In August, 2010 the Education Review Office (ERO) published the first of a series of evaluation reports to be published over the next three years about the implementation of the National Standards in schools with students in Years 1 to 8.
ERO is currently collecting information to be published in the second national evaluation report early in 2011. This interim report is based on information from 80 schools for which data was analysed during Term 3, 2010.
ERO’s evaluation of the National Standards takes place in the context of each school’s assessment practices and its progress in implementing The New Zealand Curriculum. Schools are expected to review and design their curriculum to respond to what they know about their students. The National Standards give schools reference points to assess students’ progress and achievement with a focus on raising achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. The standards are to be used in conjunction with assessment practices developed by each school to help with this process.
ERO has evaluated schools’ current assessment practices and what they know about student achievement. In this second cycle of data gathering (Terms 3 and 4, 2010) ERO has been asking specific questions about:
- how schools are aligning their school assessment practices to use the National Standards and focus their teaching
- how schools are reporting to parents in plain language
- how they are preparing to use National Standards information to set targets in their 2011 charter
- the understanding and preparedness of school leaders, teachers and trustees to use the standards.