Summary

This is the second report by the Kāhui Ako NANP. Our first report, Collaborative practice emerging across Kāhui Ako: Ten Trends¹, published in November 2021, outlined our Panel’s collective observations about trends in collaborative practice emerging across Kāhui Ako.

This report presents the voices of reappointed Kāhui Ako Leaders and Across School Teachers (ASTs) gathered through two open-ended surveys conducted early in 2021. We coded all responses to the survey questions (see Appendix 1: Survey Questions) and analysed these to identify what respondents wished to say about current practice in Kāhui Ako.

The observations and reflections of reappointed leaders and ASTs identify developments that have taken place, and some point to the possibilities for the future of their Kāhui Ako roles. These Kāhui Ako voices are an endorsement of the power of collaborative endeavour. Effective Kāhui Ako are building relationships across educational settings and providing significant value in bringing education communities together; they report that the diversity of participants is making collaborations richer.

Leaders and ASTs not only described shifts in teacher practice and resulting benefits for ākonga, but they also enabled us to see the potential of Kāhui Ako to help solve some of the previously intractable problems challenging our education system.

We were excited to hear of the support for a significant upswing using assessment data to inform, drive and monitor change, not just big system-wide data, but the small data that belongs in each school and each classroom. Data is being used to make a difference. Teachers across Kāhui Ako told us about sharing data from collaborative inquiries, along with ākonga achievement and other data at transition points. ASTs’ comments described gathering ‘robust’, ‘consistent’, ‘mana enhancing’ data collected by ‘judicious use of tools’ to provide a ‘unified whole picture’ across the Kāhui Ako.

Respondents told us that inquiry and evaluation processes bring structure and rigour while nurturing continuous improvement. We heard about many examples of research-based inquiries and enhanced evidence-based practices. Our respondents described and celebrated how these processes are changing teacher practices and ākonga learning.

Reappointed leaders are feeling recharged and refreshed by the opportunities provided by the leadership role. Reappointed ASTs see their ability to work strategically and to ‘see and be’ a part of the big picture in a wider professional endeavour across schools as a career bonus. They enjoy developing strategic and action plans and aligning their work with the strategic plans of schools. Both groups are motivated by the opportunity to make a bigger difference to student outcomes.

Leaders applaud the growing pedagogical knowledge of ASTs and Within School Teachers (WSTs). ASTs talk knowledgeably and passionately about the expertise and resources they are now accessing, and their enthusiasm for facilitating the translation of educational research into improved classroom practice shines through their comments.

Many WSTs are progressing to AST roles, and a number of ASTs are winning leadership positions, ensuring an increasing number of pedagogically well-informed School Leadership Team members. ASTs and WSTs are ‘expanding’ what might constitute the roles and practices of educational leadership, not necessarily in management.

Opening and expanding new pathways to educational leadership remains a key objective of the IES policy. The voices from this survey are empirical evidence of sustainable steps towards the realisation of that system shift.

Leaders and ASTs spoke of a strong focus on connecting with mana whenua. They provided eloquent examples of ways of ensuring that Māori voice is heard, Māori aspirations acknowledged, and collaborations and partnerships with mana whenua are established and leveraged. Their responses provided a clear indication that commitment to Te Tiriti and a focus on cultural responsiveness is very strong across Kāhui Ako. However, it is important not to underestimate the steps between developing an initial connection with iwi and the significant partnerships that 16% of respondents have developed with iwi.

Respondents drew our attention to the fact that in ensuring a voice for Māori in their Kāhui Ako they have enabled of a direct voice for mana whenua/hapū in the design and delivery of a local curriculum for all tamariki. The key point being that mana whenua have not hitherto readily found connections or voice at the level of strategic planning for education in their rohe.

Many Kāhui Ako see student pathways as being of fundamental importance to their mahi. This has encouraged a blossoming of cross-sector dialogue leading to greater awareness of other sectors and many examples of collaborative initiatives focused around transitions. Early childhood providers are increasingly acknowledged and included as essential partners, and there are calls for their participation to be resourced and formalised.

The potential of Kāhui Ako to advance national education imperatives such as better supporting priority learners, strengthening culturally responsive practice, advancing STEM and introducing changes in refreshed curriculum areas is clearly evident.

The feedback we received also lays bare just how challenging it is to lead successfully in an environment that requires lateral leadership. The overwhelming sentiment from ASTs is that principal buy-in and their willingness and ability to collaborate are critical in Kāhui Ako success. Leaders’ conception of their roles and their skills in leading across a network set the conditions for collaboration across the Kāhui Ako.

Leaders and ASTs told us that challenges that can cause slower progress include: lack of shared clarity about roles and responsibilities; inefficient systems and processes; mixed engagement, participation and commitment to working together; and difficulty ensuring a coherent learning pathway for ākonga because of the nature of the schools that make up some Kāhui Ako.

Leaders voiced disappointment at the apparent wider-system uninterest in what they are achieving and disappointment in what they perceived as a lack of system appreciation of the lessons being learned. Their comments also lamented the professional jealousy experienced by some ASTs and the tenuous nature of Kāhui Ako momentum.

Respondents suggested ways in which Kāhui Ako roles and conditions might be strengthened. Suggestions included calls for increased time and tenure to enable all Kāhui Ako roles to support the in-depth change leadership required. There were also requests for increased clarity to ensure national consistency for the most important aspects of each role. At the same time, there were some calls for increased flexibility to enable the roles to be designed in ways that are more responsive to local conditions.

The insights Kāhui Ako leaders and ASTs shared with us illustrate how Kāhui Ako are modelling significant improvements to the ways in which we can collaborate to improve teaching and learning. Their insights and experiences challenge us to reimagine what our education system might become.

The report

The report begins with an introduction that briefly outlines the intent of the Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning policy, the three school-based roles designed to support it, the role of NANP, and the response rates to the two surveys.

This is followed by Part 1, which outlines the findings from the Reappointed Kāhui Ako Leaders’ Survey and Part 2, which outlines the findings from the Reappointed ASTs’ Survey.