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 36 research articles.
  • Topics: Guides for parents, Literacy, Playcentres, Primary, Special education
  • Published: 10 Jul 2013

    Including Students with High Needs Primary Schools

    This ERO evaluation reports on primary schools' progress in relation to the Government's Success for All policy. Success for All is about getting all schools to demonstrate inclusive practice for students with special needs.

  • Published: 31 May 2013

    Accelerating the Progress of Priority Learners in Primary Schools

    This national report presents the findings of ERO’s recent evaluation about the extent to which primary schools were using effective strategies to improve outcomes for priority groups of learners. In this report ‘priority learners’ refers to Māori, Pacific, special needs, and students from low income families, who are not achieving at or above National Standards.

  • Published: 30 Apr 2013

    How is my child doing?

    ERO guides for parents 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.

    How is my child doing? suggests questions parents can ask teachers in primary and secondary schools about their child's learning and wellbeing at school, and what to expect. It also looks at what makes a successful school.

  • Published: 15 Apr 2013

    Effective teaching - what's happening in my child's classroom?

    Effective Teaching - What's happening in my child's classroom? gives parents an insight into teaching practice and includes questions parents can use when discussing their child's progress with the school.

    ERO guides for parents 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. 

  • Published: 01 Mar 2013

    From education to employment

    From Education to Employment is about how you and the school can help prepare your child for life beyond school. It will be useful for parents, families, trustees and students at secondary school.

    ERO guides for parents 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.

  • Published: 09 Sep 2012

    Including Students with High Needs: School Questionnaire Responses (2)

    All children deserve the right to an education including those with special education needs. Through its Success for All policy, the Government expects all schools to demonstrate inclusive practice for children with special education needs by the end of 2014. This report presents the findings of a questionnaire where schools assess their own provisions for students with special education needs. It follows on from a similar report produced in early 2012.

  • Published: 03 Jul 2012

    Literacy and Mathematics in Years 9 and 10: Using Achievement Information to Promote Success

    This evaluation looked at how effectively schools use literacy and mathematics achievement information to improve learning for Years 9 and 10 students. The evaluation found that improvements are needed in most secondary schools’ practice with these students. It identifies the actions which school leaders, boards of trustees and teachers can take to help Years 9 and 10 students to be engaged, active and successful learners.

  • Published: 01 Apr 2012

    Including Students with Special Needs: School Questionnaire Responses

    This report, Including Students with Special Needs: school questionnaire responses presents the findings from a questionnaire completed by schools reviewed in the first two terms of 2011. It is based on schools’ own views of how well they include children with special needs.

  • 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.

  • Published: 30 Jun 2010

    Including Students with High Needs

    ERO evaluated how well schools included students with high needs. Approximately three percent of the student population have significant physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, behavioural or intellectual impairment. ERO’s evaluation showed that approximately half of the schools in the study demonstrated inclusive practice, while 30 percent had ‘pockets of inclusive practice’ and 20 percent had few inclusive practices.

  • Published: 01 May 2010

    Science in Years 5 to 8: Capable and Competent Teaching

    This Education Review Office report provides examples of good practice in science teaching for Years 5 to 8, in 13 New Zealand state schools. The evaluation included intermediate schools, contributing schools, full primary schools and a Years 7 to 15 secondary school.

  • Published: 01 May 2009

    Managing Professional Learning and Development in Primary Schools

    This is one of two national reports by the Education Review Office (ERO) on how well schools manage teachers’ PLD. This one about PLD in primary schools and the other is on secondary schools.

    This report discusses how well primary schools:

    • plan for PLD;
    • build a culture in which teachers learn and develop; and
    • monitor the effectiveness of teachers’ learning and development.

  • Published: 01 Sep 2008

    Partners in Learning: Parents' Voices

    ERO is interested in what happens in the classroom and also in how parents and the community can help in the education of school students. We have therefore evaluated the way schools engage their parents, whānau and community. The result is a collection of three reports on different aspects of Partners in Learning: the findings of the evaluation; examples of good practice; and the voices of parents. This report sets out the views of parents and others in the community about their role in the education of their children.

  • Published: 01 Jun 2007

    Early Childhood Education: A Guide for Parents

    This 2007 ERO report is to help parents make an informed decision about selecting an early childhood service to suit them and their children. It identifies types of early childhood services and ways in which parents can help their child settle into a service.