Researcher Details |

Aideen Cassidy

Dr.

Aideen Cassidy is Assistant Professor in the Institute of Education DCU in the school of Policy and Practice. She is co-ordinator of professional placement and module co-ordinator on the BRelEd programme: Religious Studies and Music/ English/History. Her research interests are primarily within the area of educational disadvantage, interventions to improve early school leaving and improve the life chances of those impacted by poverty, teacher training and literacy. She is part of the EQI team involved in the Horizons' Scirearly European Project investigating successful measures to retain students in school and promote wellbeing and achievement.

She started her teaching career in DEIS schools in Finglas - Dublin and Jobstown in Tallaght in the early 80s. She was an assistant principal and co-ordinator of the SEN Department and adult literacy co-ordinator in Finglas over this time.

After 14 years there she took up a position in the Curriculum Development Unit as National Co-ordinator of the Junior Certificate School Programme, a programme designed and developed to support students who were potential early school leavers. Working in over 200 DEIS schools nationwide during which time she provided professional development across the Junior Cycle to the staff in each school with the team of RDOs and researchers. She also developed the JCSP literacy strategy which was part of the National Literacy strategy and put in place the JCSP Library project where state of the art libraries were established and expert librarians put in place in 30 schools to support the literacy strategy. A bespoke librarian training programme was put in place. The impact of the project was researched and the outcomes very positive. The project continues to thrive.

Aideen wrote several teacher resource books and support materials for teachers on literacy across the curriculum. Over this period Aideen conducted her EdD studies in Maynooth focusing in on the impact the JCSP literacy strategy on literacy levels of the 2^nd level students. In 2011 she took up the position of principal in Beneavin De La Salle College, an all boys DEIS school in Finglas and was there for 11 years until she joined DCU in 2022.

Book

	Year	Publication
	2008	aideen cassidy; bernadette kiely (2008) Resources for Developing a School Wide Literacy Plan. Dublin: Curriculum development Unit. [DOI]
	2007	Aideen Cassidy (2007) Reading Pairs Resource Pack for Teachers. Dublin: Curriculum Development Unit. [DOI]
	2001	Aideen Cassidy; Bernadette Kiely (2001) Between the Lines, Literacy at Junior Cycle. Dublin: Curriculum Development Unit. [DOI]

Published Report

	Year	Publication
	2002	Aideen Cassidy (2002) Peer Tutoring Project Report ; Evaluation Report. Curriculum development Unit, . [DOI]
	2008	Aideen Cassidy (2008) JCSP Literacy and Numeracy Initiatives Evaluation. . [Link]
	2005	Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy (2005) Room for Reading. . [Link]

Manual

	Year	Publication
	2008	Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy (2008) Resources for developing a school wide literacy plan. Curriculum Development Unit, Dublin. MANUAL [Link]

Web Page

	Year	Publication
	2007	Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy; Aideen Cassidy (2007) Reading Pairs. WEBP [Link]

Other Publication

	Year	Publication
	2001	(2001) Between the Lines. EB

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2023	Icy Freson Anabo; Joe O'Hara; Sarh Gardezi; Aideen Cassidy; Martin Brown; Gerry McNamara; Rocio Garcia Carrion (2023) World Educational Research Association What causes young people to drop out? NIE Singapore, .

Professional Associations

Association	Function	From / To
National Association for Principals and Deputies	Member	01/09/2011 - 01/01/2023
Le Chéile Schools Trust	Director Le Cheile Schools Trust Ireland	01/01/2023 - 01/01/2024
MEL (Lasallian Educational Mission) Committee for Ireland	Chair of MEL (Lasallian Educational Mission) Committee for Ireland	01/01/2022 - 01/01/2024
ASSEDIL Committee Association of Directors of the Lasallian Institutions for Europe and the Middle East	ASSEDIL Committee Association of Directors of the Lasallian Institutions for Europe and the Middle East	01/01/2019 - 01/01/2022
Columba Catholic College	Parish Council for St Columba's Iona Road	01/01/2019 - 01/01/2024
Lasallian Association	Chair of National Lasallian Safeguarding Committee	01/01/2018 - 01/01/2024
Localise Volunteering in the Community	Localise Youth Volunteering national board member	01/01/2017 - 01/01/2024
Lasallian Association in Britain	District MEL Committee for Ireland Great Britain and Malta	01/01/2017 - 01/01/2024
Scottish Schools Education Research Centre	PISA National Steering Committee	01/01/2005 - 01/01/2012
Department of Education and Skills, Ireland	DEIS National Steering Committee Dept of Education	01/01/2000 - 01/01/2011

Committees

Committee	Function	From / To
ASSEDIL Committee Association of Directors of the Lasallian Institutions for Europe and the Middle East		01/01/2019 - 31/12/2022
District MEL Committee for Ireland Great Britain and Malta	Mission Structures - District MEL Council Primary focus on Mission’s vitality and its long-term sustainability. MEL is the acronym of Lasallian Educational Mission in French Ensures the continued development of the Lasallian Mission in the District. Oversees the implementation of the District, Regional and Institute MEL Assemblies. Formulates the District Formation Plan and the District Mission Development Plan Promotes Association and new models of co-responsibility. Plans for Mission Preparedness for the Future.	01/01/2017 - 30/11/2023
Parish Council for St Columba's Iona Road		01/01/2019 - 31/12/2023
DEIS National Steering Committee Dept of Education		01/01/2000 - 01/06/2011
MEL (Lasallian Educational Mission) Committee for Ireland	This committee runs the mission of La Salle in all of their schools and retreat centres in Ireland. Primary focus on responding to the needs of the Mission at the local level Advise on the lived experience of the local educational system and developments Contribute towards the implementation of the District Formation Plan and District Mission Development Plan at the local level. Support and promote Association and Associative Groups at the local level. Support the local network of Lasallian Animators.	01/09/2022 - 30/11/2023
Localise Youth Volunteering national board	Localise is a youth and community organisation operating since 1972. Directly engaging young people in structured community service learning programmes that combine education, youth volunteering and integration. I have been involved at a community level since 2006 and worked with localise while in JCSP facilitating Localise to engage with the 200 schools and then as principal in Beneavin College where the localise programme thrived. I have been involved in the sub committee to shape the virtual programme. I am currently on a sub committee to roll out parish volunteering groups.	01/09/2017 - 31/12/2023
National Lasallian Safeguarding Committee		01/01/2018 - 31/12/2023
PISA National Steering Committee		01/09/2005 - 31/08/2012

Employment

Employer	Position	From / To
County Dublin ETB	Teacher	01/09/1986 - 14/08/1996
DCU	Assistant Principal	01/09/2022 -
Department of Education	Principal	01/06/2011 - 31/08/2022
CDVEC	Adult Literacy Co-ordinator for Finglas	01/05/1983 - 16/08/1988
Department of Education	National Co-ordinator JCSP	01/07/1996 - 01/06/2011
CDVEC Colaiste Eoin Cappagh Road Finglas	Teacher	22/08/1983 - 04/06/1986

Education

Start date	Institution	Qualification	Subject
01/09/2008	Maynooth NUI	Ed D	Education
01/01/1979	University College Dublin	BA
01/01/1996	Open University	Masters
01/01/2008	National University of Ireland Maynooth	EdD

Other Activities

	Description
	Mentor to new DEIS principals

Enterprise Engagement

Year	Engagement Type	Client	Description
2024	Invited talk/presentation	St Seton's Secondary School Ballyfermott Dublin	Working with Students on the Peripheries - St Seton's Secondary School Staff
2023	Invited talk/presentation	Lasallian Principal's Conference	Keynote Speaker at the Lasallian Principal's Conference 2023 - Supporting those on the Peripheries
2024	Invited talk/presentation	Le Cheile Patron Annual Leadership Conference	Le Cheile National Annual Leadership Conference 2024 - Supporting DEIS schools with insights from the Horizon's Scirearly European Research
2024	Invited talk/presentation	ESAI Conference Maynooth April 2024	Navigating Educational Challenges: A Dialogic Approach to Understanding Early School leaving and Underachievement EQI Scirearly Horizon's European Project on Early School Leaving and Underachievement
2024	Invited talk/presentation	DEIS Principal's Network	Successful Interventions in DEIS schools - findings form the Scirearly Project EQI
2024	Invited talk/presentation	ECER 2024, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 27 - 30 August 2024	Research-informed educational policies to address underachievement: Comparative analysis of policy approaches in the European context Reporting on Phase 1 of the Horizon Europe Project SCIREARLY
2024	Invited talk/presentation	ECER 2024, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 27 - 30 August 2024	The threshold to the initial embodiment of becoming a teacher A case study of pre-service teacher experience of professional practice on a concurrent undergraduate Initial Teacher Education programme in the Republic of Ireland. Marie Conroy Johnson, Aideen Cassidy, Audrey Doyle, Sabrina Fitzsimons, Elaine McDonald

Outreach Activities

Year	Engagement Type	Organisation	Description
2024	Educational Outreach/Public Engagement	Localise National Volunteering Agency	I am on the board of Localise National Volunteering Agency where I am an advisor on the National Volunteering portfolio project.
2024	Presentations/Talks to an external audience	Lasallian District	I regularly input into the District Lasallian conferences of Ireland GB and Malta. These are primarily to the management groups of the Lasallian schools and pastoral centres and outreach centres across the district.
2024	Advisory Work	Le Cheile Trust	I am on the expert group of the Le Cheile Trust body on the development of Ethos in the Le Cheile schools.
2024	Advisory Work	Lasallian District Council	I am the chair of the Lasallian council in Ireland and on the district council team for Ireland GB and Malta. My work includes development of the Lasallian ethos through animators and animation teams in schools and supporting the development of student leadership teams in schools. I am also on the Levening Lasallian project in the district where the focus is on supporting all who work on the peripheries.

Research Projects

	Title	Role	Description	Start date	End date
	Searching for equality: improving reading literacy at second level in disadvantaged schools. The impact of the JCSP Literacy Strategy on reading literacy with a particular focus on the impact of the JCSP Literacy Medley.	Lead	The research was part of my EdD studies. Thirty five schools implemented the JCSP Literacy Medley which involved implementing at least three of the JCSP reading initiatives over one academic year with at least one first year JCSP group and setting up a JCSP reading space/corner in their school. Over one thousand students were involved in the study along with over one hundred and fifty teachers. A mixed methods research approach was taken. Methods included carrying out a student reading survey of 3,653 first year students to gather their perspectives on reading; teachers’ and librarians' feedback was gathered through interviews; and a focus group was used as well as online evaluation tools. Standardised reading test information was also gathered from 700 students to establish reading progress which supplemented teacher observations. Additionally, a case study of one school ensured rich data was gathered to complete the picture. Ten steps to success have emerged from this study that should be considered within the context of a process of change management in participating schools. These include implementing a range of motivational reading interventions supported by bespoke CPD, time to read and access to books in attractive reading spaces.	01/09/2008	01/07/2011

Teaching Interests

Educational Disadvantaged at second level - how to support young teachers prepare for a successful career in DEIS context. Understanding the impact of disadvantage on students. Positive relationships in the context of understanding the impact of poverty on the classroom that facilitate real learning and building positive self image. DEIS Planning. Care and positive relationships in the classroom. Inclusive pedagogy and differentiation. Understanding the place of literacy in every subject and methodologies that build subject literacy. Becoming an effective leader in your school in the context of team work.

Modules Coordinated

	Term	Title	Subject
	2023		ED1950
	2023		ED3950
	2024		ED3301