Evaluating a Programme to Address Educational Disadvantage in Ireland via a Regression Discontinuity Analysis

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Diverse National Perspectives in Evaluating Efforts to Overcome Disparities in Outcomes (Table 10)

Abstract

Evidence is mixed about the effectiveness of education policies designed to reduce the gaps in achievement and other outcomes between more and less socio-economically advantaged learners. Often, the methods used in the evaluation of such policies do not allow for causal inference. Here, a regression discontinuity design is applied to national data to examine the impact of Ireland’s flagship policy for educational disadvantage. Findings show no significant effects of the policy on school-average achievement in State examinations at the end of Grade 9, on the percentages of low or high achievers in key subjects of English and Mathematics, or on average levels of retention to Grade 9 or Grade 12.

Authors

• Lorraine Gilleece, Educational Research Centre

• Darragh Flannery, University of Limerick

• Aidan Clerkin, Educational Research Centre