Improvement in action
The collection of videos and publications is called Improvement in Action and illustrates what works to achieve successful outcomes for all children and young people in the education system.
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.
The collection of videos and publications is called Improvement in Action and illustrates what works to achieve successful outcomes for all children and young people in the education system.
Evaluation and review are the engine room that drives the improvement agenda forward, involving all within the learning community in an ongoing cycle.
Inquiry is at the heart of what drives improvement and innovation at McAuley High School.
Senior leaders talk about the approach and processes associated with doing and using evaluation for improvement.
In improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, leaders and teachers are working to develop safe, collaborative environments where every learner (teachers and students) can access the thinking of others to strengthen their knowledge and understanding.
The focus on driving and sustaining improvement in outcomes in this school involves solution seeking processes typified by innovation and whole school participation. The principal describes the approach that supports this ongoing activity as more entrepreneurial than hierarchical.
Members of a school strategic change leadership team discuss how a significant drop in the NCEA achievement outcomes of their Māori students, which had been consistently tracking upwards since 2009, created a context that required a critically reflective analysis of both cohort and individual data, alongside a review of the current tracking and monitoring processes and tools.
A principal describes the need to establish the ‘fertile ground for innovation’ by being explicit about the need to be ‘comfortable being uncomfortable’ in order that together they can question, inquire and critique to make things better the learners.
At McAuley High School, leaders and teachers actively model learning behaviour for the students including eliciting student feedback on a regular basis
The deputy principal at Kerikeri High School describes the process the school leaders went through to develop electronic systems and processes to track student academic success. The principal describes how the tracking tool alerted school leaders when students were at risk of not achieving and led them to consider ways to ensure students had further opportunities to succeed.
At Otumoetai Intermediate, all teachers are engaged in differentiated professional learning and development. Those with similar goals are ‘buddied’ with another staff member.
At Invercargill Middle School, the way in which school trustees and leaders work together fosters an appreciative and respectful environment that acknowledges the contributions of everyone in the learning community.
The provision of opportunities for collaborative professional learning are designed to build adaptive expertise through enabling the participation and contribution of all staff members.
Engaging in multiple strategies to elicit and respond to student voice ensures that students have direct input into curriculum design.
At McAuley High School, classroom teacher observations are a frequent occurrence and students report how they regard this as teachers actively modelling learning behaviour.
The team structure in this school supports the professional learning and development of leaders and teachers. Team members discuss their roles, responsibilities and the reciprocal nature of their interactions.
Data and information about teaching and learning is made highly visible and the interpretation and response are a collaborative process. Leaders and teachers reflect on the role of data in professional relationships and how an open approach builds capability and confidence to respond to the challenges that need to be addressed.
Leadership engages in collaborative consideration of the evidence to inform a considered response to issues identified. Solutions are sought only after a thorough analysis of the problem and consideration of the evidence about what is likely to make the most difference. The implementation of new initiatives is closely evaluated.
Senior leaders at Invercargill Middle School have put processes in place to ensure that all teachers participate in and contribute to the co-construction of decisions about how best to move forward. The principal describes the approach as ‘change coming from the classroom, not the principals office’.
At Otumoetai Intermediate School, Student Learning Leaders learn how to undertake structured classroom observations focused on teaching and learning. The students and staff discuss the process and its impact.