What's New

Giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi: One school’s journey built on Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning November 2023

This feature focuses on the transformative change that has occurred at Frimley Primary School for equity, excellence, and ākonga belonging and wellbeing, since the school has undertaken Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning professional development and prioritised giving practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Frimley Primary School won the Supreme Prime Minister’s Award for Educational Excellence | Te Tohu Nui a Te Pirimia, and the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning | Te Hiranga o te Ako in 2021.

The feature contains videos, commentary about Frimley Primary School’s journey, and links to further resources.

Find out more about Frimley Primary School’s journey and watch the videos:

Improving outcomes in mathematics educationAugust 2023

This feature highlights Takanini School’s engagement with Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) professional development. It outlines the school leadership and DMIC pedagogical practices (including new DMIC task booklets, in-class mentoring, and distributed leadership approaches) that accelerated achievement; built collaborative skills; strengthened ākonga confidence, belonging and wellbeing; and enabled large achievement gains to be made across class levels.

After undertaking DMIC professional development in 2021 and 2022, Takanini School saw a marked increase in mathematics achievement. The percentage of students achieving at and above curriculum level by 2022 shifted from 50% to 71% of learners across Year 1 to Year 8. The change data show that 73% of Pacific learners and 61% of Māori learners were achieving at or above curriculum level across the school by the end of 2022. Māori learners were the highest achieving ethnic cohort in Year 8.

The feature contains four videos, commentary on Takanini School’s implementation of DMIC, and links to further resources.

Find out more about improving outcomes in mathematics education at Takanini School and watch the videos:

Te Tirohanga o Laurie Loper: Ko te mātauranga e mahi ana i te tika o te hāpori
Laurie Loper’s vision: Education serving social justice July 2023

This feature honours the late Laurie Loper, a Ngāi Tahu kaumātua and retired educational psychologist concerned about cultural inequity in education and the harm caused to Māori ākonga by racism, streaming and ability grouping. Laurie established the James Stewart Loper Bequest and in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu and the Ministry, funded an implementation of Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) at Shirley Primary School in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. This was showcased in a 2016 BES exemplar Hangaia te Urupounamu Pāngarau Mō Tātou.

The new feature contains two videos, background on Laurie Loper and fellow Ngāi Tahu Taurahere ki Tauranga Moana kaumātua, the late Hohepaturanga Briggs; information about DMIC and Tokona Te Raki; the Laurie Loper Award at Tauranga Boys’ College; and links to further resources.

Find out more about Te Tirohanga o Laurie Loper: Ko te mātauranga e mahi ana i te tika o te hāpori | Laurie Loper’s vision: Education serving social justice and watch the videos:
Find out more about Tokona Te Raki and Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC):

Transformative leadership, impact and sustainability: Raukura Rotorua Boys' High SchoolJuly 2023

This best evidence in action exemplar features Raukura Rotorua Boys' High School, the winner of three Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards including the Excellence in Leading Atakura Award in 2016 and 2019, and the Supreme Education Excellence Award Te Tohu Nui a Te Pirimia, in 2019. The exemplar explains how the school has prioritised giving practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi since the awards, and how professional development and culturally sustaining leadership practices have been transformative.

The feature contains a suite of 18 videos, commentary about transformative leadership, and links to additional resources.

Find out more about Transformative leadership, impact and sustainability: Raukura Rotorua Boys' High School and watch the videos:

Enabling children as writers:
Learning from Pacific expertise in educationJune 2023

This feature highlights Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh’s transformative work as the “Writer in School” at St Joseph’s School Otahuhu, in 2016 and 2017. Dr Tusitala Marsh worked as part of a collaboration that included former St Joseph’s School principal, Liz Horgan, staff and students, an expanded Writers in Schools programme, the National Library, a group of Otahuhu schools that had implemented Reading Together® and the Otahuhu Community Library. St Joseph’s and the other schools were able to build on the relationships developed with students and family/whānau through the delivery of Reading Together®.

The feature contains commentary about the Writers in School programme and its connection to Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi; links to additional resources; and three short videos in which students read their poems at the community celebration, senior staff explain their collaboration with Dr Tusitala Marsh, and staff and Dr Tusitala Marsh talk about the blend of cultural identity, having voice and speaking to an audience.

Find out more about Enabling children as writers: Learning from Pacific expertise in education and watch the videos:
Read the Creatives in Schools Programme evaluations:
Find out more about Creatives in Schools funding:

Creatives in Schools provides funding for schools and kura to develop and implement projects with a partner artist or creative professional. For more information on applications for 2024, contact creativesinschools@education.govt.nz.

Reciprocal teachingApril 2023

Te ako, he tohu manaaki, he piringa tangata
Pedagogical practices enable classes to work as caring, inclusive, and cohesive learning communities

‘One of the best PLD (professional learning and development) experiences I have had in my 9 years of teaching! So positive, practical and well-supported. It was easy to communicate, and any questions/queries were responded to quickly.’ Teacher
‘I really enjoy Reciprocal Teaching because it helps me work with a group and I can predict and summarise without help. Now I am confident, and I have a really loud voice…’ Ākonga

Reciprocal Teaching is an inclusive, collaborative teaching and learning approach that builds thinking skills and accelerates comprehension. Skilled, inclusive implementation of Reciprocal Teaching has demonstrated high impact on achievement while also supporting ākonga confidence and wellbeing.

Ākonga are supported to become proficient in clarifying, questioning, summarising and prediction. These skills are developed across different curricula areas.

Reciprocal Teaching gives effect to ako as ākonga take turns in the teacher’s role. In this way Reciprocal Teaching trains students to lead, communicate and collaborate skillfully in their learning. The approach builds respect, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga using flexible mixed ability groupings.

Reciprocal Teaching enables an integrated, proactive approach to countering bullying in education. This matters because New Zealand has one of the highest rates of student bullying in the world.

When professional development supports teachers and leaders, Reciprocal Teaching can result in significant improvements as quickly as within two months.

In his early meta-analyses Professor John Hattie identified Reciprocal Teaching as having the third highest impact on achievement of any teaching strategy. Variability in impact has been associated with the calibre and depth of professional development support available to leaders and teachers.

Research about Reciprocal Teaching reinforces the finding of the School leadership and student outcomes Best Evidence Synthesis that the most critical leadership practice for improving ākonga outcomes was promoting and participating in teacher learning and development.

Early evidence is explained in BES Exemplar Ngā Kete Raukura 4. This exemplar focuses on what worked and what made a bigger difference across six early interventions by different experts in New Zealand. There are eight Alerts that identify practices found to undermine impact.

Dr Julia Westera, Director of the RTeach Institute has demonstrated expertise in supporting leaders and teachers to effectively implement Reciprocal Teaching as an inclusive schoolwide strategy. Her effective implementation of Reciprocal Teaching with its focus on flexible collaborative grouping in which every ākonga thrives has been recognised by Tokona Te Raki - The Māori Futures Collective.

In Reciprocal Teaching: An Implementation Case Dr Westera builds on lessons learned about critical success factors for impact. She explains the importance of an intensive coaching phase, a core teaching and learning phase, and an inclusive school-wide phase in effective support for transformative change.

Reciprocal Teaching RT3T™ is the name Dr Westera gave to the high impact cross-curricular implementation approach to reciprocal teaching developed over the decade since the original BES exemplar was published.

The RTeach Institute provides evidence about the high impact when primary, intermediate and secondary leaders and teachers in Aotearoa are well-supported in implementing Reciprocal Teaching.

See links below for asTTle change data for primary, intermediate and secondary schools; and progress on NZCER standardised measures Science: Thinking with Evidence:

RT3T™ Results in schools - RTeach Institute

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths - RTeach Institute

Large Gains in Science with Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™: Year 5 to 9 Classes - RTeach Institute

Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™ shows seismic shifts with Māori - RTeach Institute

This modernised, inclusive approach to Reciprocal Teaching is much more than the early reading focus of reciprocal reading/reciprocal teaching on reading comprehension. Reciprocal Teaching RT3T™ is also about:

  • a proven integrative, cross-curricular and inclusive way of teaching and learning
  • everyone, all ages, learning collaboratively and independently throughout their schooling journey
  • critical thinking, communication, teamwork and leadership skills - and graduate pathways
  • coaching and co-teaching support for teachers and leaders to implement as a school-wide, inclusive strategy
  • professional development for transfer and integration across learning areas
  • changing the way teachers teach and learners learn together

‘…with children becoming responsible for their own critical thinking and understandings

…it’s (RT3T) a very different platform to just reciprocal reading.’

Marjorie, a Year 7 teacher, March 2023

As many educators and whānau grapple with new attendance challenges, it is significant that educators have found the high impact pedagogy of Reciprocal Teaching to be a helpful strategy for re-engaging ākonga who have been absent from school.

‘Despite everything that’s happened with Covid, we’ve been driving RT3T right throughout from Y3 to Y7-8, as has our management… and into maths, writing and general theme work... It’s very beneficial… it allows for other students who have been away to come and be quickly re-engaged…’

Melissa Malama-Talataina, Y7/8 Team Leader at Viscount School

Find out more about Reciprocal Teaching:

For more about recent RT3T cross-curricular developments and evidence of impact see RTeach Institute.

For more about critical success factors in implementation see:

 Westera, J. (2014). Reciprocal Teaching: An implementation case. Report prepared for the Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme| Hei Kete Raukura. Wellington: Ministry of Education |Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.

For perspectives on Reciprocal Teaching as a culturally responsive pedagogy see:

Talanoa with Massey University’s Malia Tuala - RTeach Institute

Introducing Reciprocal Teaching (RT3T™) into a secondary school - RTeach Institute

 Alton-Lee, A., Westera, J., & Pulegatoa-Diggins, C. (2012). BES Exemplar 4 Ngā Kete Raukura – He Tauira 4 Reciprocal teaching. Ministry of Education [pdf 4.6 mB]

 Education Review Office (2016). School Evaluation Indicators: Effective practice for improvement and learner success. Wellington: Education Review Office [pdf 1.7 mB]

 Institute of Education Sciences. (2010). What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report: Adolescent Literacy, Reciprocal Teaching. Institute of Education Sciences [pdf 228 kB]

 McAllum, R. (2014). Reciprocal Teaching: Critical reflection on practice. Kairaranga, 15(1), 26-35 [pdf 166 kB]

 McNaughton, S. (2020). The literacy landscape in Aotearoa New-Zealand: What we know, what needs fixing and what we should prioritise. Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Kaitohutohu Mātanga Pūtaiao Matua ki te Pirimia [pdf 926 kB]

 Seymour, J.R. & Osama, H.P. (2003). Reciprocal Teaching procedures and principles: Two teachers’ developing understanding. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19, 325-344 [pdf 236 kB]

 Westera, J. (2002). Reciprocal teaching as a school-wide inclusive strategy. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Auckland [pdf 31 mB]

Storytime Foundation Caring for children and tamariki with family and whānau care packs evaluation 2022March 2023

The Caring for children and tamariki with family and whānau care packs programme was delivered by the Storytime Foundation as part of an interagency collaboration with Ara Poutama Aotearoa | The Department of Corrections and Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | The Ministry of Education.

The objective of the programme was to support a kaupapa of care by providing care packs containing quality books (including bilingual and te reo Māori books) and other resources to children whose families and whānau were either under the management of Corrections in the community or involved in family harm incidents in Whangārei, Waitematā and Manukau. Evidence shows that this appears to improve staff and whānau relationships, it is linked to decreases in recidivism, and is a protective factor in family harm.

The ‘buffering effect’ of reading to children has also been highlighted in the Growing Up in New Zealand study data. This found that reading to children is one of the few protective factors that can positively impact child outcomes in whānau experiencing persistently high, or toxic, levels of stress.

“We read the books every night at the moment. We are both learning Māori words together. We spend some evenings colouring in books together. We have made a hopscotch with the chalk on the driveway. This has definitely made me interact more with my daughter.”

Whānau

“Children, their whānau, are powerful motivators. Showing we care for whānau, is helping to show the person we are working with that we genuinely care about them, we genuinely care about their family, and we want them to do well.”

Staff

Find out more about the Storytime Foundation Caring for children and tamariki with family and whānau care packs evaluation:
Read the Storytime Foundation Caring for children and tamariki with family and whānau care packs evaluation:

Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi: Evidence of impactNovember 2022

Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi engages parents, whānau and aiga in learning strategies to support their children's reading enjoyment, achievement, confidence and wellbeing.

The programme has a strong evidence base and is high impact.

This updated feature includes:

  • New resources
  • A link to find out more about the funding and support that is available to offer Early Reading Together and Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi.
Evidence of need, impact and critical success factors

'Reading is no longer a task, but something to enjoy. Ka pai tō mahi me haere tonu!'

Parent

A new evaluation summary report and set of A3s bring the evidence together and also outline:

  • why Reading Together Te Pānui Ngātahi is a powerful educational opportunity
  • the programme outcomes for parents, whānau, aiga and children, and schools and communities
  • what works and doesn’t work for effective implementation
  • how schools can be supported to implement the programme.

Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano Samoa churches

‘I le uma ai o le polokalame lenei, ua ese ai lava le ma mafutaga ma si o‘u atalii. Ua ou … faalogo ma faitau faatasi ma la‘u tama ma ua ou vaaia le fiafia o si o‘u atalii.’

Tamā

‘After this programme, my relationship with my son is way different now. I … listen and read with my boy and I can see that my son feels happy.’

Father

The following case study and A3s focus on the delivery of Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi in Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano Samoa (EFKS), a leading Samoan church.

Find out more about Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi:

Storytime Foundation lockdown care packs projectMay 2022

The Storytime lockdown care packs project has been an interagency collaboration to support the wellbeing of children and whānau, during the 2020 and 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns.

Find out more about the Storytime Foundation lockdown care packs project:

Read the evaluation of the Storytime Lockdown care packs project evaluations:


Taking a strength-based approach:
Bringing student homes into schools during a pandemicMarch 2022

Professor Roberta (Bobbie) Hunter and Associate Professor Jodie Hunter of Massey University lead Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC), a culturally responsive pedagogy for deep learning in mathematics through collaborative problem solving. They recently contributed a chapter to University and school collaborations during a pandemic, a publication that examines how twenty universities around the world engaged with school systems during the pandemic.

Read Associate Professor Jodie Hunter’s and Professor Roberta Hunter’s article on enhancing learning and relationships between students, families and teachers using on-line collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Find out more about Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) and Hangaia te Urupounamu Pāngarau Mō Tātou:

Storytime Foundation lockdown care packs projectDecember 2021

The Storytime lockdown care packs project has been an interagency collaboration to support the wellbeing of children and whānau, during the 2020 and 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns.

Find out more about the Storytime Foundation lockdown care packs project:

Read the evaluation of the Storytime Lockdown care packs project evaluation 2020:

Evaluation of Taonga mō ngā TamarikiNovember 2021

Taonga mō ngā Tamariki is an intergenerational intervention designed to foster positive whānau-child interactions, provide access to books in home and heart languages and grow children’s enjoyment of reading.  It is based on Early Reading Together® and Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi and is delivered by the Storytime Foundation to whānau in the care or under the management of Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections.

Find out more about Taonga mō ngā Tamariki:
Read the evaluation of the Storytime Foundation Taonga mō ngā Tamariki programme:

Evidence about the ‘how’
of a shift away from ‘ability grouping’ in educationApril 2021

NZEI Te Riu Roa has endorsed the report and called for urgency, seeking support and resource for national change.

Since 2003, a series of best evidence resources has highlighted evidence about the gains for diverse (all) learners when effective research and development informs mixed ‘ability’ grouping.

Read 'Walking the talk':

Invited paper for the International Bureau of Education - UNESCO Project: Rethinking and repositioning curriculum in the 21st century: A global paradigm shift. Evidence, Data and Knowledge, Ministry of Education, Wellington: New Zealand.


These resources include best evidence in action videos featuring the multi-award-winning Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities pedagogy - a re/invention of educational practice led by Professor Roberta Hunter and Associate Professor Jodie Hunter in New Zealand. As the videos take you into primary and intermediate classes across Aotearoa, they explain, reference, and bring the evidence to life through the perspectives of the experts, the in-class mentors, school leaders, teachers, whānau, iwi, school trustees, teacher aides and children.

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View the Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities Best evidence features:

Ambitious mathematics for young Pacific learners: Dr Jodie Hunter demonstrates algebraic thinking for tivaevae

    01. The Launch

    02. Group Work

    03. Sharing Back

    04. The Connect


These resources have also been developed through a valued partnership with NZEI Te Riu Roa.

Read the Ako Journal article:
View Professor Roberta Hunter’s and Associate Professor Jodie Hunter’s recent webinar for the U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction:
Read Associate Professor Jodie Hunter’s and Professor Roberta Hunter’s article on enhancing learning and relationships between students, families and teachers using on-line collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic:

To all who have contributed:  Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.

Rongohia te Hau:
Effective support for culturally responsive teachingJanuary 2021

‘It’s like the opposite of racism in this school’
‘Ko tātou ngā rangatira o āpōpō – It is us that are leaders of tomorrow’

This best evidence feature is about demonstrated Māori expertise in the ‘how’ of scaling improvement for Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori in English-medium education.

Rongohia te Hau, ‘Listening to the winds of change’, is a way of using evidence including survey responses from learners, whānau and teachers, and observations of teaching, to inform and develop culturally responsive teaching and leadership across the curriculum. The process builds on relationships with mana whenua, iwi, hapū, whānau, and Māori communities and is an enabling approach to responsive consultation for transformative and ongoing educational improvement.

The feature:

  • has been informed by evidence about the impact of the work of Professor Mere Berryman and the experts working in the Poutama Pounamu Research and Development Centre at the University of Waikato.
  • reports comparative achievement gains and feedback from rangatahi about enjoying and achieving success as Māori.
  • includes a video explaining the change from the perspective of three of the Te Kotahitanga Phase 5 school principals who have won Prime Minister’s Educational Excellence Awards.
  • provides references to underpinning evidence including the touchstone of evidence of what does and does not work when evaluated by effects on Māori ākonga.
  • brings the evidence to life through seven videos explaining the early learning journey of Te Kāhui Ako o Te Puke and Bethlehem College Chapman working with Poutama Pounamu experts to use Rongohia te Hau.
Find out more about Rongohia te Hau: Effective support for culturally responsive teaching and watch the videos:
Read the Education Gazette Article:

Ambitious mathematics: Ratios, decimals, fractions and time for Ta’ovala. Learning from Pacific expertise in education March 2020

In this best evidence in action video feature, teacher, David Ahlquist, and his Year 8 students at Koru School in Mangere, South Auckland, demonstrate a step up in culturally responsive mathematics teaching and learning using a Tongan context for learning. The videos demonstrate for teachers and leaders the pedagogical foundation for the acceleration of mathematics learning through ‘low floor, high ceiling’ mathematical tasks. Teachers learn to design tasks that make educationally powerful connections to the lives of every student to the benefit of the whole class.

The Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) research and development approach to capacity building, when well-implemented over time, lifts mathematics achievement, develops positive cultural identity and reduces peer bullying.

In the 2013 National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement in Mathematics and Statistics, only 11% of Pacific students at Year 8 were achieving at curriculum level 4 or above. In the 2018 New Zealand report almost 24% of Pacific students at Year 8 were achieving at curriculum level 4.

The Massey University DMIC team won the Mathematics Educational Research Group of Australasia Award for Māori and Pacific Success 2018. Co-leader, Professor Roberta Hunter, received an Excellence Award from the Cook Islands Government, and co-leader, Dr Jodie Hunter, was awarded a prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship by the Royal Society in 2019. DMIC was featured in NZEI’s Professional Journal AKO 2018 - Stunning results from culturally responsive maths, and the recent Gazette article Taking maths into the hearts of communities.

Find out more about Ambitious mathematics: Ratios, decimals, fractions and time for Ta’ovala. Learning from Pacific expertise in education and watch the videos:

Ambitious mathematics for young Pacific learners:
Dr Jodie Hunter demonstrates algebraic thinking for tivaevae March 2020

In this best evidence in action video series, Dr Jodie Hunter of Massey University teaches algebraic thinking for tivaevae to a group of Year 3 and 4 learners at Russell School in Porirua East. The videos demonstrate for teachers and leaders how to activate educationally powerful connections to the lives, experiences and identities of learners in a meaningful, non-tokenistic way.

The Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) research and development approach to capacity building, well-implemented, lifts mathematics achievement, develops positive cultural identity and reduces peer bullying.

Dr Jodie Hunter has recently won a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship and a Marsden Fund grant to undertake further DMIC research.

Find out more about Ambitious mathematics for young Pacific learners: Dr Jodie Hunter demonstrates algebraic thinking for tivaevae and watch the videos:
Read the Education Gazette Article:
Check out the best evidence in action feature on Sose Annandale’s outstanding leadership of the implementation of Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) at Russell School

Using evidence for a step up - Learning from Te Kotahitanga: impact, sustainability and ongoing improvement July 2019

The Wellbeing Budget 2019 committed $42 million over the next three years to implement, support and evaluate Te Hurihanganui.  Te Hurihanganui has been co-designed to build on the success of Te Kotahitanga and extend it further across the education system and communities.

In 2018 the Ministry worked with Mātanga (experts) to co-design Te Hurihanganui.  The ‘Using evidence for a step up’ feature was prepared at the request of the Mātanga to inform the design of Te Hurihanganui.

This feature explains and updates the Evaluation of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5 report highlighting the impact of Te Kotahitanga on accelerating Māori success and addressing racism.  It also introduces the large body of evidence available about the nature of the intervention, approaches taken to the involvement of iwi, whānau, leaders, teachers and communities, and highlights critical success factors related to impact, sustainability and ongoing improvement.

Find out more about Using evidence for a step up -
Learning from Te Kotahitanga: impact, sustainability and ongoing improvement
and watch the video:
Read about the Evaluation of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5:

Taking the Lead – Celebrating our Curricula:
Best Evidence in Action video feature March 2019

NZEI Te Riu Roa and the BES programme partnered together to develop a best evidence in action video feature. Initially developed for the NZEI Te Riu Roa Taking the Lead – Celebrating our Curricula symposia, the feature highlights best evidence in action for equity, excellence, belonging and wellbeing in education.

This feature explains and celebrates the work of school leaders, teachers, and teacher aides working in partnership with iwi, family, whānau, aiga and communities.

View the Taking the Lead – Celebrating our Curricula: Best Evidence in Action video feature:
Find out more:

School leadership for improvement in primary mathematics education:
Russell School best evidence in action implementation exemplarMarch 2018

Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) is a culturally responsive pedagogy for deep learning in mathematics through collaborative problem solving, developed by Professor Roberta (Bobbie) Hunter and Dr Jodie Hunter of Massey University. The videos in this new feature explain the critical success factors for implementation over the first two years of the change process at Russell School in Porirua East.

Russell School implementation of DMIC and view the videos

Reading Together® Te Pānui NgātahiJanuary 2018

Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi is a four workshop intervention that helps parents and caregivers to support their children's reading at home. The videos in this new feature explain how Reading Together® can build trust, support children by supporting parents, increase access to reading, build productive partnerships, and counter harm. They include recent interviews with school leaders and whānau from St Joseph's School in Otahuhu and Manurewa Central School and highlight critical success factors for those planning and supporting the effective implementation of Reading Together®.

Find out more about Reading Together® Te Pānui Ngātahi and view the videos

Video IconNew Reading Together® Implementation Exemplars

These videos highlight critical success factors for schools planning and supporting the effective implementation of Reading Together®.

For information about funding support for schools and who to contact in your local Ministry of Education Regional Office please email Reading Together

'Walking the talk' matters in the
use of evidence for transformative educationNovember 2017

This paper was prepared in response to an invitation for a think piece for the UNESCO Project: Rethinking and repositioning  curriculum in the 21st century: A global paradigm shift.

Download the Report:

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This paper focuses on:

  • quality teaching and effective pedagogical leadership for equity, excellence, belonging and wellbeing in education.
  • transformative professional development, education for a sustainable future, celebrating diversity, creating safe schools and supporting children by supporting parents and whānau.
  • how working together collaboratively reduces bullying, grows children's confidence, strengthens communication and interpersonal skills and builds resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in our young people.

This paper highlights:

  • best evidence examples of Māori and Pasifika expertise driving inclusive educational improvement for the learning and wellbeing of children and young people.
  • the significance of education that supports the wellbeing of children affected by earthquakes.
View the Evidence in Action Videos highlighted in this paper:
For More About the Evaluation of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5 Visit:

Ngāi Tahu partnership
for best evidence innovation in mathematics education August 2016

Hangaia te Urupounamu Pāngarau Mō Tātou  (Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities ) has been initiated in 2016 in Shirley Primary School, funded by Ngāi Tahu kaumatua,  Laurie Loper, in memory of his brother, through the James Stewart Loper Trust. The bequest is  administered through a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Massey University, Shirley Primary School, and  the Ministry of Education. The Minister of Education joined Hangaia te Urupounamu Pāngarau Mō Tātou partners  at  Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to celebrate the bequest  on 21st June.

This video provides insights into the nature of this best evidence approach and the early benefits to the children of Shirley Primary School.

The views in this video are not necessarily the views of the New Zealand Ministry of Education.

Read More Infomation:

Evidence in Action May 2016

Evidence in Action

Invited paper prepared for the April 2016 Cambridge Seminar: 'Thinking about Teachers, Teaching and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development' 2016.

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These Cambridge seminars organized in partnership with Open Society Foundations (OSF) ; Education International (EI) ; and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) , bring together practitioners, researchers and policy-makers committed to enhancing the development of the teaching profession.bring together practitioners, researchers and policy-makers committed to enhancing the development of the teaching profession.  For more information visit the University of Cambridge Leadership for Learning website.

View the New Videos: Best Evidence in Action

15 Videos: Best Evidence in Action
These videos feature the use of evidence to make a much bigger difference in mathematics education.

eBooks Released to Support Professional LearningFebruary 2016

People using the ebooks10 eBooks that present the theory behind, and practical examples of, effective practice in teaching and learning are being released online. The electronic books in this collection are an outcome of more than 13 years of iterative research and development and are for use by facilitators within a structured professional learning context in Te Kotahitanga.

This collection of eBooks represents many years of learning from a research partnership between Emeritus Professor Russell Bishop and Associate Professor Mere Berryman with the Poutama Pounamu research whānau. Their work investigates and informs system-change solutions to the educational disparities experienced by indigenous and other minoritised groups.

They have been developed to give facilitators in the field mobile access to rich media to support professional learning.

This collection is being used and being iteratively developed in Kia Eke Panuku: Building on Success and reflects the findings in the Ka Hikitia: A Demonstration Effectiveness of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5 2010-2012 report by Dr Adrienne Alton-Lee.

Kia Eke Panuku Logo See the newly released Kia Eke Panuku website, January 2016.

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Here are the direct links to the following eBooks:

Ka Hikitia - A Demonstration ReportAugust 2015

This report analyses the impact of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5 on Māori student achievement and explores the design and implementation features that enabled such accelerated improvement. It has implications for policy makers, teachers, middle and senior leaders, principals, providers of& professional learning, communities, Boards of Trustees, Ministry of Education staff and other government agencies.

"[An] excellent report", "as New Zealand moves forward with Ka Hikitia, I would hope that ... the data reported in Effectiveness of Te Kotahitanga Phase 5, 2010-12 will be considered carefully" - Quality Assurance by Christine Sleeter, California State University.

Authored by Adrienne Alton-Lee. Hard copies of the BES have been reprinted and are now  available to New Zealand educators to order free from Down the Back of the Chair.

Download the Full Report | View the Powerpoint Presentation

Foreword update: School Leadership and Student Outcomes BES23 June 2015

Internationally recognised authority on educational reform, Professor Emeritus Michael Fullan, writes in a new foreword for the School Leadership and Student Outcomes BES that the Ministry's Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis publications are "the single best research review series on education matters around the world."

He says the findings of the leadership BES (first published in 2009) have enduring significance, and challenges all partners in New Zealand education "to make sure that the findings and implications from this synthesis [are] used as a point of departure for new action."

Read the full Foreword:

Hard copies of the BES have been reprinted and are now available to New Zealand educators
to order free from Down the Back of the Chair.

Effective Professional Development Matters:
Acclaim for New Zealand Best Evidence Synthesis12 June 2015

A new, comprehensive review has been launched in the UK House of Commons on professional learning and development. Commissioned by the Teacher Development Trust and TES Glodal, Durham University Professors Rob Coe and Steve Higgins, Centre for the Use of Research Evidence in Education (CUREE) founder Philippa Cordingley and Professor Toby Greany of University of London  Institute of Education completed the 'umbrella' review looking at "what constitutes effective professional development for teachers".

"Out of 947 source reviews the New Zealand Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme's Teacher Professional Learning and Development BES was found to be the most consistent and rigorous. The New Zealand Best Evidence Synthesis has substantively informed this new evidence about what it takes to develop great teaching that makes a difference for student achievement. "

All of the New Zealand best evidence syntheses were developed using agreed national guidelines.

Access the BES here and the International Academy of Education summary here. For updates on the BES see the BES Exemplars. Read more on using evidence to improve education. Internationally recognised authority on educational reform, Professor Emeritus Michael Fullan, writes in a new foreword for the School Leadership and Student Outcomes BES that the Ministry's Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis publications are "the single best research review series on education matters around the world."

Raising mathematics achievement 26 March 2015

Students in South Auckland are benefitting from the mathematical inquiry communities developed by Associate Professor Roberta Hunter from Massey University and her team. The teaching approach is culturally responsive and supports students to work together to solve maths problems, accelerating achievement for the students involved.

One News looked at the teaching approach and its benefits for Pasifika students.

Developed initially as part of Hunter's PhD, the approach was presented in BES Exemplar 1: Developing Communities of Mathematical Inquiry as a signature pedagogy. The BES programme will be focusing on an implementation of the approach from 2015 to 2017 to further support the accelerated improvement for students.

For access to any supporting research articles, contact the Ministry of Education Library or visit the Spotlight on Mathematics page on Education Counts.

Learning LogsJune 2014

Exemplar 5 coverXanthe Sulzberger and her staff utilised NCEA data to track the impact of the learning logs on student achievement. They have documented student improvement in senior Physical Education classes. Check out the results in her presentation slides:

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For More Information Download BES Exemplar 5 Learning Logs:

Strengthen teacher-student communication and accelerate achievement through the use of learning logs.This exemplar focuses on NCEA Level 1 but is relevant across schooling.

Reciprocal Teaching featured in EdgazetteMay 2014

Exemplar 4Julia Westera and her work on Reciprocal Teaching is profiled in the Education Gazette.  Read the article in the Gazette:

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For More Information Download BES Exemplar 4 Reciprocal Teaching:

Co-authored by: Julia Westera, Adrienne Alton-Lee, and Cathy Pulegatoa-Diggins.
Develop student leadership and accelerate literacy achievement across the curriculum. This exemplar provides examples at primary, intermediate and secondary levels.

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Lessons from abroad4 December 2013

lessons from abroad

Dr Ashley Lenihan, Fellow of the London School of Economics, makes recommendations about effectively promoting evidence-based policy. See her perspective on the BES Programme:

Read her perspective:

BES Resources8 October 2013

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Check out this powerpoint on using BES resources to develop more inclusive educational practices:

Counter-bullying Pedagogies24 September  2013

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Check out our new BES Spotlight on Counter-bullying Pedagogies:

'Bobbie maths' featured in Edgazette10 July 2013

Dr Bobbie Hunter has been working with Mangere East Primary school on the highly effective approach to mathematics teaching featured in BES Exemplar 1. Read the article about Dr Bobbie Hunter's work with Mangare East Primary School: 'Bobbie maths' raising Pasifika achievement.

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For More Information Download BES Exemplar 1 Developing Communities of Mathematical Inquiry

Accelerate achievement and counter bullying through effective mathematics teaching.

What's new for cases27 July 2013

 The BES cases are now up online for all to use.

These cases describe actual examples of professional practice and explain the findings. These cases support educators to grasp the big ideas behind effective practice at the same time as they provide vivid insight into their application.

Building as they do on the work of researchers and educators, that has been shown to make a difference, the cases are trustworthy resources for professional learning.

Browse all the cases here.

School Leaders value the BES Exemplars/Ngā Kete Raukura15 April 2013

BES Exemplars explain educational approaches that have outstanding results in areas of need and policy priority. They were developed in consultation with teacher unions and leaders' groups. BES Exemplar 2:  Ripene Āwhina ki te Pānui Pukapuka explains a highly effective approach for accelerating progress in te reo Māori. This exemplar features the work of Te Kotahitanga Director, Dr Mere Berryman.

BES Exemplar 5: Learning Logs highlights a way to enable students to draw upon teacher feedback and feedforward  to accelerate their learning – a win/win for teachers and students.

From Te Kotahitanga from BES Programme on Vimeo.

School Leaders value the BES Exemplars/ Ngā Kete Raukura from BES Programme on Vimeo.

Understanding Teachers' Learning28 March 2013

The University of Sussex, the University of Oxford and the  Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE) hosted a series of seminars  on 'The Evidence for Understanding Teachers' Learning' early last year.

This work informed the 2013 International Summit on the  Teaching Profession which was attended by officials from New Zealand's  Ministry of Education and Education sector. This work examines social as well  as academic outcomes with a central focus on responsiveness to diversity.

They have shared some really interesting presentations  online. Check  them out here.

NZ's own Professor Helen Timperley, from the University of  Auckland, was interviewed by CUREE about  the use of research and evidence in informing educational practice in 2009.

Spotlight on Mathematics/Pāngarau: a new web page22 February 2013

How does the system support teachers to improve achievement in mathematics/pāngarau?

Spotlight on Mathematics/Pāngarau [webpage]

This page brings together a range of trustworthy resources designed to help those interested in improving students'achievement levels in mathematics/pāngarau

Order BES Exemplars for 20134 February 2013

BES ExemplarsHard copies of the BES Exemplars | Ngā Kete Raukura and the BES Findings Overview are available free for schools and teacher educators in New Zealand. Order your free hardcopies from Orders at the Chair Mailbox or check out the BES Exemplars online

The exemplars are 'wonderful, user-friendly resources to help our teachers' (Intermediate School Principal, Wellington) and the BES Findings Overview is 'like gold to schools' (DP Primary School, Dunedin).

Podcast on the use of evidence in policy4 February 2013

EIPPEE Logo Advancing the use of evidence to improve educational policy and practice:
David Gough Professor of Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice, University of London Visit the EIPPEE website for more information.

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The Use of Evidence to Improve Education and Serve the Public Good

Invited BES Seminar, University of Cambridge

This seminar, given by Adrienne Alton-Lee, explores the challenges of mobilising research and development to inform ongoing improvements in valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners across school systems. The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme is charged with developing trustworthy bodies of evidence about what does and doesn't work in education. The seminar will consider the significance of a new BES innovation - BES exemplars. These have been developed in response to feedback from practitioners about what they need to support their use of evidence to accelerate improvement. This seminar identifies key messages that can be used to inform effective use of evidence in the service of educational improvement for the public good. Adrienne Alton-Lee is the Chief Education Adviser for the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme.

View the Presentation | Download the Report:

BES Exemplars | Ngā Kete Rakura are now available online:

BES | Hei Kete Raukura Overview

BES | Hei Kete Raukura Overview
BES: A3 Overview

A quick introduction to the use of BES | Hei Kete Raukura for educational improvement. This one
page overview (two A3 sides landscape print) has been developed in response to requests from teachers.

Kia nui ake te whaihua ki ngā hua whai uara mō ngā ākonga rerekura (katoa) i ngā kura:
He Tirohanga o ngā kitenga o He Kete Raukura.


Making a bigger difference to valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners in schooling:
Overview of Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) findings.

High Impact Research and Development BES Spotlight:

Making a bigger difference for our children. Research and development for educationally powerful connections

This is an interview between Michael Deaker and Dr Mere Berryman, Senior Research Fellow, Te Kotahitanga Research Unit, Waikato University (To play this interview please refer to the 'BES Related Pages inset box, top right).  The interview focuses on key aspects of the development, implementation and evaluation of key tools in the Poutama Pounamu programme. These tools include:

  • Tuhi atu, tuhi mai
  • Tatari Tautoko Tauawhi
  • Te Tāuta Reta (TATA)
Read More about the high impact Poutama Pounamu Research:

You can read more about the high impact Poutama Pounamu research and development in Chapter 7 of the School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why best evidence synthesis.