News
Launch of National Standards
Prime Minister John Key and Education Minister Anne Tolley launched the National Standards for reading, writing and mathematics at Glen Taylor School in Auckland on October 23.
The Education Minister said the National Standards would make sure the education system is focussed on improving student achievement across the entire curriculum, by ensuring students have the foundation skills they need.
The standards will set clear expectations for each year level in reading, writing and mathematics. They provide ‘sign posts’ to help students, parents, and teachers understand students’ progress and achievement across the curriculum.
By using a mix of assessment practices, teachers will make judgements about students’ abilities in relation to the standards. If students are achieving the standards, we will know they are well placed to meet the demands of the curriculum at secondary school and achieve at least NCEA Level 2.
The standards will also allow us to identify the students who do need additional support, in the classroom, at home, and from the wider education system.
Schools will have to report in plain language to parents on their child’s progress and achievement against the standards at least twice a year in writing. The reports will tell parents if their child is above, at, below or well below the standards. They will outline any measures the school is taking to improve students’ progress and achievement, and ways parents can support their child’s education.
Boards will be required to report school-level information about achievement against the standards to their communities and the Ministry in their 2011 annual reports, which they will submit in 2012.
Anne Tolley also announced a new timeframe for Ngā Whanaketanga Rūmaki Māori, the Māori-Medium National Standards which will be trialled by 24 Māori-medium schools from March to August next year. There will also be consultation with the sector, including families and whānau during this time.
The timetable takes into account that there are fewer assessment tools and a smaller evidence base for Māori-medium education than are available for the English-medium standards. Consequently, Ngā Whanaketanga Rūmaki Māori will be developed as part of a wider work programme to strengthen Māori-medium education, including support for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and addressing gaps in literacy and numeracy assessment tools for Māori-medium settings.
Coming issues of the Education Gazette will include further information about the National Standards and the support for schools being developed by the Ministry.
The November 9 issue will contain a special pull out with details of changes to the National Administration Guidelines, and will summarise Ministry support. The same issue will also include examples of the plans some schools have developed to implement with the Standards.
The November 23 issue will include more information about assessment, reporting, the self review tool, and how teachers can engage with the Standards.
The December 7 issue will provide information about planning, students with special education needs, and Ngā Whanaketanga Rūmaki Māori, the Māori Medium standards.
For more details about the support offered by the Ministry of Education see www.minedu.govt.nz. The standards and support materials are available online on TKI. The Prime Minister and Minister’s media releases are on www.beehive.govt.nz
First-time principals explore Self Review Tool for National Standards
Participants at the First Time Principals seminar in early October got a first look at a draft of the Self Review Tool, a new resource to help schools use the National Standards. The school Self Review Tool was developed collaboratively by sector leaders with input from the Ministry of Education and ERO to ensure it complements other schooling policies and self-review processes.
The tool provides board members, professional leaders and teachers with an opportunity to assess their capability in using National Standards to improve teaching and learning. One of the most important goals in using the tool is to work out professional learning and training needs that will lift achievement, particularly for those students identified below and well below the standards.
The tool outlines what the school will look like if you are using the standards at a basic level, a developing level and an integrated level. The ministry is encouraging schools to use the Self Review Tool as an entry point to understand what working with the standards is all about and to assess professional development and training needs.
First Time Principal participants considered the tool to be helpful to work out next steps. Many acknowledged they would need professional development on interpreting and using data and were positive about doing this. The general consensus was that the sooner they can get their hands on the standards and the tool the better prepared they would be to plan for the 2010 school year.
A second trial is under way with a group of lead teachers and teachers in four schools in Mangere who have been working with the Woolf Fisher Research Centre for several years to lift student achievement. Helen Timperley from the University of Auckland, Pam O’Connell from Learning Media and Elaine Hines from NZ School Trustees Association were key developers of the Self Review Tool. The final tool will be published in early November.
Trades academies picked
Trades-based learning is on the cards for students from dozens of schools when five trades academies open in 2011. The five successful applicants chosen by the government all plan to open their doors to students from schools in their regions or nationwide.
Minister of Education Anne Tolley says the trades academies are part of the government’s Youth Guarantee programme. “They’ll provide more career choices for 16 and 17 year olds, and give them greater opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and talents through trades and technology programmes.”
The five were selected from 113 expressions of interest. Each academy is based on partnerships between schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers. Students will earn NCEA credits and a tertiary qualification.
Northland College proposes to partner with 17 schools, a tertiary institution, a training centre and industry partners. Waikato Institute of Technology and Cambridge High School plan to work with 11 schools and with industry partners. They will provide a mobile workshop to benefit remote schools.
Wellington Institute of Technology plans a regional trades academy run in conjunction with 40 schools, plus government departments and industry organisations. The Taratahi Agricultural Centre and Telford Rural Polytechnic will jointly offer agricultural education across New Zealand. Distance learning and residential courses are planned.
Catlins Area School will establish The New Zealand Virtual School, using ICT to deliver courses to students throughout the country. Across the five trade academies, subjects will include automotive, business, beauty, construction, agriculture and horticulture, creative design, film-making and hospitality.
The government previously announced funding for a trades academy at Southern Cross Campus in Auckland. The Ministry of Education will work with six other providers to further develop their proposals with a view to establishing more trades academies.
Win for young writers
Students from Otonga School in Rotorua won a competition to publish a picture book they wrote and illustrated about walking and cycling.
The competition is part of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s initiative Feet First: Walk to School Every Week.
A professional book editor and book illustrator will help the class prepare their book for publication. Copies will sent to every primary school next year.
Teachers get science training
Thirty five primary teachers will put aside classroom duties next year to work alongside scientists.
They have been awarded Primary Science Teacher Fellowships for the first two terms of 2010 in a scheme that began this year.
It allows them to work with scientists at host organisations. The aim is to help the teachers become science curriculum leaders when they return to their schools.
The scheme is run by the Royal Society and funded by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.
What’s new in the New Zealand Curriculum Online?
NZC Online has a brand new look and organisation to help teachers find the curriculum materials they need to support them.
National Standards
The National Standards are now available on NZC Online, along with key information and resources to support schools as they implement them. This section of the site will keep you up to date as new information and resources become available. http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz
New Zealand Curriculum update 1
This update illustrates what we are seeing in schools when they are successfully implementing The New Zealand Curriculum. http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Guidance-for-schools/NZC-Update-1
Key Competencies Online
This month we feature a collection of resources describing the process Lincoln High School teachers take as they teach thinking skills. Working with Pam Hook and Julie Mills from Hooked on Thinking, they have successfully learnt to use the SOLO Taxonomy in all learning areas.
We also link to the Connected website’s overview of how key competencies relate to the science and technology learning areas, and more… http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz
Correction
In an article titled ‘How to widen career horizons’ published in the 21 September edition of the Education Gazette, it was stated that Dale Bailey, Northern Area manager of Career Services has been researching best practice in career education in schools. This is incorrect. Ivan Hodgetts, Career Consultant for Career Services, undertook the research. Dale was his supervising manager.