Focusing on progress and achievement

When National Standards and Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori were removed last year, the Ministry signalled it will work with schools, parents, whānau and communities on an approach to assessment and reporting for Years 1 to 10 that will focus on children’s progress and achievement across the national curricula.

Ellen MacGregor-Reid, the Ministry’s Deputy Secretary Early Learning and Student Achievement, says, “We want to work with schools, students, parents, whānau and communities to find out what’s working well and how we can build on that.

“We also want to ensure schools and kura have the right approaches and tools to support them, so that will be a big focus of the work we’ll be doing with schools and communities over the coming months.

“The Ministry is absolutely committed to working collaboratively with schools and the wider sector on this work and to ongoing collaboration so that, together, we can make a real and sustained improvement in student outcomes through this work.”

A Ministerial Advisory Group of educationalists and practitioners with expertise across The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will provide advice to the Minister.

The Ministerial Advisory Group will address issues and themes important to priority learners, including Māori, Pacific, students with disabilities, and those who need learning support.

A Reference Group, including representatives from schools and peak bodies, will inform and work alongside the Advisory Group and the Ministry. Reference Group members will gather input from their regional networks, including students, parents, whānau, iwi
and communities.

Teachers, kaiako, and school and kura leaders will have the opportunity to contribute through their involvement in regional networks and to attend one of a series of nationwide hui in June as part of a collaboration between the Ministry and NZEI Te Riu Roa.

An online survey will also be open during the month of June on the conversation.education.govt.nz(external link) 

All of the feedback received will inform the development of preliminary recommendations to the Minister of Education, which he will consider before reporting back to Cabinet in September.

While this work is going on, MacGregor-Reid says the Ministry will provide guidance for schools to inform mid- and end-of-year reporting to parents and whānau as an interim support in 2018. The guidance is based on scenarios from actual schools and includes exemplars of progress and achievement.

Schools will be able to use the scenarios and exemplars to affirm or adapt their current approach. The updated guidance will be available through Assessment Online from 1st June.

For kura and schools who are working with Te Marautanga o Aotearoa we will continue to provide guidance on how to use Rukuhia Rarangahia and Tū Rangatira as inquiry tools to inform aromatawai and reporting.

Changes to the progress tools are planned from 28 May. These tools assist teachers and kaiako to understand student progress for literacy and numeracy and te reo matatini and pāngarau.

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