• Gender Differences in Student Achievement... [PDF 193kB]

The article provides a summary of a more extensive review of information held by the Ministry of Education on boys' and girls' participation in school and on their achievement. The review was undertaken in response to recent concerns about the educational outcomes of male students in New Zealand.

• Schools' Progression towards Implementation of Technology... [PDF 276kB]

In 1998 research was carried out to gather information on how schools were progressing with implementing Technology in the New Zealand Curriculum, gazetted in February 1999. The purpose of the research was to provide a basis from which to decide how best to support schools' ongoing implementation of the technology curriculum. The study showed that implementation of the technology curriculum has posed some particular challenges. The implications of these are briefly discussed in light of the ongoing implementation of technology and also in light of the implementation of other curricula.

• Education for Teachers of the Arts... [PDF 151kB]

The article provides an outline of the arts education opportunities available to student teachers and/or already qualified teachers. The data were obtained by means of a survey of the teacher education providers which offered courses in the arts. In light of the release this year of the draft document The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, the information obtained has provided useful baseline data to help the Ministry determine potential issues in relation to the effective implementation of the arts curriculum.

• A Brief Overview Of TIMSS... [PDF 280kB]

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study, which took place between 1992 and 1997, involved more than 40 countries. The article describes the conceptual framework for the study, and outlines the sampling procedures used, before providing a brief summary of the main trends in the data which resulted from New Zealand's participation in the study. The results have highlighted, within an international context, areas of strengths and weaknesses in New Zealand students' achievement and literacy in mathematics and science.

• The Staffing Situation in New Zealand Schools... [PDF 170kB]

Results of a survey of all schools at the beginning of the current school year to discover the extent to which schools were experiencing vacancies are presented. The article includes comparisons of this year's data with those obtained from similar surveys carried out in 1997 and 1998. The 1999 data suggest that, although the staffing situation in primary schools seems to have improved somewhat, the effects of roll growth on teacher supply may be just beginning to be felt at the secondary school level.

• A Profile of Overseas Teachers Teaching in NZ Schools... [PDF 119kB]

The recruitment of overseas teachers is one of the initiatives the Ministry has introduced in recent years to increase the supply of teachers to New Zealand schools. The article provides a brief summary of four research projects, carried out in 1997 and 1998, the purposes of which included establishing background information on the overseas teachers who have come to work in our schools, obtaining principals' views on having overseas teachers in their schools, and establishing overseas teachers' intentions for continuing to live and work in New Zealand in the short- and longer-term.

• Candidates standing for election as Parent Representatives... [PDF 119kB]

The article discusses the number of candidates who stood for election as parent representatives in the 1998 boards of trustees elections, and examines the gender, ethnicity, and previous board experience of those candidates.

• Trends In Reading Recovery Data between 1984 and 1998 [PDF 153kB]

Reading Recovery data (eg, the number of schools and students who participate in a Reading Recovery programme each year and the number of students who successfully complete their programme] have been monitored and reported on annually since 1984. This article discusses trends in the data that have become evident between 1984 and 1998.

• A Summary Of Key Findings from two studies of directly... [PDF 188kB]

In 1998, two studies of directly resourced (bulk funded] schools were carried out. The article provides a brief outline of the nature and extent of each of these studies and a summary of results. Both studies showed that the great majority of respondents expressed very favourable views about their school's participation in the Direct Resourcing of Teachers' Salaries Scheme (DRS] (since known as the Fully Funded Option].

• The Results of Consultation about Rules for the Stand-Down... [PDF 153kB]

The article provides a summary of a more extensive report on the results of feedback from schools and other interested parties about a series of 28 draft rules for the stand-down, suspension, exclusion, or expulsion of students from state schools, developed in response to increasing concerns about the number of suspensions and expulsions from schools. The data obtained during the consultation process were taken into account when revising the draft rules, the final form of which came into effect in July of this year.

• Trends in the Data on Students taught by Resource Teachers... [PDF 124kB]

Data on students taught by Resource Teachers of Reading (RTRs] have been collected and analysed each year since 1992. The article compares the data collected over this period and identifies emerging trends.

• Results of a 1996 Survey [PDF 208kB]

Results of a November 1996 survey of participants in school-based community education courses are presented. The article provides a profile of participants - their age, gender, ethnicity, qualifications, employment status, and lists details about the most popular courses and participants' main reasons for undertaking the community education courses they were in at the time of the survey.