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 45 research articles.
  • Topics: Early childhood services, Evaluation, Identity, Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust
  • Published: 15 Jun 2016

    The Early Learning Years

    This booklet is for all parents and caregivers who have infants and toddlers in an early childhood education service, or who are thinking about enrolling their child in an early childhood service. It gives you an idea of what you can expect from high quality early childhood education and the questions you can ask a service about the education and care of your child. 

  • Published: 12 Feb 2016

    Effective Internal Evaluation for Improvement

    This booklet is useful for any organisation interested in internal evaluation for improvement. This overview of the processes and reasoning involved in effective internal evaluation for improvement draws on a previously published resource Effective School Evaluation – How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement (2015).

  • Published: 19 Nov 2015

    Internal evaluation: good practice

    This good practice report showcases 13 schools and how they've used internal evaluation to change their practice to support students to achieve. The findings from this report have informed the joint Ministry of Education and ERO resource Effective School Evaluation: How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement.

  • Published: 09 Nov 2015

    Educationally powerful connections with parents and whānau

    In this report, the Education Review Office (ERO) evaluated how well 256 schools worked with parents and whanau to respond to students at risk of underachievement. We looked for examples where schools had specifically worked with parents and whānau to accelerate and support progress and improve achievement.

  • Published: 26 May 2013

    Working with Te Whāriki

    This national report is one of two reports that present the findings of a 2012 national evaluation about curriculum priorities.

  • Published: 12 Aug 2012

    Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools

    This report is the second in our Evaluation at a Glance series. It is a synthesis of material from 15 national evaluations and reports of good practice published in the last four years that, taken together, reveal three key issues facing New Zealand’s education system. 

  • Published: 02 Aug 2012

    Ako Panuku: An evaluation of the programme’s effectiveness

    This evaluation looks at the Ako Panuku programme, which is funded by the Ministry of Education for Māori secondary/kura teachers. ERO conducted an online survey of all teachers involved in the programme and also visited a number of schools and kura. Our findings show that a high proportion of teachers found the programme to be highly effective or effective for them. Ako Panuku has had positive outcomes for participants and their students.

  • Published: 19 Jul 2012

    Teaching as Inquiry: Responding to Learners

    This is ERO’s second national evaluation report on the extent to which schools have processes in place to support teaching as inquiry. It also looks at the specific inquiry approaches teachers use in classrooms.

  • Published: 01 Feb 2012

    Partnership with Whānau Māori in Early Childhood Services

    In this evaluation Partnership with Whānau Māori in Early Childhood Education, ERO focused on the extent to which:

    • services understood and valued the identity, language and culture of Māori children and their whānau, particularly when the child and whānau enter the service
    • managers and educators built positive relationships with the whānau of Māori children; and
    • each service worked in partnership with the whānau of Māori children. 
  • Published: 09 Mar 2011

    Evaluation at a glance: What ERO knows about effective schools

    Evaluation at a Glance: What ERO Knows About Effective Schools explores five themes from a cross-section of ERO's evaluations in primary and secondary schools over the past four years:

    • A focus on the learner
    • Leadership in an inclusive culture
    • Effective teaching
    • Engagement with parents, whānau and communities
    • Coherent policies and practice in a cycle of continuous self review
  • Published: 01 Aug 2010

    Quality in Early Childhood Services

    Early childhood education has been an important focus for the Education Review Office for over 20 years. This report uses findings from ERO's national evaluations of early childhood education and individual services' education reviews to highlight the factors that contribute to high quality early childhood education and care, as well as those that contribute to poor quality. The report provides a good starting point for further discussion for anyone involved in early childhood education including education providers, policy makers and teachers.