Our research

Ā Mātou Rangahau

In this section of our website you'll find our education system evaluations, effective practice reports, resources and guides. These are produced by Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre and Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori.

Read more about Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre.

Read more about Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori.

Read about the questions we are asking.

There are 19 research articles.
  • Topics: Alternative education (AE), Assessment, Much more than words: Manuka takoto kawea ake, Pacific student achievement, Tātaiako, Writing
  • Published: 11 Jun 2019

    Keeping children engaged and achieving in writing

    This report shares some of the strategies and approaches used by schools who had focused on improving achievement in writing. It also shares some simple strategies used in classrooms where achievement in writing had been accelerated.

  • Published: 25 Sep 2018

    Provision for Students in Activity Centres

    There are 14 activity centres in New Zealand that cater for secondary school students (Years 9 ‑ 13) who are at risk of disengaging from mainstream schooling and at risk of low educational, social and vocational outcomes. Activity centres are established by agreement of the Minister of Education. Priority is given to those students whose behaviour is likely to impede their own learning and the learning of others, and who are most likely to benefit from the programme.

  • Published: 14 Mar 2014

    Your child's education

    These booklets have been written for everyone who parents a child - those who have care and responsibility for children attending a school. The booklets include questions you can ask, as well as general information that you may find useful. Click on the booklet to read and download.

    Your child's education is an overview of education in New Zealand, from early childhood education through to secondary school. The information and questions are a useful insight into what education looks like in New Zealand and the opportunities available to your child.

  • Published: 01 Nov 2013

    Making Connections for Pacific Learners' Success

    This report discusses secondary schools where Pacific learners are achieving at or above the national norms for all students. It includes details of initiatives and good practice and how these work together to get great results.

  • Published: 01 Jun 2013

    Provision for Students in Activity Centres

    This national report presents the findings of ERO’s recent evaluation of the 14 Activity Centres in New Zealand providing alternative schooling for secondary students likely to benefit from a specialist programme.

  • Published: 02 Oct 2012

    Alternative Education: An Evaluation of the Pedagogical Leadership Initiative

    In 2011 the Ministry of Education introduced funding for pedagogical leadership in alternative education to improve the quality of teaching and learning. This evaluation examined the impact of that funding initiative by looking at the work of 10 clusters providing alternative education. It also identified a set of principles to provide guidance on good practice.

  • Published: 01 May 2012

    Improving Education Outcomes for Pacific Learners

    This is ERO's third report on the progress of schools in promoting Pacific student achievement. It tells a similar story to ERO's two previous reports with little evidence of system-wide improvement.

  • Published: 01 Nov 2011

    Literacy in Early Childhood Services: Good Practice

    The intent of the evaluation was to gain an insight and understanding of literacy teaching and learning in early childhood education. This report complements the ERO national evaluation report, Literacy in Early Childhood: Teaching and Learning, February 2011. It presents examples of good practice from 13 early childhood services, identified during their ERO reviews, which had high quality literacy teaching and learning. ERO revisited these services in Term 4, 2010. These services were at different stages in their understanding and associated literacy teaching and learning practices.

  • Published: 02 Dec 2009

    Reading and Writing in Years 1 and 2

    This Education Review Office (ERO) evaluation focused on how effectively reading and writing was taught in the first two years of schooling, and on how well teachers used assessment information to plan and evaluate their teaching.

  • Published: 01 Nov 2007

    The Quality of Assessment in Early Childhood Education

    Assessment informs an early childhood service’s programme and educators’ teaching practices. ERO evaluated the quality of assessment in all the early childhood services reviewed in Terms 3 and 4, 2006.

    Services were at varying stages in their understanding and implementation of assessment practices, as not all had yet participated in professional development.

  • Published: 01 Jun 2007

    The Collection and Use of Assessment Information: Good Practice in Secondary Schools

    ERO evaluated the collection and use of assessment information in schools in 2006. The evaluation concluded that more work can be done to improve assessment practice in schools. This complementary report aims to help secondary schools review their assessment practice. It highlights characteristics common to high quality assessment practices and includes examples of good practice.

  • Published: 01 Jun 2007

    The Collection and Use of Assessment Information: Good Practice in Primary Schools

    ERO evaluated the collection and use of assessment information in schools in 2006. The evaluation concluded that more work can be done to improve assessment practice in schools. This report builds on this finding by giving examples of good practice in the collection and use of assessment information in primary schools. The report also includes three detailed case studies.

  • Published: 01 Mar 2007

    The Collection and Use of Assessment Information in Schools

    Knowing what students know and can do is fundamental to effective teaching and students’ learning. Teachers need to assess student achievement to know whether or not their teaching is meeting the learning needs of their students.

    In 2006, ERO evaluated how effectively schools collected and used assessment information. This report details the findings of that evaluation and recommends what can be done to make assessment practices in schools more effective.