This issue of set: Research Information for Teachers focuses on the senior secondary school, especially the challenges and complexities—for both parents and students—of successfully negotiating the NCEA system. Plus there’s a thought-provoking article on using a variety of subject areas to assess students against National Standards, and much more.

This issue of set is full of good news. There’s encouraging research that shows that the benefits of an intervention can continue even after it ends. In the feature section on junior primary, an oral language development programme based on one-on-one conversations about books is showing promising results, interactive whiteboards are enhancing science learning and teachers are improving students’ enjoyment and achievement by directly teaching social skills.

A number of articles in the third and final issue of set for 2010 take up the theme of teachers as learners. Researchers report from a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative research project at Hornby High School that challenged teachers to reflect on their underlying assumptions about knowledge and learning. Another article follows one teacher’s journey as he works to power share and learn with students, and there is an exploration of what student teachers learn from their students. In an opinion piece, NZCER chief researcher Rosemary Hipkins addresses the concern about potential labelling of students under the National Standards, and NZCER researchers take readers through the revision of the PAT: Listening Comprehension test.