningful structural response within schools means that this has remained aspirational. The latter part of the paper seeks to test this contention, examining the research base in the area of school evaluation and inspection in Ireland and conducting a number of targeted focus groups with school leaders. For the most part the initial contention is confirmed although there is a sense that there may be significant new pressures emerging in the near future that could cause the whole system to be revisited and perhaps be radically overhauled. An initial indicator of these potential changes can be seen in the emergence of a refined WSE Management, Leadership and Learning inspection policy which has yet to be widely implemented.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brown, M. (2010). A mixed methods analysis of a mixed methods system: attitudes of Post Primary school Principals to internal/external evaluation: The Case of Ireland. Unpublished dissertation submitted in part fulfillment of a Doctorate in Education Programme, School of Education Studies, Dublin City University.
Chevalier, A., Dolton, P., & Levacic, R. (2004). School equality and effectiveness. Department of economics working paper, 04(10). Dublin: University College Dublin.
Coe, R. (2009). School improvement: reality and illusion. British Journal of Educational Improvement, 57(4), 363–379.
Cuddihy, N. (2010). Subject inspections, do they motivate teachers and improve the quality of teaching and learning? Unpublished dissertation submitted in part fulfillment of a Doctorate in Education Programme, School of Education Studies, Dublin City University
Department of Education and Science. (1999). Whole school evaluation report on the 1998/1999 pilot project. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science. (2002). Professional code of practice on evaluating and reporting for the inspectorate. Dublin: DES.
Department of Education and Science. (2003). Looking at our school: an aid to self-evaluation in second-level schools. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science. (2004). A guide to subject inspection at second level. Dublin: DES.
Department of Education and Science. (2006a). An evaluation of planning in thirty primary schools. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science. (2006b). A guide to whole-school evaluation in post-primary schools. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science. (2006c). A guide to whole-school evaluation in primary schools. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science. (2006d). Procedure for review of inspection of schools and teachers under section 13(9) of the education act (1998). Dublin: DES.
Department of Education and Science. (2006e). Publication of school inspection reports. Dublin: DES.
Department of Education and Science. (2010). Whole school evaluation – management, leadership and learning. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Egan, E. (2007). The evaluation of teachers and teaching in primary and post primary schools by the inspectorate of the department of education and science. In R. Dolan & J. Gleeson (Eds.), The competences approach to teacher professional development: current practice and future prospects (pp. 37–49). Armagh: The Centre for Cross Border Studies.
Ehren, M. C. M., Leeuw, F. L., & Scheerens, J. (2005). On the impact of the dutch educational supervision act, analysing assumptions concerning the inspection of primary education. American Journal of Evaluation, 26(1), 60–76.
Government of Ireland. (1998). Education act. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Leeuw, F. L. (2003). Reconstructing program theories: methods available and problems to be solved. American Journal of Evaluation, 24, 5–20.
MacBeath, J. (1999). School must speak for themselves. The case for school self-evaluation. London and New York: Routledge.
Matthews, D. (2010). Improving learning through whole-school evaluation: moving towards a model of internal evaluation in Irish post-primary schools. Maynooth: Unpublished dissertation presented in part fulfillment of a Doctorate in Education at the National University of Ireland.
Mc Namara, G., O Hara, J. and Boyle, R. (2008). Influences Shaping National Evaluation Policies: the case of Ireland. The Evaluator, 14, Spring, pp15–19.
McNamara, G., & O Hara, J. (2008). Trusting schools and teachers: developing educational professionalism through self-evaluation. New York: Peter Lang.
McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2005). Internal review and self-evaluation—the chosen route to school improvement in Ireland? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 31, 267–282.
McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2006). Workable compromise or pointless exercise? school-based evaluation in the Irish context. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 34(4), 564–582.
McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2009a). Where global meets local: contexts, constraints and consensus in school evaluation in ireland. Sage international handbook of educational evaluation (pp. 273–291).
McNamara, G., & O’Hara. (2009b). Ethical leadership in the age of evaluation (pp. 943–960). Care and Wellbeing: The International Handbook on Education for Spirituality.
McNamara, G., O Hara, J., Boyle, R. and Sullivan, C. (2009). Developing a Culture of Evaluation in the Irish Public Sector. Evaluation: Int. Journal Of Theory, Research and Practice, 15, 1, pp100–112.
McNamara, G., O’Hara, J. and Joyce, P. (2010). The Evaluation of Adult Education and Training Programmes. The International Encyclopedia of Education, pp548–555.
McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., Lisi, P and Davidsdottir, S. (2011) Operationalising Self-Evaluation in Schools: Experiences from Ireland and Iceland (forthcoming) Irish Educational Studies Vol. 34.
Mulkerrins, B. (2008). Whole school evaluation: an exploration of principal’s perspectives of whole school evaluation of post-primary schools in Ireland. Unpublished dissertation presented in part fulfillment of a Masters in Education at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
O’Dalaigh, C. (2000). School development planning: a department of education and science perspective. In C. Furlong & L. Monaghan (Eds.), School culture and ethos: cracking the code (pp. 141–151). Dublin: Marino Institute of Education.
Smyth, E. (1999). Do schools differ? Dublin: Economic and Social Research Institute.
Sugrue, C. (1999). Primary principals’ perspectives on whole-school evaluation. Irish Journal of Education, 10(2), 15–31.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McNamara, G., O’Hara, J. From looking at our schools (LAOS) to whole school evaluation -management, leadership and learning (WSE-MLL): the evolution of inspection in irish schools over the past decade. Educ Asse Eval Acc 24, 79–97 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-012-9143-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-012-9143-9