Caleb Anderson: New School Assessment Intentions Released Today

The following is a condensed version of the government's plans for student assessments ...  released to schools today.

The Minister should be commended.

Intention

We want all children in New Zealand to get a world-leading education that sets them up for success – with study, work and life. Our goal is to have 80% of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing, and maths by December 2030.

Phase 1

To support the introduction of structured literacy and te reo matatini approaches, and the introduction of the Years 0-6 English and Te Reo Rangatira curriculum we are:

We’re introducing phonics screening checks for students in their first year at school at 20 weeks, and then again 40 weeks.
Two phonics checks will be provided — one in English and one in te reo Māori. Both checks will be trialled in Term 4 2024 with a randomly selected, representative sample of schools and kura.

Schools and kura will transition to using one of three assessment tools for Year 3 – 8 progression monitoring.

Schools and kura will do twice-yearly assessments for students in Years 3 – 8 to monitor their progress in reading, writing, maths, pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau. These assessments are a light-touch check-in, enhancing the rich, in-school formative and summative assessments teachers and kaiako already undertake.

There are three tools available, so you’ll have a choice about which one works best for you. We encourage you to start using your preferred tool now, with the assessments expected to be in use in all schools and kura from 2026. 

The tools are:

› e-asTTle: for both The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
› Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT): for the New Zealand Curriculum.
› Te Waharoa Ararau (TWA): for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

We’ll provide professional development to help get you up to speed if you’re not familiar with these tools. We are currently investing in e-asTTle to continue improving the tool so it has the capacity required.

Expanding our national evaluation studies

The Curriculum Insights and Progress Study, which provides a national view of literacy and numeracy against the New Zealand Curriculum, will be expanded. From 2025 we will assess reading, writing and maths annually for Years 3, 6 and 8 (reading and writing are currently assessed in alternating years). This study will help track progress towards the 2030 education achievement target. Options are currently being considered for those learning through te reo Māori to create an equivalent national monitoring study.

Phase 2

Work is underway to understand and scope further opportunities for assessment and aromatawai at key learning milestones. We will be seeking sector input as we progress this work. Data and evidence, funding, and feedback will influence final decisions and timing of these next pieces of work.

1. New entrants check

Future work will look to re-introduce a school entry assessment which will help teachers identify and respond to children’s learning needs in key foundational areas as they transition to school and kura. The new entrant assessments will focus on both educational, and social and emotional outcomes.

2. Year 2 skills check

Consideration is being given to using a Year 2 foundational skills check in literacy and numeracy for those learning in English, and te reo matatini and pāngarau for those learning through te reo Māori.

In July 2023 I posted on this site as follows.

While more equitable outcomes may be desirable, there is no evidence to suggest that hiding poor educational achievement, by not measuring it, does any favours to anyone, not least underachieving students.  Accurate, cohort-based, standardized, data is critical if educational outcomes are to be improved.  This would provide a very clear picture of where the system is working, and where it is not working, which ideas and schools require emulation, and which require remediation, and support.  

It has been argued by opponents of National Standards that these exacerbate inequities and impoverish learning.  This is nonsense.  National testing of students existed in New Zealand right up until the nineteen nineties at which time our educational standards were world-leading.  It might be argued that it is the demise of these tests that has contributed to our decline.

The truth is that opposition to the collection of standardized achievement data has come from academics who have argued that this sort of data collection produces inequitable outcomes, and from teacher unions, petrified that such data could be used to bolster the case for performance-based pay.

Allowing schools to opt for some (approved) tests over others may work, it will certainly mitigate resistance to these changes, and cross-referencing of assessments to determine degree of alignment might still be possible.

These tests are known to teachers already, and will not be difficult to implement.  With tweaks here and there they should be demonstrably fit for purpose.

Again, the Minister should be commended.  This is a praise-worthy step forward.

Now wait for the weeping and wailing.

Caleb Anderson, a graduate history, economics, psychotherapy and theology, has been an educator for over thirty years, twenty as a school principal.