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2015 No 2, April

Tēnā koe

There's an array of new research, books and assessment news to tell you about. We hope that the information in this newsletter help keep you at the leading edge of education thinking.

Nā mātou o Te Rōpū Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa

The NZCER team

Research News

Upcoming consultations and hui on draft strategy

The draft of Haea Te Pū Ata, the National Strategy for Māori Achievement in Adult Literacy and Numeracy has been completed after the first round of nationwide consultations. 

We are now running a second round of consultation hui where we will share the draft strategy and get participant feedback. The consultations will conclude with a National Forum in Rotorua. The Minister of Māori Development Hon Te Ururoa Flavell will be giving the opening remarks, and a number of Māori leaders will speak about the potential impact of Haea Te Pū Ata in their communities. There will also be an open forum where participants can kōrero with the speakers and other participants about the strategy. It is free to attend and all are welcome.

Upcoming National Survey will provide a snapshot of secondary schools in New Zealand

NZCER has been conducting regular surveys of schools for more than two decades. The focus in 2015 is on secondary schools. In term 3, we will be asking principals, teachers and some parents and board of trustee members to complete surveys. This is an opportunity to contribute to a national snapshot of what is happening in our schools. Keep an eye out for more information in the next newsletter. 

New project to measure health of te reo

We've begun a new project for Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) to measure the health of te reo Maori in homes and communities. The project, named Te Ahu o te Reo, builds on research done at NZCER in the 1970s by Richard and Nena Benton that showed that the Māori language was in a perilous state. 

Te Ahu o te Reo is led by Te Wāhanga, NZCER's Māori research unit and will take a kaupapa Maori approach.

Learning to learn in secondary classrooms

This recently published report by Rosemary Hipkins explores teachers' practice and thinking about one of the eight principles in the New Zealand Curriculum, learning to learn. It draws on data from teachers' responses to NZCER's 2012 National Survey of Secondary Schools.

Financial literacy in secondary schools

This new report looks at what New Zealand secondary students' experiences with money and financial products are, and how they behave towards money. It also looks at what schools offer in terms of financial literacy programmes  and any barriers to the implementation of financial literacy teaching.  

Exploring the work of PLD facilitators

This paper explores the work of professional learning and development (PLD) facilitators in New Zealand schools. It describes what PLD facilitation work is, and examines how well facilitators are prepared for the job they are doing. The paper also considers how the job may need to continue to change to meet the needs of teachers and students in the future.

NZCER welcomes new Māori Resource Developer/Researcher

We welcome Mat Mullany, who has joined Te Wāhanga, NZCER's Māori Research Unit. Prior to working at Te Wāhanga, Mat was a Senior Advisor Māori in the Sector Enablement and Support Group at the Ministry of Education.

New books 

2015 Resource Catalogue is out now

The year's guide to NZCER's publications, assessments and assessment services is out now. The resources in this catalogue will give New Zealand educators the information and tools they need to keep up to date on the latest educational research and practices.

Working with Māori Children with Special Education Needs

Who are Māori children with special education needs? Why would working with them be any different to working with other children with special education needs? Why is this a highly important job—he mahi whakahirahira? This new book provides essential information for those striving to provide culturally responsive, effective education for Māori children.

Mathematics and statistics in the middle years: Evidence and practice

A new book edited by Robin Averill celebrates mathematics and statistics education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The chapters in this book showcase some of our most exciting practice and research, and they are excellent examples of the work happening in New Zealand schools and teacher education.  

The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook

A new up-to-date resource has been published with the aim of improving the literacy of dyslexic students. In putting the book and DVD together, the authors aim to de-mystify dyslexia and show that there are many practical things classroom teachers can do about it. Watch a short video to learn more about this handbook.

Assessment updates from Cathie Johnson, Education Adviser

Tracking ongoing progress against the data

The more specific information you can gather from your assessment data, the more relevant your interventions and strategies will become. I can help schools and individual teachers drill down into your PAT/STAR results so you can develop strategies based on your students' needs. Contact me today to discuss how we can work together at (04) 802-1386 or at educationadviser@nzcer.org.nz.

Wellbeing@School and Inclusive Practices Tools

Student wellbeing is at the centre of a positive learning culture and being able to gather evidence around broader, non-academic outcomes is essential. ERO's recently published "Wellbeing Indicators for Schools" show how important it is that schools have tools to improve and respond to student wellbeing. The Wellbeing@School and the Inclusive Practices Tool (IPT) provide schools a way to do this by providing you with a self-review toolkit to explore the current culture of your school, take action to improve wellbeing and track changes over time.

Webinars

During May, we are running a series of free, introductory webinars on Wellbeing@School and the Inclusive Practices Tool. 

I am also offering more in depth webinars that will help you dive deeper into how you can use assessment data efficiently and effectively. 

More information about the webinar series and how to sign up can be found on our website.

More about Wellbeing@School Survey

Do you have questions or hunches about behaviour and the emotional climate of your school and its impact on learning? Do you need a tool to gather student voice?  Are you wanting to unpack the ERO wellbeing indicators using evidence? The Wellbeing@School tool gives students, teachers and management the chance to anonymously review the different layers of school practice to identify areas of strength and possible next steps to promote pro-social behaviours. 

More about Inclusive Practices Tools

The Inclusive Practices Tools and review process are designed to assist school staff to consider what inclusion means, and encourage schools to engage in a dialogue with their community to think critically about how best to support a diverse range of learners. The tool focuses on how well a school's practices, systems and structures foster inclusive education. Your IPT data is a useful measurement against the ERO wellbeing indicators.