The research literature indicates the existence of a lack of knowledge in relation to the systems used by school leaders to monitor student progress and development in post-primary schools in the European context. This is especially evident in the Irish post-primary context. Here there is a dearth of empirical literature relating to data-informed approaches to the monitoring of student progress and development and what does exist relates to data-informed decision-making broadly, especially related to the enactment of school self-evaluation in primary and post-primary schools in Ireland. This research aims to explore some case study examples of best practice in the use of data collected for the purpose of monitoring students’ progress and development in post-primary schools in Ireland. As such, this research posed three questions to advance knowledge in the field. The first research question sought to explore what systems are in place for monitoring of students’ progress and development in post-primary schools in Ireland. The second research question aimed to identify how school leaders are using the data collected. Finally, the third research question sought to elucidate what sort of processes might be useful to engage stakeholders i.e. students, parents and staff.

To inform answers to these questions, the literature was engaged with to formulate a provisional conceptual understanding, which was strengthened through the application of data-informed decision-making theory (Mandinach and Schildkamp, 2021a). Subsequently, a multi-site case study was designed and carried out with the purpose of providing rich and deep accounts of the practice of monitoring student progress and development in eight Irish post-primary schools. Within-site findings and across-site analysis were undertaken, through which seven overarching themes were identified. These findings are examined in relation to the relevant literature underpinning the study. This analytical process facilitates the synthesis of insights across sites and informs an overall interpretation of the research problem. School leaders today are navigating an increasingly complex datafication of education, where individual practices and institutional processes are represented in digital data to track, profile, and predict student learning (Pangrazio, Selwyn and Cumbo, 2023; Shi, 2025). Datafication describes the transformation of social interactions into measurable digital formats that enable real-time monitoring and analysis. It denotes a complex process in which the increasing prominence of data deeply influences values, practices and experiences turning teachers into data workers, students into data subjects and the classroom into learning and behavioural data markets. This research corroborates previous findings that the widespread harnessing of data shapes the ways actors in the education space, such as teachers, students, parents, school leaders, policy makers and school evaluators, form opinions and make decisions. The findings lend support to the argument that data has become an integral aspect to guide school improvement and evaluate students and teachers (Shi, 2025). This study builds on existing research by demonstrating that while education systems globally are investing significant capital in robust data systems to provide real-time performance information, the actual implementation within Irish post-primary schools is a multifaceted negotiation between standardised and non-standardised metrics and holistic professional judgement(Drake, 2021). The findings also suggest that monitoring is no longer a simple administrative task, but a strategic tool used to promote equity and student achievement.

The aim of this research is to explore the systems used by school leaders to monitor student progress and development in post-primary schools in Ireland. Rich data were required that would illustrate understandings, descriptions and meanings of events and interactions about the nature of progress monitoring in this context. For this reason, it was important to implement a research design that attended to the complexity of these issues. The research employs a qualitative multi-site case study approach where the case comprises of eight individual school sites. For each site, qualitative data is gathered via interview, focus group, and document analysis. The interviews are semi-structured in design and contain a series of key questions (Kvale, 2007). This facilitates a less formal conversation where both parties interact as comparative equals (Pepper and Wildy, 2009). Due to the nature of the research questions, it was decided that multiple sites would be necessary for this research to yield rich data. While all sites are post-primary schools located in Ireland, there were variations in size, location, demographics and degree of engagement with monitoring of student progress and development. The participants of this study are principals and teachers from eight separate post-primary schools in Ireland. They reflect on their experience of using systems to monitor the progress and development of the students in their school. The criteria for selecting schools was that they self identify as having systems in place to monitor student progress and development. As this is an exploratory study of the phenomenon, and given that there is no research carried out in Irish schools on what these systems might involve, it is not useful possible to identify more specific criteria at this time. Thematic analysis was selected as the analytical framework for the definitional concepts of this study as it offers a way to systematically evaluate qualitative data, “which can then be linked to broader theoretical or conceptual issues”(Braun and Clarke, 2012, p. 58). The steps outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006, 2012) were employed as an instinctive and developing guide more than a static map, as intended by the authors (Braun, Clarke and Hayfield, 2022). The steps were utilised as a “starting point” (Braun, Clarke and Hayfield, 2022). Transcripts were read multiple times and initial codes were created which then enabled the transcript to be coded from beginning to end in its entirety. Themes developed from these codes were then further refined.

A key theme emerges in relation to the significant reliance of schools on digital systems for monitoring of student progress and development. However, rather than adopting one system, schools operate hybrid models, often blending commercial software with essential custom tools. The monitoring student progress and development is a very useful tool that can be enhance student outcomes. The findings present evidence pertaining to the barriers to data effectiveness in relation to the monitoring of student progress and development. For monitoring data to be actionable, school leaders and teachers must trust its reliability and validity. School leaders actively employ progress monitoring data to move beyond simple reporting and toward concrete, data-informed decision-making, particularly relating to resource allocation, student intervention, and school-wide planning. While there are several potential examples of good practice, school leaders and teachers in Ireland require support regarding the considered use of the data collected for the purpose of monitoring student progress and development. This research will explore established procedures and identify possible approaches or processes involving data generated that school leaders might use to engage teachers, parent and students. Across all research sites, there is a strong thematic emphasis that monitoring must encompass the whole child beyond just academic results, highlighting the importance of pastoral care, well-being, and positive relationships, a focus supported by the literature on holistic progress monitoring (Reeves, Summers and Grove, 2016; Prior, Goldstein and Leckie, 2021). The theme of parental expectations, proactive communication and the appreciation of data-informed care identifies how schools leverage monitoring systems to manage external expectations, maintain transparency and provide support for students’ development. The findings will include recommendations for post-primary schools regarding better practice in relation to the systems used to monitor student progress and development and the use of the data gathered from these systems.

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