The changes apply to primary and intermediate schools across New Zealand and mean parents will receive the same type of learning information regardless of which school their child attends.
“Parents have long called for clearer, more detailed reporting on academic achievement, and this new framework delivers that clarity,” Education Minister Erica Stanford said.
“It supports parents to understand their child’s progress over time and to be active partners in their learning.”
Under the new system, schools will report on student progress in reading, writing and maths using nationally consistent progress markers. Reports will also include attendance information and guidance for parents on next learning steps.
For students in Years 3 to 8, schools will also introduce twice yearly progress check ins aligned with mid year and end of year reporting. These will be supported by a new SMART progress monitoring tool.
Stanford said the tool was designed to support teachers rather than replace professional judgement.
“Teachers will continue to draw on classroom work, observations and assessments,” she said.
“These tools help ensure parents receive clear, consistent information.”
The new approach replaces an assessment system that has been in place for more than 20 years and follows concerns raised over time about inconsistent reporting between schools.
“For too long, New Zealand has lacked consistent, reliable information on how students are progressing in the basics,” Stanford said.
“Without nationally consistent assessment and reporting, parents can be left without the information they need, and the system cannot respond early when children need support.”
The framework was developed following consultation with principals and teachers and was trialled in 85 schools involving around 12,000 student assessments. The Government said feedback from schools involved in the trial was positive.
Parents of students in Years 0 to 10 will receive reports that explain why a particular progress marker was chosen and what families can do at home to support learning.
Reporting on other learning areas, values and behaviour will continue as it does now.
The Government said consistent reporting would also help better target support for students. This year includes the rollout of structured literacy and maths intervention teachers, additional teacher aide hours, and expanded learning support services.
“These changes ensure parents are better informed, teachers are supported, and students get help earlier when they need it,” Stanford said.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
“It supports parents to understand their child’s progress over time and to be active partners in their learning.”
Under the new system, schools will report on student progress in reading, writing and maths using nationally consistent progress markers. Reports will also include attendance information and guidance for parents on next learning steps.
For students in Years 3 to 8, schools will also introduce twice yearly progress check ins aligned with mid year and end of year reporting. These will be supported by a new SMART progress monitoring tool.
Stanford said the tool was designed to support teachers rather than replace professional judgement.
“Teachers will continue to draw on classroom work, observations and assessments,” she said.
“These tools help ensure parents receive clear, consistent information.”
The new approach replaces an assessment system that has been in place for more than 20 years and follows concerns raised over time about inconsistent reporting between schools.
“For too long, New Zealand has lacked consistent, reliable information on how students are progressing in the basics,” Stanford said.
“Without nationally consistent assessment and reporting, parents can be left without the information they need, and the system cannot respond early when children need support.”
The framework was developed following consultation with principals and teachers and was trialled in 85 schools involving around 12,000 student assessments. The Government said feedback from schools involved in the trial was positive.
Parents of students in Years 0 to 10 will receive reports that explain why a particular progress marker was chosen and what families can do at home to support learning.
Reporting on other learning areas, values and behaviour will continue as it does now.
The Government said consistent reporting would also help better target support for students. This year includes the rollout of structured literacy and maths intervention teachers, additional teacher aide hours, and expanded learning support services.
“These changes ensure parents are better informed, teachers are supported, and students get help earlier when they need it,” Stanford said.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
1 comment:
This may not seem much but in the past teachers notoriously did not tell parents much at all about their progress and even hid or lied to parents about children’s failings.
This was because the prevailing ideology did not take responsibility for student's failure . There were a number of erroneous beliefs which included child developmental ideas children would come right when they developed a bit more , the teacher / school would have to take responsibility for the failure if it was mentioned,
the complete inability of teachers to remediate failing students and the influence of sociology into education putting all the blame for a child's failure on the parents and home environment.
In Singapore with the highest scores in academic international tests teachers bluntly report a child's areas of failure and recommend work books for the parents to buy and have the child work through under the guidance of a parent or tutor. Every school has a book shop where parents could buy these workbooks.
Singapore doesn't spend as much on public education as NZ but the selling of these extra -curricula work books are big business and parents accept partial responsibility for their children's school achievement. Education is also valued more there. Gaynor
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