Questions we are looking at
What drives success for school attendance?
The Government has set a target that 80 percent of students will be present for more than 90 percent of the time by 2030. In Term 3, 2024 only 51% of students were attending this frequently. Through this project, we will focus on identifying how changes to school practice can raise regular attendance, including; how school practice influences parentsâ and studentsâ attitudes, how schools can motivate students to attend and overcome barriers to attendance, how we can support schools to raise attendance (including supporting schools to work together).
What does high-quality PLD look like?
The Minister has asked ERO to produce a framework and guidance to identify high quality professional learning development (PLD). We will explore what the evidence says about PLD, and what PLD currently looks like New Zealand. The findings will inform the quality of PLD that develops teaching practice, including the design, selection and implementation of PLD.
How well is the implementation of the new curriculum going?
The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) are being updated and made available in phases over the next few years. To help make sure this goes well, the Minister has asked ERO and MoE to do a series of work alongside the rollout. We will explore what is happening as schools go about making changes, what is helping, and what more needs to happen. Weâll look for examples of schools doing it well, and highlight where there are opportunities to strengthen implementation.
Questions we have recently answered
How is Relationships and Sexuality Education going in schools?
Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is required to be taught in all state and state-integrated schools. RSE is important to children and young peopleâs physical and mental health, and their safety. However, there are differing views on what, when, and how much should be taught in schools. The Education Review Office (ERO) reviewed RSE to understand how well it meets the needs of students, expectations of parents and whÄnau, and capabilities of schools.Â
How is the implementation of the NCEA Level 1 changes going in schools?
In 2024, changes to NCEA Level 1 were rolled out nationwide. Leaving school with a qualification leads to better life outcomes, so ensuring Aotearoa New Zealandâs qualifications work well is essential for the success of our young people. ERO reviewed NCEA Level 1 to find out how fair and reliable it is, if it is helping students make good choices, how motivating and manageable it is for students, and the impacts of recent changes. We also explored how valued it is and how implementation has gone so far.
How good are the supports for students with persistent absence from school?
Attending school every day is really important, but in Term 3 last year, over 200,000 students missed more than two weeks of school, or were not enrolled at all. We want to know who the students are who are persistently absent from school and what their learning and life outcomes are. We want to know how effective the supports and interventions are at getting students back to school and staying there, and what needs to change, to improve student attendance.
How well does the counselling in primary schools programme support students?
In 2020, Government funded a new programme to help primary school students access counselling. Over three years we looked at how this programme gets support to the students who are most in need and the impact it has on their outcomes.
How can we improve early language skills?
Looking in ECE and the first year of school, this work looks at how we can improve early language and skills that are fundamental to later literacy skills. This work responds to concerns about the impact of Covid-19 disruptions on oral language development. Read this report here.Â
How well prepared for teaching are first-time teachers, and how well supported are they?
Newly qualified teachers are a key part of the education workforce. How well prepared they are and the support they receive to enable them to succeed is important for all schools and students. This report looks at what helps newly qualified teachers thrive. Read this report here.
How is the implementation of the new histories and social sciences curriculum going?Â
This work provides insights on the implementation of Aotearoa New Zealand Histories and the broader Te Ao Tangata | Social Sciences curriculum and the impact on students and teachers learning areas to inform future curriculum changes. Read this report here.Â
How can we support learners to start strong in numeracy?
The work provides a good practice guide for teaching numeracy skills in the first years of primary school, supporting the newly introduced hour a day with practical examples of teaching in action. Read this report here.
How can schools manage behaviour in the classroom?
Responding to increased concerns about classroom behaviour after Covid-19, this work looks at how schools manage behaviours. It will highlight what the evidence shows are more effective practices and what these practices look like in schools in New Zealand. Read this report here.