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 19 research articles.
  • Topics: Bilingual, Group Special Education (GSE), Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars, Key competencies, Mātauranga Māori, Pasifika
  • Published: 25 Aug 2021

    Responding to the Covid-19 crisis: Supporting Auckland NCEA students

    In 2020, Auckland students were particularly affected by Covid-19 and extra support was provided to them. Following this, ERO undertook an evaluation of three Te Kura programmes aimed at supporting Auckland NCEA students. This report outlines the findings of this evaluation - including the reach and impact of the programmes, and lessons for future responses.

  • Published: 25 Aug 2021

    Responding to Covid-19: Supporting Auckland NCEA students - Summary

    This short summary accompanies the full report Responding to the Covid-19 crisis: Supporting Auckland NCEA students. It outlines the key findings from ERO’s evaluation of three Te Kura programmes aimed at supporting Auckland NCEA students following the lockdowns in 2020. This summary briefly lists who these targeted programmes reached, their impact, and lessons for responding to future lockdowns.  

  • Published: 08 Jul 2021

    Te Kura Huanui : Ko ngā kura o ngā ara angitu

    I roto i Te Kura Huanui: Ko ngā kura o ngā ara angitu, ko ngā uiui me ngā whānau Māori, kaiārahi, kaiako, kaimahi, kaumātua hoki e tūhura ana i te ngākau titikaha o ngā hapori ki te whakarauora, ki te whakapakari hoki i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori mō ā rātou mokopuna, tamariki, uri whakatupu anō hoki. 

  • Published: 08 Jul 2021

    Te Kura Huanui: The treasures of successful pathways

    Te Kura Huanui: The treasures of successful pathways and supporting documentaries explore the Māori-medium education pathway, through a rich collection of interviews and research conducted in partnership with early founders, whānau, leaders, graduates, kaiako, kaimahi and kaumatua.

  • Published: 06 May 2021

    Te Muka Here Tangata – The strand that binds people

    This case study explores the impact of the 2020 Covid-19 events on Māori learners in English-medium schools, and the response of leaders, schools and communities in the Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions.

  • Published: 18 Jun 2020

    Te Tāmata Huaroa: Te Reo Māori in English-medium Schooling

    This report gives a snapshot of the current provision of te reo Māori teaching and learning in a representative sample of English-medium primary and secondary schools. The education sector is seen as an important lever in the Government’s Maihi Karauna strategy for language revitalisation.

  • Published: 22 Nov 2019

    Developing Key Competencies in Students Years 1-8

    This Education Review Office (ERO) report describes what a sample of New Zealand schools with Years 1 to 8 students are doing to integrate and support the development of key competencies in their students.

    It outlines the support that schools are giving their students to use these competencies in their learning and wellbeing. The report also explores what schools are doing to promote the understanding of key competencies among parents, whānau and trustees.

  • Published: 22 Nov 2019

    The Key Competencies: Realising the Potential of the New Zealand Curriculum

    This is a companion report to Developing Key Competencies in Students Years 1 to 8. It explores current thinking about the importance of building the capabilities of young people. It outlines what the Key Competencies (KCs) are, why they are important, New Zealand’s journey with thinking about the nature and potential uses of KCs, and where this development fits in the international context.

  • Published: 16 Aug 2019

    Current Provision of Pacific Bilingual Education

    Based on surveys and interviews of 25 schools, this report describes the current state of Pacific bilingual units in New Zealand: their philosophy, curriculum, teaching, assessment and transition practices, tracking of learners’ pathways and outcomes, and the support they receive.

  • 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: 01 Nov 2013

    Making Connections for Pacific Learners' Success

    This report discusses secondary schools where Pacific learners are achieving at or above the national norms for all students. It includes details of initiatives and good practice and how these work together to get great results.

  • 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: 01 May 2012

    Improving Education Outcomes for Pacific Learners

    This is ERO's third report on the progress of schools in promoting Pacific student achievement. It tells a similar story to ERO's two previous reports with little evidence of system-wide improvement.

  • 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 Jun 2010

    Promoting Pacific Student Achievement

    This 2010 report is the second the Education Review Office has published on the educational achievement of Pacific students in New Zealand schools. The evaluation looked at the achievement, engagement and presence in school of Pacific students, and progress made in the three years since the previous report.

  • Published: 01 Nov 2007

    The Quality of Assessment in Early Childhood Education

    Assessment informs an early childhood service’s programme and educators’ teaching practices. ERO evaluated the quality of assessment in all the early childhood services reviewed in Terms 3 and 4, 2006.

    Services were at varying stages in their understanding and implementation of assessment practices, as not all had yet participated in professional development.