Our research

Inquiry is at the heart of what drives improvement and innovation at McAuley High School. 

Interruptions to learning are deliberately minimised. When the behaviour of individual students threatens to disrupt the learning of others, the individualized approach and resourcing enables engagement in learning to continue. This video was filmed at Invercargill Middle School.

In responding to its unique context Invercargill Middle School adopted a range of approaches to accelerate learning. Teachers share a collective commitment to making the most of every learning opportunity.

ERO has written this booklet for boards of trustees. It is one of many tools available to help you in your role as a trustee. It focuses on student achievement and wellbeing, and the role the board plays in these two areas. The booklet includes questions and information that will guide you in your discussions with school leaders and as a trustee.

In 2014, the Education Review Office (ERO) undertook an evaluation of the extent to which schools were promoting and responding to student wellbeing in primary and secondary schools. This 2016 effective practice report provides further detail about practices in selected schools that promote wellbeing for all students, and describes how these schools respond when concerns, issues or events require more targeted support.

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).

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.

This guide to using internal evaluation for improvement purposes is published jointly by ERO and the Ministry of Education as a companion to School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success and is supported by Internal Evaluation: Good Practice.

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.

This national report presents the findings of ERO’s recent evaluation of the practices used in an initiative to support the improved achievement of a specific group of Year 12 students.

This national report combines current research with findings from recent ERO reports about students' transitions between and through schools. The report discusses the important pastoral care and learning support processes needed for successful transitions.

He Kupu Arotake is a list of education terms in te reo Māori and English.

Tōku reo, tōku ohooho.

Tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea.

Tōku reo, tōku whakakai marihi!

A English-Māori version is also available. 

He Kupu Arotake is a list of education terms in te reo Māori and English.

Tōku reo, tōku ohooho.

Tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea.

Tōku reo, tōku whakakai marihi!

A Māori-English version is also available. 

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. 

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.

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.

This cluster evaluation highlights improvements in the overall performance of the six kura kaupapa Māori and 12 English-medium schools on the North Island’s East Coast. This report highlights some significant changes in these schools over the last 14 years.

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

This report complements the national evaluation report, Success for Māori Children in Early Childhood Services, March 2010. It presents examples of good practice from nine early childhood services, identified during their ERO reviews, which had practices that were working for Māori children and their parents and whānau.

This evaluation also raises questions about the links between implementing a bicultural curriculum and reviewing its impact for Māori children. This is the next step for services that already have strong bicultural curriculum. Reflecting on and questioning the extent to which Māori children experience success as learners is part of the challenge for managers and educators in early childhood services. The findings of this evaluation indicate that many services have some way to go in working with parents and whānau and enabling Māori children to become competent and confident learners.