Tēnā koutou katoa, and welcome back for 2024. The first order of business (as it will be for many of you) is our assessment refresh. We have some exciting new developments on the PAT front to accompany changes from last year, and have all the details below!
PAT Pānui | PAT Reading Comprehension now available
Our equity-focused refresh of the PATs continues apace this year, with the introduction of PAT Pānui | PAT Reading Comprehension as an online test through NZCER Assist. Schools can continue using the previous PAT: Reading Comprehension assessment either online or on paper in 2024, but there will be a shift to only PAT Pānui being available for 2025. Key changes for the new tests include:
- The introduction of materials from contemporary New Zealand, Māori and Pacific authors.
- A focus on equity, social and cultural diversity in test development, to better reflect communities and environments from across Aotearoa and the wider Pacific.
- Improved accessibility options for ākonga.
- Questions have been recategorised to test a broader range of reading comprehension attributes – including retrieval, local and complex inferencing, integrating and interpreting information, and critiquing and evaluating texts.
Schools can access PAT Pānui in the same way they do previous tests, through NZCER Assist. These have been rigorously tested and piloted with schools to ensure a consistent experience with what schools are used to.
PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics - now refreshed
Late last year we completed the full shift from the previous PAT: Mathematics assessments to the refreshed PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics, in both online and paper formats.
PAT Pāngarau has new tests ranging from Year 3 to the end of Year 10, with updated designs and content to ensure all ākonga are reflected in the assessment. Refreshed questions also form part of our computer adaptive content, which adjusts the assessment as ākonga answer questions.
This does mean that schools using the old paper tests will no longer have access to our reporting, and will have to use PAT Pāngarau to access this.
Additionally, we have updated the measurement scales and national reference information for PAT Pāngarau - you can read all about that here.
New PAT resources for schools
To complement to the Aratohu Kaiako (teacher guide) for each of PAT Pāngarau and PAT Pānui, we have launched a set of smaller, equity-focused resources for schools using PATs, which are all available here.
This kete includes:
- Aratohu kaiako (Teacher guides) for PAT Pāngarau and PAT Pānui
- New videos for kaiako to share with tamariki as they embark on their PAT journey
- Newsletters, slide decks and posters to share with whānau and community about PATs
- Introductory webinar recordings
- Guides for kaiako as they administer PATs
- Updated information on scale scores, monitoring and ākonga progress
These are designed for schools to use as they engage whānau, ākonga and boards, explaining what PATs are, how they work, and what the equity-focused refresh means.
Aratohu kaiako (teacher guides) are also now available for both PAT Pānui and PAT Pāngarau, on their respective web pages and the resources section.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact our Assessment Services team.