One of the perennial themes in education is the extent to which differences in student achievement reflect home advantages more than differences in school learning opportunities.
This paper summarises some of the main trends found in the Competent Children/Learners longitudinal project, describes patterns of leisure use and interests for the project’s cohort at age 14, and explores how these relate to engagement in school and learning.

Paper presented at the New Zealand Association ...

Secondary schools' ability to meet senior students' needs related to subject choice, is influenced by a number of factors. Six case study schools were studied at the beginnings of a longitudinal study. This should provide a rich context as the schools change with the introduction of NCEA.

Paper presented at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) conference, Palmerston North, 5-8 December 2002.

A series of mathematics tests called Achievement in Mathematics (AIM) is being developed for New Zealand schools. These tests aim to give detailed information about student performance in mathematics. The emphasis of the tests is on formative assessment that informs teaching and learning.

Paper presented at the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) conference, Hong Kong, September 2002.

The Assessment Resource Banks (ARBs) are computerised banks of assessment material that are available on the Internet. They are linked to the current New Zealand curriculum statements in mathematics, science, and English. This workshop will introduce and demonstrate the ARBs. This will be followed by a description of the diagnostic potential of the ARBs. The final part will be an interactive discussion of the diagnostic dimension of a selection of ...

This paper describes the non-conventional Year 12 and 13 programmes developed at seven low decile New Zealand schools to assist students, at risk of leaving school without qualifications or plans, in their transition to the workforce and/or tertiary education.

Innovative Pathways is a longitudinal study of the impact of these programmes on students' transition decision-making and behaviour.

This paper discusses the perspectives of students and outlines the similarities and differences ...

Recent international studies highlight how the transitions from school young people are experiencing today are increasingly becoming less predictable and more complex than the school-to-work transitions of the past (Wyn & Dwyer, 1999; Furlong & Cartmel, 1997). 

Innovative Pathways from Secondary School examines the models used in schools to support students to make the step from school by examining the influence, on students' career decision making and post-school destinations ...

Innovative Pathways is a longitudinal study of seven senior secondary programmes at low decile schools which were designed to assist students in their transition to the workforce and/or tertiary education.

This paper describes students' and teachers' thoughts, as the students were about to leave school at the end of 2002, on how these programmes helped to prepare students to take their next step after school.

The different ways in which ...

Pathways and Prospects is a 4-year study of young people's pathway and career experiences and perspectives after leaving school and entering study/training and the workforce.

This report analyses two years worth of in-depth interviews with 114 young people in employment, the army, apprenticeship, university, and youth training.

It focuses on how they make career choices in relation to the different dimensions of security and exploration in their outlooks.

The analysis ...

A second survey of AUS members where NZCER monitored the current situation by obtaining an up-to-date picture and comparing the results with those of the 1994 survey.

The AUS is the Association of University Staff of New Zealand.

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research is acting as Research Associate for Wilton Playcentre, a designated early childhood Centre of Innovation.

Wilton Playcentre is a parent co-operative, where parents / whānau are trained to be educators of their children and take responsibility for the management and running of the playcentre. The playcentre model itself is treated as the "innovation".

This is the first research report for Wilton Playcentre, which ...