Progress tools PaCT mentors share knowledge

Issue: Volume 97, Number 5

Posted: 22 March 2018
Reference #: 1H9i4K

Support for using the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) to support teaching and learning continues in 2018.

Deputy Principal Nadia Lowden of Porirua School has just become a PaCT mentor. Porirua School has implemented all three Learning Progression Frameworks within an 18-month period, beginning with mathematics before adding on the reading and writing.

The school has been able to identify target students using PaCT and these students are closely monitored every term. Nadia has designed tracking templates based on PaCT and information collected is discussed through regular staff meetings.

As well as tracking individual students’ progress, school targets are monitored using PaCT.

“We’ve been able to look at data school-wide to identify some needs and we use teaching as inquiry to help and explore some of those areas a bit more and find out what needs to happen.”

Nadia believes having a mentor would have been helpful when her school was implementing the frameworks and now will provide that service to other schools.

“I think sometimes being able to ask teachers who’ve been in the same position would help, as we have those technical questions or just those little things you’re not sure about – having a mentor school would have been a huge support,” she says.

 “One of the biggest things for us is teaching and learning and being able to really closely monitor our target students – those children who are not moving. We do close analysis of what’s going on for them and then inform classroom programmes.”

PaCT has also helped teachers at the school to plan teaching content.

“They find it really helpful, definitely around what needs to be taught and what the requirements or the competencies set are and that’s been linked directly into their weekly planning. They also really like it because you can see the class summaries as well, where there are some trends, where they might need to do some sort of targeted teaching.”

Although implementing PaCT may initially be daunting, the process should be now be much easier with the support of mentors.

“I think at the start when you’re still getting your head around it, you know like anything it takes a while to get used to, but actually teachers have found that it’s quite fast now in terms of being able to input data,” Nadia says.

“It’s been a tool that we’ve found invaluable.”

What’s coming up in 2018 for PaCT?

During 2018 there is a focus on strengthening the use of our National Curricula. The PaCT supports understanding of both progress and achievement across the school curricula, building on good practices already in classrooms. 

The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) forms the basis for PaCT. The NZC includes a clear set of principles, values, learning areas and key competencies from which schools have tailored to suit their local needs. The Learning Progression Frameworks build on the curriculum, the frameworks focus on the foundational capabilities: reading, writing and mathematics. These frameworks underpin PaCT which enables teachers to understand progress.

The Ministry of Education aims to provide teachers and kaiako with the tools necessary to support teaching and learning.  Work continues with input from teachers and learners to ensure that rigorous tools are available for understanding progress across the breadth of the curriculum and how these can support learning. The PaCT is just one tool which can support learning.

The planned enhancements for 2018 to the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) are:

Reposition to curriculum levels 1 to 5:

  • Introduce a new optional function, make the default view of progress tools achievement data shift from National Standards to be against The New Zealand Curriculum.
  • Extend the use of progress tools for use up to curriculum level 5 (Years 9 and 10).

Tailored reports for parents:

  • Introduce reports that are simple to produce and are targeted at informing parents about their children’s progress and achievement in a meaningful way.

Kāhui Ako reporting:

  • Allow schools in a kāhui ako a choice to share and use progress and achievement information and report on this at a kāhui ako level.

 

 Support for those currently using or considering using PaCT

Resources and professional learning supports are available to help schools and Kāhui Ako to implement and use this progress tool.

If you would like more information, please contact the PaCT team(external link) or email   
pact.feedback@education.govt.nz

BY Education Gazette editors
Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Posted: 11:00 am, 22 March 2018

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