New Zealand has had self-managing schools for 18 years now - long enough to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our approach.

To get some insight into ways we might build on our strengths and improve our system, chief researcher Dr Cathy Wylie paid a visit earlier this year to Edmonton Public Schools, a large, urban district in Alberta, Canada. She outlines for us how Edmonton operates self-managing schools and ...

A background paper that reviews the national and international literature on councils such as the one proposed in the Education Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2001

Occasional paper 2002/1

A recent High Court decision could have a major impact on education for children with special needs.

 In late 2005, NZCER was contracted to provide support to the Normal Schools as they began to review teaching and learning practices to incorporate the new Key Competencies framework into their school context.

There were two aspects to the NZCER contract. One was working with the Normal Schools Association to assist in providing professional development workshops to school staff on the Key Competencies and curriculum change. A second aspect was working with ...

Occasional Paper 2002/2

A new review of the research evidence about differences affecting the quality of early childhood education.

This research reports on the impact of Level 1 NCEA on the teaching of mathematics and science. It provides an in-depth analysis of the dynamics of change in the study teachers’ mathematics and science classrooms in response to the NCEA implementation. A range of aspects of classroom practice were identified where one way of working or set of emphases could be balanced against another way of working/set of emphases. Findings with ...

This report explores ways in which recent changes in the teaching of home economics and geography may be related to the introduction of the National Certificate in Educational Achievement at Year 11 (NCEA Level 1) and at Year 12 (NCEA Level 2). The research describes the nature and extent of the changes that were identified, and explores how these changes seem to be related to teachers’ personal teaching priorities and ...

The Learning Curves project has documented changes in the subject and assessment choices offered to senior students in six medium-sized New Zealand secondary schools between 2002 and 2004 as the National Qualifications Framework and National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) reforms were progressively implemented. It has also investigated how students perceive and make their subject choices within the context of each school’s curriculum policies and practices. 

This report documents findings ...

This report covers the findings of the 1996 survey on the impact of the 1989 educational reforms.

• The continuing high workload required to make the reforms work was lowering morale.
• Dissatisfaction with resourcing had grown, despite increased school fund-raising. A majority of both principals and trustees now said that funding was inadequate.
• Parental and community support could not bridge the resource gaps, especially for schools with low income or high Mäori enrolment.

The 1993 survey on the impact of the education reforms found

• Continuing partnership and general goodwill between professionals and lay people on boards of trustees. Most school-based problems were resolved at the school, though often with outwside help, particularly from teachers' and trustees' national organisations. 
• Schools needed more support, information, and training.
• High workloads were an increasing burden and teacher morale was sagging.
• However, for the first time, teaching and ...