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2015 No 3, July

The latest news, research and publications from NZCER

New director appointed to lead NZCER

In June Graeme Cosslett took over as the new director and chief executive of NZCER. Board chairman Peter Coolbear says Graeme is a deeply committed educator with the skills, experience and drive to lead NZCER into an exciting new phase.

2015 National Survey of Secondary Schools – now on!

NZCER’s regular national surveys provide significant pictures of what is happening in our schools. They have the support of PPTA, SPANZ, and NZSTA.

The 2015 secondary survey has been sent out to every principal, a random sample of one in four teachers, board chairs and one other trustee at each school, and a random sample of parents at a cross-section of secondary schools. 

We’re asking for surveys to be completed by 25 August. If you receive a survey, please contribute to this important national picture. Survey findings will available on the NZCER National Survey website in December. To learn more about this work, visit www.nzcer.org.nz/research/national-survey

Workshop: Thinking differently about curriculum

Educators who want to think differently about the content of the primary school curriculum are invited to a half day workshop in Wellington on Saturday 22 August. This event is an exciting collaboration between NZCER and AUT's Edge Work network. The workshop will explore thinking and assumptions about what we do in primary school and why.

Where: Breaker Bay Community Hall, Breaker Bay Rd, Seatoun, Wellington

Cost: $40 per person, or $30 if more than one person from the same school attends (includes morning tea). Register here.

New free survey to measure science engagement

We've released a new Science engagement survey that will help teachers measure how students perceive science learning in their class. This free tool will give schools rich information about their students’ engagement with science and their perceptions of the learning opportunities that have been provided for them. 

To learn more about this tool, visit: www.nzcer.org.nz/tests/science-engagement-survey

Interested in evaluation? Check out our latest journal, just launched at the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA) conference in Auckland. Evaluation Matters—He Take Tō Te Aromatawai is published by NZCER in association with ANZEA.  You can find out more about it here.

Call for game-using teachers 

Games for Learning is a new research project that will explore the role of digital games to support "transformative learning opportunities" for diverse learners across New Zealand. We are looking for teachers and learners who are using, playing or building games as part of their learning to contribute to this project. If you are interested in contributing or hearing more about this project, visit www.nzcer.org.nz/research/games-learning  or contact the project leader Rachel Bolstad.

Project measures health of te reo in homes and communities

Te Wāhanga, NZCER has been contracted by Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori to undertake a kaupapa Māori research project to measure the health of te reo Māori in homes and communities. The project 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. 

New book: Giftedness in the early years: Informing, learning and teaching

This new book is about changing perceptions—helping parents, early years teachers, and other key individuals to understand giftedness, and providing them with resources to help in identification and assessment for learning.

New book: Between the profession and the state: A history of the New Zealand Teachers Council

This book chronicles the building of a professional body for the teaching workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It explores the issues and challenges, the people and the politics, of the uneasy space between the teaching profession and the state. It is both the history of an organisation and an insightful exploration of the nature of professional status for teachers.

New report: Stories of practice and change from PB4L School-Wide schools

"It's who we are: Stories of practice and change from PB4L School-Wide Schools" is a report that provides practical examples of how seven schools have interwoven PB4L School-Wide within school practices in ways that create a more positive culture. This report will be useful for schools that are thinking about or have just started a PB4L School-Wide journey, as well as those schools that have been part of the initiative for a few years.

New report on financial capability in secondary schools

This report summarises research carried out for the Commission for Financial Capability into financial capability in secondary schools. We also produced a brochure for schools and parents, setting out the main findings from the research.

This report 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.

New report: Latest Ka Whānau mai te reo report

This report from the Ka Whānau Mai Te Reo project puts the spotlight on te reo Māori at times of transition. It looks at the pathways available to whānau to support their reo aspirations at three key points: starting school, moving from primary to secondary school, and moving beyond secondary school.

Webinars on making your data work

Our Assessment Services team are hosting a series of webinars to help you get the most out of your student achievement data. Webinars include a series focussed on helping teachers use data as the basis for focused inquiry. Webinars on the Wellbeing@School, Inclusive Practices Tool and the Me and My School student engagement survey are also available. To learn more, visit our webinar page.

Blog post on using data as the basis for your focused inquiry

In her latest post, Cathie Johnson, NZCER's Education Adviser, talks about what tools you should be using to collect relevant data.