Evaluation of the School Inclusion Model

This study, commissioned by the National Council for Special Education, will evaluate the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme and the pilot of the School Inclusion Model (SIM). The SIM pilot commenced in September 2019, across 75 primary and second-level schools, providing a continuum of services within an inclusive school context to identify and meet the care needs of students. A mixed-method in-depth evaluation of the SIM trial will examine the voices of stakeholders – including students with additional needs – through surveys, teacher-on-pupil questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The evaluation will document the fidelity of the pilot implementation across schools using secondary data provided by the NCSE and surveys with principals and key personnel. In depth data collection will take place in case study schools, selected to allow insight into variations in experiences and practice across different school settings.

In collaboration with 

Neil Kenny, Ellen Reynor and Alison Doyle (School of Inclusive and Special Education, DCU)

Neil Humphrey (University of Manchester)