Module: Schools as Communities

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Schools as Communities
Module Code	ED4014 (ITS) / EDP1002 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Institute of Education	School	Policy & Professional Practice
Module Co-ordinator	Catherine Furlong
Module Teachers	-
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only
Individual assignment

Description

This module provides students with the opportunity to engage with a set of issues that are connected to the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. The major focus is on the concepts of ‘good’/’effective’ schools. The criteria used to describe such schools and how such criteria are deployed in contexts where there is increasing emphasis on external accountability is examined. Students will explore the notion of schools as communities of learning and examine the link between these communities and the wider social context with particular focus on the legislative and policy framework. Key areas include: school governance and leadership; school organisation and teacher cultures, the role and involvement of parents, family school partnerships; external and internal accountability (whole school evaluation, whole school evaluation management, leadership and learning and school self-evaluation); school development planning, teacher planning and policy and legislative frames.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the origins and development of the statutory and policy-making framework pertaining to Irish education more generally and Irish primary education more specifically, his/her specific role and responsibilities emanating from that framework, together with the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including parents
2. Critique legislation and policy in relation to school governance and leadership to identify possibilities for and challenges to practice across the primary school system with reference to the role and responsibility of key stakeholders (e.g. schools/teachers/inspectorate/policy makers/other professionals etc).
3. Identify, discuss and critique key issues in relation to school effectiveness and school improvement (a) school and individual planning (b) internal and external review to include the role of the Inspectorate, Teaching Council’s Codes of Professional Conduct, PISA and TIMMS
4. Explain and critique the role of class planning, school planning and school self-evaluation (SSE) play in effectively enabling sustained school improvement and construct a strategic plan for a SSE based on an identified area of improvement with a published WSE Report
5. Critically interrogate key principles and frameworks for parental engagement and family school partnerships in education in Ireland and internationally
6. Understand the role school and teacher cultures play on teaching and learning, identity and agency within schools as communities and identify pathways to change.
7. Understand the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and the importance of engagement and cooperation with them, contributing to the characteristic spirit of the school and developing a positive environment for teaching and learning drawing from international best practice.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	2 hours per week plenary sessions
Independent Study	56	No Description
Assignment Completion	45	Group assignment based on published whole school evaluation reports
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

School Effectiveness and Improvement
An examination of School Effectiveness Research and how it has impacted on schools as communities and state policy. An exploration of school improvement and steps that can be taken by schools to improve teaching and learning for all.

Policy and Legistation
Education Act 1998, Teaching Council Act 2001, Welfare Act, Equal Status Act 2000-2018, Children First Act 2015, - Links are made to BEd 1 and BEd 2 work in Teaching Studies, Teacher as a Person, Teacher as a Professional and Sociology BEd 1 and BEd modules in SIE, Ethics and Philosophy.

School Leadership and Governance
The role of the principal, Boards of Management, Governing Bodies and Patronage Bodies, An examination of the requirements of ISMT and ISLT, Assistant Principals, Revisiting Codes of Professional Conduct examined in BEd 2, An exploration of the role, remit and responsibility of the Teaching Council, INTO, NCCA

External Accountability
The role of the Inspectorate, Whole School Evlauation, Subject Evaluation, The Role of the Teaching Council, Codes of Prrofessional Conduct, Standardised Testing, PISA, TIMSS

Internal Accountability
School Development Planning, Teacher Planning, School Self Evaluation, Improvement Planning, Droichead. Links are made with Teacher as a Professional in BEd 2 (ED2030)

Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family School Partnerships
Parental role in school governance, unpacking involvement, engagement and partnership and exploring practical steps at class level and school level to building partnership, meaningful engagement and professional relationships, role of parent associations

School Culture and Ethos
Unpacking ethos. An exploration of school and teacher cultures and how they can impact on teaching and learning. Building positive school communities and professional relationships within these communities. Exploring how schools and teachers can make steps to change culture

Professional Relationships
An examination of other professional roles that impact on the work of the school as a community e.g. SNAs, TUSLA , NEPSs

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	A. Formative - In class quizzes B. Summative - A group/paired assignment based on a critique of recently published whole school evaluation reports students will be asked to explore the evidence presentenced in the report to: 1. Critique overall effectiveness relative to current research on school effectiveness, school improvement and current policy. 2. Examine leadership and governance of the school and suggest pathways to improvement based on readings. 3. Examine parental /family partnerships evident in the school and suggest an improvement plan for the school as a community. 4. To identify an aspect for development within the report and to identify how SSE could be utilised to improv	100%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Townsend, T. Ed.,: 2007, International Handbook of School Effectiveness and Improvement: Review, Reflection and Reframing., 1-6, Springer, London,
Reynolds, D.: 2010, Reynolds, D., 2010, School Effectiveness., 1-3, Bloomsbury Publishing., London, 1-3, Bloomsbury Publishing., London,
Harris, A.,: 2019, Teaching and learning in the effective school., Routledge, London,
Spillane, J. P.: 2012, Distributed leadership (Vol. 4)., Vol 4, John Wiley & Sons.,
Furlong, C. and Monaghan, L. Eds.,: 2000, School Culture and Ethos: Cracking the Code, 5, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin,
DES: 2016, School Self Evaluation Guidelines 2016-2000, DES,
DES: 2016, A Guide to Inspection in Primary Schools, DES, Dublin,
DES: 2016, Looking at Our Schools - A Quality Framework for Primary Schools, DES, Dublin,
Bolman, L and Deal, T., 2019,: 0, Reframing the Path to School Leadership: A Guide for Teachers and Principals,, 3rd, 1, Sage, London,
Peterson, K. D., & Deal, T. E.: 2011, The shaping school culture fieldbook, John Wiley and Sons, London,

Other Resources

52498, Website, Department of Education, 0, School Self Evaluation', Department of Education, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/52e10-school-self-evaluation-six-step-process/, Dublin, DES, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/52e10-school-self-evaluation-six-step-process/, 0, Website, Government of Ireland, 2019, Boards of Management, Dublin, Government of Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/143bed-schools-boards-of-management/, 0, Website, DES, 2016, School Self Evaluation Circular, Dublin, Department of Education, http://schoolself-evaluation.ie/post-primary/sse-2016-2020/circulars-and-guidelines/, 0, Website, Department of Education, 0, Role of the Inspectorate, Dublin, https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/818fa1-inspectorate/, 0, Website, Department of Education, 2020, 'Looking at Our Schools - A Quality Framework for Primary Schools', Dublin, Department of Education, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/743565-looking-at-our-school-2016/, 2020, Looking at Our Schools - A Quality Framework for Primary Schools, Dublin, Department of Education, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/743565-looking-at-our-school-2016, 0, Website, Government of Ireland, 1998, Education Act 1998, Dublin, Government of Ireland, https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1998/act/51/enacted/en/html, 0, Website, Government of Ireland, 2001, Teaching Council Act, Dublin, Government of Ireland, https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/8/enacted/en/html, 0, Website, Department of Education, 0, School Governance, Dublin, Department of Education, https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/7c7c4b-school-governance-section/, 0, Website, Department of Education, 2021, Assistant Principals, Dublin, Department of Education, https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/eb315-allocation-of-assistant-principal-posts-20212022/, 0, Website, Circular, Department of Education, 2019, Department of Education, 2019, 'Election of Boards of Management Primary Schools', Dublin, DE, https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/election-of-new-boards-of-management-of-primary-schools, Dublin, https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/election-of-new-boards-of-management-of-primary-schools,