Schooling
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He Whakaaro: The educational experiences of disabled learners
New Zealand is committed to providing an inclusive education system, ensuring that disabled students are supported to achieve their potential, and can participate fully in society. To what extent have we achieved this? This research uses Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to combine the 2013 Disability Survey with data collected from early learning and schools. We use these data to provide one of the first systematic descriptions of the experiences and outcomes of disabled learners in the New Zealand education system.
Author(s): Mercy Mhuru, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: June 2020
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Reading Recovery Evaluation
This report presents a summative process and outcome evaluation of Reading Recovery in Aotearoa. An overview of the findings, evaluative judgements and considerations is presented in Section 4. This evaluation was a rapid review conducted from April to July 2019. There was insufficient data available to support an economic evaluation at that time.
Author(s): Dr Sarah Appleton-Dyer, Angela Boswell and Josie Reynolds
Date Published: June 2020
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He Whakaaro: The importance of identity, language and culture for ākonga Māori
This paper summarizes the findings of recent research completed by researchers at Kōtātā Insight using the Te Kupenga survey of Māori wellbeing. The research creates a new measure of Māori identity, language and culture, and links Te Kupenga respondents to ākonga Māori living in the same household. Researchers use this linkage for two applications: exploring the relationship between the identity, language and culture in the households of ākonga and their educational attainment; and estimating the impact that Māori medium education has on ākonga outcomes.
This paper is a summary of research undertaken by Smith, Beltran-Castillon and Tibble. You can read the full report describing this research here: Ngā Tamariki O Te Kupenga.
Author(s): Mercy Mhuru, Evidence, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: March 2020
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He Whakaaro: Who exercises school choice? An analysis of out-of-zone-students
Most families in Aotearoa New Zealand have the choice of which school to attend, and many opt to attend schools other than their nearest school. This paper uses linked administrative data from Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to examine the characteristics of students and families who actually make this choice. This analysis provides evidence on the extent to which schools with zones attract the most advantaged students from their surrounding out-of-zone areas – a practice known as ‘cream-skimming’.
Author(s): Andrew Webber, Evidence, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: March 2020
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Ngā Tamariki o Te Kupenga
This research examines the interrelationship between whānau characteristics (such as knowledge of tikanga, use of te reo Māori, and engagement with Māori culture), student characteristics, and school characteristics.
For a shorter summary of the main findings of this research, see this He Whakaaro report: The importance of identity, language and culture for ākonga Māori.
Author(s): Conal Smith, Luisa Beltran-Castillon and Atawhai Tibble from Kōtātā Insight Behvioural Economic and Social Analysis.
Date Published: March 2020
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He Whakaaro: How does school type impact on student outcomes?
The question of what structure of schooling works best for students in the middle years is the subject of debate, but has been less studied by researchers. This report aims to find whether some school types are better or worse for student outcomes than others, and investigates the role that structural transitions (at the beginning of Year 7 and Year 9) play in affecting student outcomes. The report improves upon some limitations of previous analyses by adjusting for differences in student characteristics and for student movements that are not just between levels of schooling so that they can be ruled out as a reason for differences in student outcomes in intermediate schools.
Author(s): Marian Loader and Andrew Webber, Evidence, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: March 2020
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He Whakaaro: School attendance and student wellbeing
Student wellbeing is a key priority of the education system, as well as the government as a whole. The government’s new Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy aims to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. One important measure of student wellbeing is whether students are participating in education. Non-attendance at school might be predictive of barriers to wellbeing that exist for students (for example, being bullied at school, or issues at home), and non-attendance might also make future wellbeing worse (missing out on learning might make students less engaged with the content they are learning, as well as with students, teachers and the school community).
Unlike other aspects of wellbeing, student attendance is one area in which the education system collects regular and detailed data on outcomes for students. This raises the question of whether, in addition to directly measuring engagement and participation, attendance might also be a useful proxy measure for other aspects of wellbeing. This paper aims to explore the relationships between school attendance and other aspects of wellbeing (including experiences of anxiety, belonging, bullying, motivation, and unfair treatment), including whether observed attendance can be a useful indication of a student’s wellbeing in other domains.
Author(s): Alexandra McGregor and Andrew Webber, Education, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: February 2020
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He Whakaaro: What is the relationship between attendance and attainment?
School attendance is the most crucial prerequisite for quality education - students cannot learn if they are not in school. Attendance is included as a key educational measure of wellbeing in the government’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy (DPMC, 2019), and Indicators Aotearoa New Zealand (Statistics NZ, 2019). Attendance is an important indicator of student wellbeing, engagement in learning, and connection to school in its own right. But attendance is also a key driver of learning outcomes. Previous research has established that there is a strong relationship between attendance and student attainment (Gottfried, 2010; Ministry of Education, 2019a). This paper explores the nature of that relationship in more detail.
Author(s): Andrew Webber, Education, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: February 2020
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New Zealand Schools Attendance Survey: Term 2, 2019
Student attendance data is published annually as part of a series of attendance information the Ministry of Education publishes. The report provides a picture of attendance in New Zealand schools to help schools, Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako and other sector representatives understand patterns of attendance and how these can affect a student’s achievement and wellbeing.
This report looks at data generated by the 2019 Attendance Survey taken during Term 2, between the end of April and the beginning of July. It is a voluntary survey run across primary and secondary schools.
Author(s): Ministry of Education.
Date Published: February 2020
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Review of Teach NZ scholarship programme
The purpose of this review has been to generate recommendations for a revised scholarship programme. We have used data from all sources to develop these recommendations.
Author(s): Jo MacDonald, Jenny Whatman, Sheridan McKinley, Melanie Berg, and Lorraine Spiller [New Zealand Council for Educational Research] for the Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2019
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Teaching, School and Principal Leadership Practices Survey 2018
The Teaching, School, and Principal Leadership Practices Survey tool (TSP) was available for free school use for the second consecutive year in 2018. It was used by 265 schools that wanted an evidence-base for understanding and developing their practices for the benefit of students.
This report gives the aggregate picture for those schools. Compared with the national school picture, schools using the TSP included fewer small, rural, decile 1-2 schools, and schools with high Māori enrolment.Author(s): Cathy Wylie, Sue McDowall, Hilary Ferral, New Zealand Council for Educational Research
Date Published: October 2019
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He Whakaaro: What do we know about discrimination in schools?
This report presents a summary of current knowledge regarding discrimination of students in New Zealand schools. It combines previously published research with new analysis undertaken using data from the Youth2000 series of surveys of secondary school students. We find evidence that students are discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity, migrant status, religion, sexual or gender identity, disability or health status, and weight. We quantify the extent to which these different groups are subject to negative experiences on the basis of their identity, from both other students and from adults.
Author(s): Andrew Webber and Alexandra McGregor, Education Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: September 2019
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Massey University Early Literacy Research Project
The purpose of this longitudinal research project was to improve the literacy outcomes of new entrant children during, and beyond, their first year of school. Through a series of training workshops and associated materials, teachers were assisted to identify and respond to the specific literacy needs of children. The workshops provided teachers with the knowledge and skills to adopt explicit and systematic word-decoding teaching strategies in their literacy instruction. Effective word decoding skills are a necessary requirement for success in learning to read.
Author(s): James W. Chapman, Alison W. Arrow, Christine Braid, Keith T. Greaney, and William E. Tunmer, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University.
Date Published: August 2019
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Evaluation of the Retention Pilot Programmes for Māori Medium Beginning Teachers
The Retention pilot programme for Māori medium beginning teachers Initiative, was established under Budget 2013. Six providers were contracted to design and implement new induction and mentoring initiatives that support the retention of beginning teachers in Māori medium schools through the provision of quality teaching in a Māori cultural framework through te reo Māori.
Author(s): Prepared by Nan Wehipeihana, Kirimatao Paipa and Roxanne Smith for Research Evaluation Consultancy Limited - a member of the Kinnect Group
Date Published: July 2019
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Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako 2017 Survey
This report describes the findings from the second survey of Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako. The survey took place in October 2017 and looked at the extent to which anticipated changes are occurring in Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako (Kāhui Ako). Surveys were sent to all 210 Kāhui Ako. Responses were received from 1,515 people in a variety of roles.
The findings suggested that Kāhui Ako is supporting teachers to work together to build teaching expertise and is successfully building a collaborative culture within and across schools.
Issues with the viability of the new career pathways were identified, with a lack of staff cover for release seen as the greatest barrier to progress in Kāhui Ako. The use of evidence to drive actions also appears to be problematic, principally with sharing and comparing data including the constraints of working with different Student Management Systems (SMS).
Author(s): Education Technologies Ltd. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education.
Date Published: June 2019
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Equitable digital access to the internet beyond school: A literature review
This report is a literature review looking at equitable digital access to the internet beyond school.
Author(s): Louise Starkey, Elizabeth Eppel, Allan Sylvester, Rana Daoud and Tho Vo, Victoria University of Wellington. Report for the Ministry of Education.
Date Published: December 2018
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Towards digital enablement: A literature review
This report is a literature review looking at digital technology and the role this plays in education.
Author(s): Charles Newton, Commissioned by the Ministry of Education.
Date Published: December 2018
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Using behavioural insights to reduce unjustified school absences
This report summarises key findings of the Behavioural Insights Team’s (BIT) scoping study on students’ unjustified non-attendance in New Zealand schools. It also suggests strategies that could be trialled to raise students’ school attendance.
Author(s): Lee McCauley and Nathan Chappell, The Behavioural Insights Team; Ministry of Education
Date Published: September 2018
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Post-school labour-market outcomes of school-based NCEA
This report presents some basic statistics on what happens to school leavers in the first few years after school, and what difference school-based NCEA makes on post-school labour market outcomes.
Author(s): David Scott, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: September 2018
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Achievement and progress in mathematics, reading and writing in primary schooling
Analysis of e-asTTle assessment data, 2011 to 2016. In order to support student learning it is important to continually improve our understanding of student achievement and progress. This project makes use of existing data to contribute to our current knowledge of student achievement and progress.
Author(s): Ministry of Education
Date Published: May 2018