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 55 research articles.
  • Topics: Bicultural curriculum, Culture, Kaupapa Māori, Kura, Manaakitanga, Māori, Māori-medium, Māori immersion, Māori parents and whanau, Māori secondary teachers, Māori student achievement, Primary, Teacher aides, Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori
  • Audience: Māori-medium, Schools
  • Published: 29 May 2014

    Towards equitable outcomes in secondary schools: Good practice

    This report presents examples of good practice in student engagement and achievement. The examples come from a sample of secondary schools, rated decile 5 or below with rolls of 200 students or more, who had better outcomes for students than other similar schools. ERO visited seven of these schools to find out the secret to their success.

  • 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: 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: 31 May 2013

    Accelerating student achievement: a resource for schools

    This resource can be used with the School Evaluation Indicators. It brings together findings from ERO’s recent national reports to outline what works to accelerate progress for Māori students at-risk of underachieving in primary schools. We share approaches schools have taken where progress was accelerated and schools were able to extend their practices to help more students succeed. Innovative schools focus on inequity within their student population, resulting in improved outcomes for Māori students.

  • 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 05 Oct 2010

    Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity in NZ Schools and Early Learning Services

    In late 2015, the Cabinet Social Policy Committee asked ERO to assess ‘the current status of food, nutrition and physical activity in schools and early childhood services’ and to report on Health Promoting Schools that were included in the sample. We visited 202 early learning services, 46 primary schools and 29 secondary schools in the first half of 2016.

    We asked: How well does the service/school promote positive attitudes to physical activity, and food and nutrition to benefit children?

  • Published: 10 May 2010

    Promoting Success for Māori Students Schools’ Progress

    This 2010 report evaluates how schools have promoted success for Māori students since ERO’s previous national report in 2006. The success of Māori students at school is a matter of national interest and priority. ERO has published five national evaluation reports on this topic since 2001. These have identified system-wide issues and recommended steps to be taken by schools and by the Ministry of Education to promote success for Māori in education.

  • 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.