Chapter 1 Publications
Publication Details
This report of the Minister of Education on the compulsory schools sector in New Zealand pertains to 2008 (also known as the Schools Sector Report). Other editions are available on the New Zealand Schools publication home page.
Author(s): Ministry of Education
Date Published: September 2009
This report is available as a download (please refer to the 'Downloads' inset box). For links to related publications/ information that may be of interest please refer to the 'Where to Find Out More' inset box.
Chapter 1: Student Outcomes
Good progress in literacy and numeracy early in a student’s schooling is fundamental to successful outcomes at the secondary level, in tertiary education and in everyday life. Students who gain qualifications at school have more options in tertiary education and for future employment.This chapter looks at information on student achievement that became available in 2008 and 2009. The chapter is divided into two sections. The first section looks at specific areas of achievement and includes findings from the Literacy Professional Development Project (LPDP), the Numeracy Development Project (NDP), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The second section looks at the highest levels of attainment of 2008 school leavers and analyses student progress through the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) by the 2006 Year 11 cohort.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SPECIFIC AREAS
Many New Zealand students perform well in literacy, maths and science, but the spread of achievement is wider in literacy in New Zealand than in other developed countries.
Literacy and Reading
PIRLS is designed to measure reading comprehension skills. It examines the reading literacy achievement of middle primary school students every five years. Analysis of PIRLS data1 has revealed more information on the spread of results among New Zealand students at a national and sub-group level. Both boys and girls scored on average significantly higher than the international mean for their groups. Boys are doing as well as girls at the higher levels but are over-represented among lower achievers.
Scores for New Zealand Year 5 students ranged more widely than those for students in many high-performing countries. The range for New Zealand at 290 was similar to England (290) and Bulgaria (276) but higher than France (220) and Scotland (266). The variation in reading literacy levels across ethnic groups proves that high- and low-performing students exist in all ethnic groups (see Table 1.1). Compared with PIRLS 2001 results, there is no significant change across the ethnic groups in mean reading literacy scores.
Year 5 Student Group | Mean Reading Literacy Score | Range (Difference between the 5th & 95th Percentiles) |
Ethnic grouping | ||
European/Pākehā | 552 | 266 |
Māori | 483 | 289 |
Pasifika | 479 | 254 |
Asian | 550 | 246 |
Gender | ||
Girls | 544 | 272 |
Boys | 520 | 298 |
In primary schooling, building strong early foundations for all students, with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy, is critical. Students who are below the average range for their year level will benefit from focused and sustained support.
The Competent Children, Competent Learners (CL@16) project is a longitudinal study that has followed a group of young people from early childhood education, beginning at age 4, through to age 16.
The CL@16 project found that the performance of low-achieving students is less likely to improve after age 8. In the study, three-quarters of those with low literacy and numeracy levels at age 8 still had low levels at age 16.2 Performance can change as individuals respond to changing experiences, opportunities and relationships, and as they build on what they achieve. However, students with the lowest levels of cognitive performance are least likely to show positive improvement/change.
The LPDP has had success in improving the achievement levels of students in the low attainment group. Schools with students in Years 1–8 can receive in-depth, schoolwide professional development in literacy through the LPDP and focus on either reading comprehension or writing.
The LPDP reported that, in Years 4–8 asTTle3 reading, most students in the lower curriculum levels were moving up to expected curriculum levels within the two years their school participated in the LPDP.4 Although low decile schools have the lowest achievement levels, students who were at risk of under-achievement had made considerable progress compared with other students.
Similar progress is evident among students in asTTle writing in Years 4–8, where, after one year, there was progress equivalent to two years’ progress in the 2006–2007 cohort. Medium decile (deciles 4–7) schools made the greatest progress. The difference in achievement levels between high and medium decile schools in the LPDP is reducing, but the difference in achievement levels between high and low decile schools remains unchanged.
According to the Education Review Office (ERO), the majority of schools have programmes in place to identify children with low-level literacy skills and are able to address the needs of these students. ERO completed a review of 155 schools5 and found that the majority could adequately identify students at risk of not achieving, particularly in literacy and numeracy. There was a wide variation in how schools addressed the specific needs of students and monitored, reviewed and reported on the progress and impact of that provision.
ERO found that inclusive, well-structured programmes for Māori helped those who were at risk of not achieving. One example was a secondary school that was participating in Te Kōtahitanga. The school made substantial progress in Years 9 and 10. A group of students was identified as being at risk on entry to the school. By Year 10, Māori students in the group were reading at a level comparable to non-Māori.
SMART TOOLS
The soon-to-be-released School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why Best Evidence Synthesis (Educational Leadership BES) is focused on leadership and practice that leads to improved outcomes for students.6
The Educational Leadership BES uses the term ‘smart tools’ to describe tools and routines that are well designed and based on sound evidence-based theories. They shape the way teachers do their jobs, keeping them focused on the intended purposes.
An example of a smart tool is the wedge graph7 in Figure 1.1. It is used by teachers to assess progress in literacy. It is a smart tool because it enables teachers to evaluate their own and their students’ performance against explicit standards. This is a precursor to acting on the analysis the teacher makes linked to their intended goal. Further analysis of the wedge graph over time provides feedback about the effectiveness of teacher interventions in student literacy achievement.
Figure 1.1: Reading Level of Year 1 Students
The graph records the achievement of each child and plots that achievement against literacy benchmarks. Researchers found the graph gave teachers a focus and urgency to the goal of raising their students’ levels of achievement in reading.
The tool uses regular, structured meetings to make collective assessments, and the graph records achievement about individuals at a point in time relative to other students and age-related benchmarks. When interviewed, one teacher replied:
One of the surprises when we first started looking at the graph was how long some of the children had been at school. I think in your room you don’t focus on that really. They’re just your class and you sort of forget, ‘Well, hey, this one has been here quite a long time.’
Numeracy and Mathematics
TIMSS measures trends in mathematics achievement at Years 5 and 9. In the latest assessment, which was in 2006–2007, New Zealand participated at Year 5 level only.Results showed that the proportion of students reaching the advanced, high, intermediate and low benchmarks has not changed significantly since TIMSS 2002–2003. New Zealand Year 5 students, on average, achieved above the mean.8
There was no difference in mean mathematics achievement between boys and girls. Both have shown a significant improvement since 1994 (when TIMSS assessment began). This is also true of gender differences within each of the ethnic groups.
The mean mathematical literacy achievement rate for New Zealand’s 15-year-old students in PISA 2006 was also above the OECD mean. There was no significant change in New Zealand results for 15-year-old students between 2003 and 2006. New Zealand boys had a higher mean mathematical literacy rate than New Zealand girls, mainly due to a larger proportion of boys at the higher proficiency levels.
A large proportion of New Zealand students (19 percent) were found in the top two proficiency levels. This is above the average for OECD countries (13 percent). New Zealand students classified as low achievers, with Level 1 proficiency or below, totalled 14 percent. New Zealand had fewer low achievers than the OECD average of 21 percent, a similar result to that of Australia.
Recognition of the importance of mathematical literacy previously led to setting up the NDP in order to improve mathematics teaching and learning at primary and secondary levels.
The NDP has had some success in improving student achievement. Research has shown that the NDP continues to impact positively on the number strategies of students in NDP-focused schools.9
The NDP has been under way for eight years in primary schools. The Secondary Numeracy Project (SNP) was introduced to secondary schools, including Māori-medium schools, in 2005. Since then, NDP or SNP practices have been initiated in most New Zealand schools.10
At the end of 2008, teachers at around 95 percent of primary and intermediate schools, 40 percent of secondary and 85 percent of Māori-medium schools had completed the projects’ initial two-year numeracy professional development.
Science and Scientific Literacy
New Zealand students have performed at or above the mean in international studies in science achievement (TIMSS 1994–2006). PISA 200611 focused specifically on scientific literacy among 15-year-olds. Only two countries among the 57 participating countries performed better than New Zealand in scientific literacy, and another eight countries performed at a similar level.
PISA 2006 data shows that 65 percent of New Zealand 15-year-old students were enrolled in some form of science education course for four hours or more per week, similar to students in the United Kingdom (62 percent). The participation rate for Year 11 students in NCEA general science is approximately 80 percent (since 2004). Student attainment in NCEA Level 1 science was 58 percent in 2008, the same as in 2004.
TIMSS12 science results for New Zealand Year 5 students compared 1994 with 2006. Results show that the mean science achievement of students in 2006 was about the same as in 1994 – 13 percent of students did not reach the low benchmark (for example, did not demonstrate some elementary knowledge of life and physical sciences), which is poor compared with countries such as Australia (7 percent) and Scotland (10 percent).
On average, New Zealand Year 5 students have significantly lower levels of science achievement compared with those in other English-speaking countries (except Scotland). They also spend less time at the middle primary level learning science compared with recorded levels in 2002. However, TIMSS 2006 results show that fewer students are demonstrating very low achievement in science compared with 2002 results.
OUTCOMES AT THE SENIOR SECONDARY LEVEL
A successful school system results in school leavers who are motivated, self-directed, lifelong learners. The sections that follow discuss the outcomes for students at the senior secondary level. They begin with the qualification outcomes for school leavers in 2008 compared with previous years. Then follows a discussion of NCEA outcomes between 2006 and 2008 of a cohort of students as they advance through their schooling.
School Leavers in 2008
School leaver data provides a way of measuring the cumulative performance of students (see Table 1.2). It shows the overall success of schools in ensuring that students are adequately equipped to participate in society, the labour market and further education. This data includes students who are gaining qualifications through NCEA and also international examinations.
The overall picture for school leavers in 2008 is positive, with more students attaining qualifications at all levels. Since 2004, a greater proportion of leavers has attained NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance, and a smaller proportion has left school with attainment below NCEA Level 1.
Highest Attainment of School Leavers | European/ Pākehā13 | Māori | Pasifika | Asian | Other | All School Leavers |
University Entrance or Level 3 qualification or higher14 | 49 | 20 | 23 | 67 | 42 | 43 |
Halfway to a Level 3 qualification | 8 | 10 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
Level 2 qualification | 18 | 19 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 17 |
Halfway to a Level 2 qualification15 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 8 |
Level 1 qualification | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Halfway to a Level 1 qualification16 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
Less than halfway to a Level 1 qualification | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Little or no formal attainment | 4 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 6 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
School Leavers with Less than NCEA Level 1
School-level qualifications provide an indicator of a level of literacy and skill. School leavers without qualifications are, on average, more likely to have difficulty finding sustained and skilled employment than those who leave school with qualifications. Some school leavers without qualifications are likely to continue their education through tertiary education providers in preference to pursuing secondary school qualifications.
The number of students leaving without a qualification decreased to 16 percent in 2008, compared with 18 percent of 2007 school leavers and 25 percent of 2006 school leavers.
In 2008, 31 percent of Māori school leavers attained less than a Level 1 qualification, compared with 35 percent in 2007. There was a similar change for Pasifika students: 21 percent of 2008 Pasifika school leavers attained less than a Level 1 qualification, compared with 26 percent in 2007.
School Leavers with NCEA Level 2 or a Higher Qualification
Seventy percent of school leavers in 2008 had attained NCEA Level 2 or a higher qualification, compared with 66 percent in 2007 and 63 percent in 2006 (see Figure 1.2).
Figure 1.2: School Leavers with NCEA Level 2 or Higher Qualification by Ethnic Group, 1993-200818
Attainment improved among Māori school leavers. In 2008, 49 percent of Māori school leavers had attained a Level 2 qualification or higher, compared with 44 percent in 2007.
Attainment also improved among Pasifika school leavers. In 2008, 62 percent of Pasifika school leavers attained a Level 2 qualification or higher, compared with 56 percent in 2007.
A formal school qualification is a measure of the extent to which young adults have completed a basic prerequisite for higher education and training, and many entry-level jobs. Educational qualifications are linked to labour force status and incomes. People with no qualifications have relatively high unemployment rates and lower average incomes. School leavers without NCEA Level 2 have limited educational and job prospects.
School Leavers Achieving University Entrance or a Higher Qualification
Students who achieve University Entrance or an equivalent qualification17 can enter directly into degree-level tertiary study.
In 2008, 43 percent of school leavers achieved University Entrance or a Level 3 (or higher) qualification, compared with 32 percent in 2004 (see Figure 1.3). Female students achieved at higher rates than males, with 50 percent attaining at least a university entrance standard, compared with 36 percent of male students.
Figure 1.3: School Leavers with University Entrance or a Level 3 or Higher Qualification by Ethnic Group, 1993-2008
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The flexibility of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and NCEA allows students to build up credits over time towards a qualification. Students who do not gain a qualification in one year retain any credits they have gained and can add to them in subsequent years. The information available on NQF study allows us to follow the outcomes of groups of students over time.
The flexibility and complexity of the NCEA system and the wide range of subjects it offers benefit many students but at the same time make it easy for other students to make non-strategic course choices.
Research has shown that Māori and Pasifika students, most of whom attend low decile schools, tend to be enrolled in less academic subjects and in unit standards rather than achievement standards.19 Students who have the ability to succeed in degree-level qualifications need to make strategic course choices from Year 11 upwards or risk either not achieving University Entrance or reduced access to university programmes.
Schools play a strong mediating role, determining which subjects are available and how they are timetabled, which standards within individual subjects are selected and the prerequisites for further study. Students taking traditional academic subjects are much more likely to achieve University Entrance than students taking vocational subjects.
Students would benefit from more guidance about where their aspirations and course choices will lead after secondary school. Making NCEA pathways more straightforward and transparent will lead to improved outcomes from secondary-level education.
In the following section, the progress of three groups of students tracked over two to three years is reported in order to show:
- the common pathways that students take through NCEA
- the highest levels of qualification that students typically reach by following each pathway.
This section focuses on the 2006 cohort (in which the Year 11 students of 2006 were tracked through to 2008). Some comparisons are made with earlier groups of students: the 2003 cohort (in which the Year 11 students of 2003 were tracked through to 2005), the 2004 cohort (in which the Year 11 students of 2004 were tracked through to 2006) and the 2005 cohort (in which the Year 11 students of 2005 were tracked through to 2007).20
Students can take different pathways to achieving qualifications. Through these pathways, the majority of students achieve at least one qualification on the NQF, many achieve two and almost one-third achieve three (see Table 1.3).
Year 11 | Year 12 | Year 13 | Proportion % | |
Three qualifications | 32 | |||
Path 1 | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | 32 |
Two qualifications | 26 | |||
Path 2 | Qualification | Qualification | Credits | 11 |
Path 3 | Qualification | Qualification | No participation | 8 |
Path 4 | Credits | Qualification | Qualification | 4 |
Path 5 | Qualification | Credits | Qualification | 3 |
Path 6 | Qualification | No participation | Qualification | 0 |
One qualification | 22 | |||
Path 7 | Credits | Qualification | No participation | 6 |
Path 8 | Qualification | No participation | No participation | 5 |
Path 9 | Credits | Qualification | Credits | 4 |
Path 10 | Qualification | Credits | No participation | 5 |
Path 11 | Credits | Credits | Qualification | 1 |
Path 12 | Qualification | Credits | Credits | 1 |
Path 13 | Credits | No participation | Qualification | 0 |
Path 14 | Qualification | No participation | Credits | 0 |
No qualification | 20 | |||
Path 15 | Credits | No participation | No participation | 14 |
Path 16 | Credits | Credits | No participation | 5 |
Path 17 | Credits | Credits | Credits | 1 |
Path 18 | Credits | No participation | Credits | 0 |
In Table 1.3, the pathways that students followed are made up of the following:
- qualification (dark colour) – the student gained a national certificate (usually NCEA) in the year21
- credits (light colour) – the student gained credits but did not complete a national certificate in the year
- no participation (no colour) – the student did not gain credits or a qualification in Year 12 or Year 13.
Nearly one-third (32 percent) of the 2006 cohort achieved three qualifications by the end of Year 13 (see Figure 1.4). This is an increase of six percentage points over the 2002 cohort, 26 percent of whom achieved three qualifications. Students typically achieve Level 1 in Year 11, Level 2 in Year 12 and Level 3 in Year 13.
A further 26 percent of the 2006 cohort achieved two qualifications by the end of Year 13. Students take various pathways in achieving these qualifications. Most gain their two qualifications in their first two years of senior secondary study (see paths 2 and 3 in Table 1.3). The students who do not return to NCEA to gain a NCEA Level 3 qualification may be studying towards international examinations in Year 13.
Most of the students with two qualifications by the end of Year 13 had a Level 2 qualification as their highest qualification. Only about 7 percent had a Level 3 qualification as their highest qualification (see Figure 1.4).
Figure 1.4: Highest Qualification Achieved by the 2006 Cohort by the End of 2008, All Students
Just over one-fifth of the 2006 cohort had achieved a single qualification by the end of Year 13. The most common pathways to this were to gain the qualification in either the first or second year of senior secondary study and then not return (Table 1.3). However, a small number of students (2 percent) do gain their first qualification on the NQF after three years of study.
Most of the students with one qualification had gained a Level 1 qualification (16 percent). The remainder had a Level 2 qualification (6 percent) or a Level 3 qualification (1 percent).
One-fifth (20 percent) of the students in the 2006 cohort did not achieve a qualification on the NQF by the end of Year 13. Most of this group (14 percent) left school after their first senior secondary year. A minority returned for a second year before leaving.
Just over a quarter of the group (26 percent) who did not achieve a qualification met the literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA Level 1. Most students met the requirements by the end of Year 11, with a minority meeting the requirements by the end of Year 12. A small number take even longer to meet these requirements, only doing so by the end of Year 13.
Female students were more likely to gain three qualifications by the end of Year 13 than their male counterparts (39 percent compared with 26 percent – see Figure 1.5). Male students were more likely than female students to gain only one qualification (24 percent compared with 19 percent) or no qualification (23 percent compared with 17 percent). The proportion of male students to gain only one qualification or less has decreased four percentage points since 2004.
Figure 1.5: Highest Qualification Achieved by the 2006 Cohort by the End of 2008, by Gender
Only 13 percent of Māori students in the cohort gained three qualifications, compared with 37 percent of non-Māori students (see Figure 1.6). This is a small improvement compared with the 2004 cohort. The number of Māori students to gain at least two qualifications increased from 34 percent to 37 percent when compared with the 2004 cohort; for non-Māori, there was an increase from 61 to 64 percent. Māori students remain more likely than non-Māori students to gain no qualifications (35 percent compared with 16 percent). This is a small improvement for Māori when compared with the 2004 cohort (39 percent), a difference of four percentage points and an overall increase in the number of qualifications gained by the 2006 cohort.
Figure 1.6: Highest Qualification Achieved by the 2006 Cohort by the End of 2008, by Māori and Non-Māori Students
Only 14 percent of Pasifika students gained three qualifications compared with 34 percent of non-Pasifika students (see Figure 1.7). This is a small improvement on the 2004 Pasifika cohort rate (12 percent). The number of Pasifika students to gain at least two qualifications by the end of Year 13 (43 percent) was also lower than for non-Pasifika students (60 percent). Pasifika students were more likely to take three years to gain two qualifications (see path 2 or path 4 in Table 1.3).
Figure 1.7: Highest Qualification Level Achieved by the 2006 Cohort by the End of 2008 by Pasifika and Non-Pasifika Students
Transitions to Tertiary Education
The qualifications a student has gained by the time they leave school play a significant role in the ease with which they can pursue further study or employment.
New Zealanders aged 15–64 with higher qualifications have better employment prospects and incomes.22 In 2008, the unemployment rate of those with a bachelor’s degree or a higher qualification was 2.1 percent. This compares with 3.1 percent for those with another tertiary qualification, 4.5 percent for those with a school qualification and 6.0 percent for those with no qualification. In 2008, the average weekly income for people aged 15 and over was $1,078 for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification, $769 for those with a vocational or trade qualification, $651 for those with another post-school qualification, $524 for those with a school qualification and $468 for those with no qualifications.23
Movements in the measures of employment reflect changes in the labour market value of particular skills, levels of education and changes in the skill requirements of the overall economy. The labour market demand for young people with upper secondary and tertiary education qualifications foreshadows an increasing risk of exclusion for those with lower levels of attainment.
Transition from school to tertiary education and employment will impact on long-term outcomes for students, including their participation in learning throughout life. Those who leave school with qualifications find it easier to move into tertiary education and have greater access to employment-related training and employment.
Students from high decile schools are more likely to participate in tertiary education and to enrol in bachelor’s-level study. Of the population of 19-year-olds in 2008,24 47 percent of the students from high decile schools were enrolled in bachelor’s-level study. This compares with 25 percent of students from medium decile schools and 10 percent of students from low decile schools. For participation of 19-year-olds in other formal tertiary education courses by decile, see Appendix Table A7.
Most of the observed demographic differences at tertiary level are a result of differences in the level of qualifications with which students leave school.25 Students with University Entrance or a Level 3 or higher qualification were more likely to participate in tertiary education. Of the students aged 19 in 2008 who had attained University Entrance or a Level 3 or higher qualification on the NQF, 88 percent had participated in formal tertiary education (during or prior to 2008), with 74 percent participating in bachelor’s-level study.
For students aged 19 in 2008 whose highest NQF attainment was a Level 1 or Level 2 qualification, 68 percent had participated in formal tertiary education (in or before 2008). These students participated mainly in Level 4 certificates or Level 5–7 diplomas (27 percent), Industry Training or Modern Apprenticeships (21 percent) and Level 1–3 certificates (29 percent).
The course options in tertiary education are limited for students without any NQF qualifications. Sixty-three percent of students aged 19 in 2008 whose highest NQF attainment was less than a Level 1 qualification participated in formal tertiary education (during or prior to 2008). These students participated mainly in Level 1–3 certificates (29 percent) and targeted training courses (26 percent).
The targeted training programmes consist of Youth Training, Training Opportunities and Skill Enhancement (Rangatahi Māia and Tupulaga Le Lumana’i) programmes.26 Youth Training is targeted to young learners, and Training Opportunities is for Work and Income clients. Both focus on learners with no or low qualifications acquiring foundation skills that enable them to move more easily into employment or further tertiary training. The two Skill Enhancement funds aim to provide young Māori and Pasifika learners with NQF qualifications at Level 3 and above. These qualifications lead to employment at higher occupational levels in fields where they are under-represented.
The overall rate of participation in formal tertiary education among Māori 19-year-olds (48 percent in 2008) was lower than the mean participation for all 19-year-olds (57 percent in 2008). Within this participation, Māori 19-year-olds are under-represented in bachelor’s-level study (12 percent of Māori 19-year-olds in 2008) despite increases in the proportion of Māori school leavers gaining a university entrance standard since 2004.
The overall rate of participation in formal tertiary education among Pasifika 19-year-olds (59 percent in 2008) was the same as the rate for all 19-year-olds. Like Māori learners, Pasifika 19-year-olds are under-represented in bachelor’s-level study (18 percent of Pasifika 19-year-olds in 2008) despite increases in the proportion of Pasifika school leavers gaining a university entrance standard since 2004.
CONCLUSION
New Zealand students continue to perform well compared with those in other countries. There are still some students who are not achieving as well as most of their peers. Literacy and numeracy initiatives are making a difference for low-achieving students in particular.
Since the introduction of NCEA, more students have left school with qualifications. The proportion of students leaving with little or no formal attainment has dropped from 18 percent to 5 percent since 2004. Thirty-nine percent of school leavers in 2008 attained a university entrance standard or a Level 3 qualification compared with 32 percent in 2004.
These results are positive, but there is a continuing need to focus on establishing strong foundations for all students and to ensure that students have every opportunity to gain a qualification before leaving secondary school.
WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE
Visit www.educationcounts.govt.nz
Indicators
Education and Learning
- Reading literacy achievement: primary schooling
- Reading literacy achievement: senior secondary schooling
- Mathematics achievement: primary schooling
- Mathematics achievement: middle schooling
- Mathematics literacy achievement: senior secondary schooling
- Science achievement: primary schooling
- Science achievement: middle schooling
- Science literacy achievement: senior secondary schooling
- Percentage of Māori population proficient in te reo Māori
- School leavers with no qualifications
- School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above
- School leavers with a university entrance standard
- Educational attainment in the adult population
- School leavers entering tertiary education
- Unemployment rate by highest qualification
- Graduate income premium
- Impact of education on income
Footnotes
- Chamberlain, M. (2009). PIRLS 2005/2006 in New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Wylie, C., Hodgen, E., Hipkins, R. and Vaughan, K. (2008). Competent Learners on the Edge of Adulthood. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- asTTle (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning) is an educational resource for assessing reading, writing and mathematics. It provides information about a student’s level of achievement relative to the desired curriculum achievement outcomes.
- Ministry of Education. (2009). Literacy Professional Development Project Milestone Report. Wellington: Learning Media.
- Education Review Office. (2008). Schools’ Provision for Students at Risk of Not Achieving. Wellington: Education Review Office.
- Robinson, V., Hohepa, M. and Lloyd, C. (2009). School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Timperley, H., Phillips, G. and Wiseman, J. (2003). The Sustainability of Professional Development in Literacy: Part Two: School-based Factors Associated with High Student Achievement. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Caygill, R. and Kirkham, S. (2008). Mathematics: Trends in Year 5 Mathematics Achievement 1994 to 2006. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Ministry of Education. (2007). New Zealand Numeracy Development Projects 2007. Wellington: Learning Media.
- Thomas, G. and Tagg, A. (2009). ‘The Numeracy Development Project Longitudinal Study: How Did the Students Perform in Year 7’ in New Zealand Numeracy Development Projects 2009. Wellington: Learning Media.
- Caygill, R. (2008). PISA 2006: School Context of Science Achievement. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Caygill, R. (2008). Science: Trends in Year 5 Science Achievement 1994 to 2006. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- For this indicator, ethnicity is prioritised in the order of Māori, Pasifika, Asian, other groups except European/Pākehā, and European/Pākehā. European/Pākehā refers to people who affiliate as New Zealand European, other European or European (not further defined). For example, this includes but is not limited to people who consider themselves as Australian (excluding Australian Aborigines), British and Irish, American, Spanish and Ukrainian.
- Includes leavers achieving a university entrance standard which is defined as: those students with 42–59 credits NCEA Level 3 and satisfying University Entrance criteria; or a national certificate at Level 3 or above including an NCEA Level 3 qualification; or an overseas award at Year 13 (for example, Cambridge International, Accelerated Christian Education) or University Entrance or University Bursary (A or B) or New Zealand Scholarship.
- Includes leavers with Year 12 Cambridge International, International Baccalaureate, Accelerated Christian Education or any other overseas award.
- Includes leavers with Year 11 Cambridge International, International Baccalaureate, Accelerated Christian Education or any other overseas award.
- Students are required to meet the university entrance standard, as established by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee.
- Due to methodological changes in the allocation of attainment levels in 2003 and 2004 of leavers achieving a qualification between little or no formal attainment and university entrance standard, the percentages of leavers with NCEA Level 2 or higher in 2003 are not comparable with other years and have been omitted.
- Starpath Project. (2008). Towards University: Navigating NCEA Course Choices in Low–Mid Decile Schools. Auckland: University of Auckland.
- Ninety percent of Year 11 students participated in NCEA in 2005, 90 percent in 2004, 87 percent in 2003 and 85 percent in 2002. Participation is defined as gaining at least one credit.
- Students who skip lower-level qualifications in favour of higher-level qualifications are automatically awarded the lower-level qualification(s) when they gain the higher-level qualification(s). Here, only one qualification per year is counted (the highest level awarded in the year).
- Statistics New Zealand, Household Labour Force Survey (June 2008 quarter).
- Statistics New Zealand, New Zealand Income Survey (June 2008 quarter).
- As at 1 July 2008, based on domestic population enrolled in school five years earlier when students were 14.
- Loader, M. and Dalgety, J. (2007). Students’ Transition between School and Tertiary Education, 2nd Edition. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Tertiary Education Commission. (2007). Targeted Training Funding Handbook. Wellington: Tertiary Education Commission.
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