Our research

This is the latest report in the series of ERO's national evaluation reports about the implementation of the National Standards in English-medium schools with students in Years 1 to 8.The evaluation involved 237 schools reviewed by ERO in Terms 3 and 4, 2010. The report indicates that schools are still at varying stages of working with the National Standards.

ERO evaluated preparedness to work with the National Standards within The New Zealand Curriculum in 228 schools during Terms 1 and 2, 2010. ERO found that most schools were well prepared or had preparation under way, and in many cases the preparations focused on aligning existing benchmarks and expectations with the standards.

This Education Review Office (ERO) evaluation focused on how effectively reading and writing was taught in the first two years of schooling, and on how well teachers used assessment information to plan and evaluate their teaching.

This report complements ERO’s major evaluation, Partners in Learning: Schools’ Engagement with Parents, Whānau and Communities, published in May 2008. It presents case studies of eight schools, identified during ERO reviews, that were successful in engaging with their parents, whānau and the wider community. The report also discusses key factors that contribute to the success of this engagement.

In 2008 the Education Review Office evaluated schools’ provision for gifted and talented students.

School boards of trustees, through their principals and staff, are required to use good quality assessment information to identify students who have special needs (including gifted and talented), and to develop and implement teaching and learning strategies to meet the needs of these students.

A group of schools was particularly effective in providing for gifted and talented students and ERO has set out their good practice in this report.