New Zealand Curriculum

NZC Online update - January 2012

2012-01-16T03:55:52+00:00

To start off your school year, we bring you an interview with year 5/6 teacher Anne Keneally. She is planning on using her learning spaces differently this year, and in this EDtalk she tells us just what she has in mind

New stories - Secondary middle leaders

This month we bring you two stories of secondary middle leaders who have taken part in Teaching and Learning Research Initiatives (TLRI):

My professional learning at Logan Park High School
Paul Enright believes it is important to have things that shake you up and make you look at the bigger picture of teaching and learning. He tells us about being involved in the TLRI and how his participation has not given him all the answers, but provided him with better questions.

The algebra project at St Hilda's Collegiate
Anna Cox, head of mathematics, talks about her involvement in the algebra project. Anna believes it is important for teachers to think about why they do things, how students learn, and how to overcome the barriers to learning. Anna describes how the TLRI had benefits for her role as a leader of professional development in her department.

New resources

NZC Update issue 16
This Update focuses on the New Zealand Curriculum principle of the Treaty of Waitangi and its implications for teaching, learning, and the school curriculum.

Wellbeing
The Wellbeing site is intended to provide improved access to social support services across Christchurch - post earthquake.

Literacy in mathematics
Resources to help teachers identify the literacy skills and knowledge their students have, and need to be developed, in mathematics

Literacy in social sciences
Resources to help teachers identify the literacy skills and knowledge their students have, and need to be developed, in social science

Community engagement

Good Practice Participate
This website features resources designed to guide government agencies and other organisations to follow good community engagement practices.

Secondary

The following senior secondary curriculum guides are now available online:

Middle Schooling

Young thinkers tackle road risks
A class of year 7 students from Northcross Intermediate were to identify and explain risks to road users attending an event when suddenly real events captured their attention.

New Zealand Curriculum updates

2009-11-08T19:55:25+00:00

The updates are provided by the Ministry of Education to support English-medium schools with implementation. Further Updates will continue to be published on this site as well as in the Education Gazette.

NZC Update 16 - The New Zealand Curriculum Treaty of Waitangi principle

(Published January 2012)

This Update focuses on the New Zealand Curriculum principle of the Treaty of Waitangi and its implications for teaching, learning, and the school curriculum.

NZC update 16 (PDF, 1 MB)

NZC Update 15 - The future focus principle

(Published November 2011)

This Update looks at the New Zealand Curriculum's principle of future focus and at resources to support its implementation.

NZC update 15 (PDF, 943 KB)

NZC Update 14 - Creating educationally powerful connections

(Published October 2011)

This Update explores educationally powerful connections in the digital world through case-studies of how such connections are enabling and enriching students’ learning.

NZC Update issue 14 (PDF, 863 KB)

NZC Update 13 - Levelling the School Journal

(Published September 2011)

This update explains the recent changes in levelling processes for items in the School Journal and in the other instructional series for year 4-8 students.

NZC Update issue 13 (PDF, 942 KB)

NZC Update 12 - Understanding teaching as inquiry

(Published August 2011)

This Update describes observations made by the Education Review Office (ERO) in a recent evaluation of how New Zealand schools were using the teaching as inquiry process.

NZC Update issue 12 (PDF, 525 KB)

NZC Update 11 - Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the NZC

(Published July 2011)

This Update focuses on an evaluation of progress in the implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum, using data collected in 2008 and 2009. When considering these findings, it is important to keep in mind that curriculum implementation is ongoing. Research shows that substantial change takes several years.

NZC Update Issue 11 (PDF, 917 KB)

NZC Update 10 - Engaging with families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds

(Published June 2011)

This Update focuses on partnerships between schools and diverse families and communities. It builds on Update 1 (September 2010), which focused on engaging with whānau and Māori communities.

NZC Update issue 10 (PDF, 1,011 KB)

NZC Update 9 - Effective learning pathways

(Published June 2011)

This Update is designed to help secondary schools review their curriculum to ensure that all students experience effective pathways throughout their learning.

NZC Update issue 9 (PDF, 2 MB)

NZC Update 8 - Network learning communities

(Published May 2011)

This Update focuses on findings from the recent evaluation of the Network Learning Communities (NLC) initiative.

NZC update issue 8 (PDF, 1 MB)

NZC Update 7 - Te Kotahitanga

(Published April 2011)

This Update focuses on findings from Te Kotahitanga and highlights how this programme is producing positive gains for Māori students by influencing leadership, teaching, and learning in participating schools.

NZC Update issue 7 (PDF, 1 MB)

NZC Update 6 - Illustrations supporting the National Standards

(Published March 2011)

This Update focuses on the illustrations that support the National Standards for reading, writing, and mathematics and how teachers can use them.

NZC Update Issue 6 (PDF, 4 MB)

NZC Update 5 - Integrating key competencies and reading

(Published February 2011)

This Update focuses on a research project that explored how the key competencies might be integrated with and developed through the teaching of reading.

NZC Update Issue 5 (PDF, 1 MB)

NZC Update 4 - Literacy, numeracy, and the key competencies across the curriculum

(Published December 2010)

This Update focuses on the key competencies and the framework they provide for developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes in literacy and numeracy.

NZC update Issue 4 (PDF, 1 MB)

NZC Update 3 - Teaching and learning with the instructional series

(Published November 2010)

This Update focuses on the various English-medium instructional series published by Learning Media for the Ministry of Education and on the critical role of teachers in the use of the series.

NZC Update Issue 3 (PDF, 2 MB)

NZC Update 2 - Supporting literacy learning

(Published October 2010)

This update is addressed to the school leadership team and describes the current range of literacy interventions in New Zealand schools.

NZC Update Issue 2 (PDF, 3 MB)

NZC Update 1 - Family and community engagement

(Published September 2010)

This update focuses on engagement with whānau and Māori communities. Future Updates will include examples of building relationships with Pasifika, special education, and refugee and migrant communities.

NZC Update Issue 1 (PDF, 2 MB)

Previous updates

What we are seeing

What it looks like in schools when it's going well (Sept 09)
The National Standards

The National Standards with the New Zealand Curriculum (Nov 09)
The role of the principles

The role of the principles in designing and reviewing the school curriculum (March 2010)
School curriculum review

Ongoing school curriculum review (June 2010)

The mathematics standards

2009-10-13T01:37:25+00:00

After one year at school

Illustrating 'After one year' national mathematics standard.

Find out more
After two years at school

Illustrating 'After two years' national mathematics standard

Find out more
After three years at school

Illustrating 'After three years' national mathematics standard

Find out more
By the end of year 4

Illustrating 'By the end of year 4' national mathematics standard

Find out more
By the end of year 5

Illustrating 'By the end of year 5' national mathematics standard

Find out more
By the end of year 6

Illustrating 'By the end of year 6' national mathematics standard

Find out more
By the end of year 7

Illustrating 'By the end of year 7' national mathematics standard

Find out more
By the end of year 8

Illustrating 'By the end of year 8' national mathematics standard

Find out more

Curriculum research reports

2011-05-03T21:13:27+00:00

Competent Learners @ 20 - Summary of Key Findings (published 9/11)

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER)’s Competent Learners study has followed some 500 children from just before they started school. In 2009 they turned 20. This summary gives some key findings from the age-20 phase of the Competent Learners study.

Directions for learning: The New Zealand Curriculum Principles, and teaching as inquiry May 2011 (published 22/7/11)

In early 2010, the Ministry of Education asked the Education Review Office (ERO) to conduct an initial evaluation, and a follow up evaluation one year later, to investigate how schools were using the eight principles and the teaching as inquiry process as outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum.

Education Gazette article - Schools reflect curriculum principles

More ladders, fewer snakes: Two proposals to reduce youth disadvantage (published 19/7/11)

Youth aged 15 to 19 in New Zealand are disadvantaged compared to youth in other OECD countries in nearly every way. Can New Zealand reduce the disadvantages suffered by young people in a way that contributes to New Zealand becoming a successful multi-cultural society?

Network Learning Community Case Studies (published 17/5/11)

The Ministry of Education carried out an evaluation of the Network Learning Communities (NLC) initiative in 2010. NLCs are one of the PLD opportunities offered in 2011 by the Ministry and delivered by School Support Services.

An Evaluation of Network Learning Communities — Main Report (published 5/11)

This report presents findings from a study evaluating the Network Learning Communities initiative in 2010.

An Evaluation of Network Learning Communities — Summary Report (published 5/11)

This is the short summary report from a study evaluating the Network Learning Communities initiative in 2010.

An Evaluation of Network Learning Communities — Technical Report (published 5/11)

This is the technical report from a study evaluating the Network Learning Communities initiative in 2010. It contains detailed analyses of two surveys and presented 10 case study summaries.

Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies 2 (published 5/11)

This study reports on ways in which innovative schools and teachers have been working to implement The New Zealand Curriculum across all three years of the project.

The Shape of Curriculum Change summary
Rose Hipkins' breakfast presentation covering the key findings from the Curriculum Implementation Studies (CIES) project (Cowie, Hipkins, Keown, Boyd, 2011), and supporting resources.

NZCER 2010 Primary & Intermediate Schools National Survey (published 12/2010)

This survey was conducted in schools in July 2010 in a random sample of 350 schools. It includes the views of principals, teachers, boards of trustees and parents on a range of issues. This report provides a snapshot of the overall patterns.

The survey included questions about the implementation of National Standards and this report includes those findings.

Science Education for the Twenty-first Century (published 5/4/11)

A strong and forward-looking science education system in the school years is a necessary prerequisite for New Zealand’s future success in an increasingly knowledge-based world. Yet the changing nature of science and the changing role of science in society create major challenges for effective science teaching.

Implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum: Synthesis of Research & Evaluation (published 1/4/11)

The revised New Zealand Curriculum was launched in November 2007, with schools required to give full effect to the curriculum by February 2010. Progress towards this has been monitored using evidence reported by the Education Review Office and research teams commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

Monitoring and Evaluating Curriculum Implementation: Final Evaluation Report on the Implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum 2008–2009 (published 1/4/11)

This report presents findings from a national evaluation of the implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum. The project sought to establish a national picture of implementation progress in English-medium schools in the first two years following the curriculum's launch in November 2007.

Evaluation at a Glance: What ERO Knows About Effective Schools (published 9/3/11)

This report explores five themes from a cross-section of ERO's evaluations in primary and secondary schools over the past four years.

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Preparing to Give Effect to the New Zealand Curriculum (published 31/5/10)

In this evaluation, undertaken in Terms 3 and 4 2009, ERO investigated school leaders’ progress with organising teaching and learning to give effect to The New Zealand Curriculum, and implementing effective teaching strategies.

MECI project May 2009 milestone: Executive summary (published 18/1/10)

In November 2007 The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) was launched in New Zealand. That policy statement provides direction and guidance for teaching and learning in New Zealand’s state (including integrated) schools. This report summarises a national evaluation of the implementation of that curriculum being undertaken by researchers at the Faculty of Education, the University of Auckland, for the Ministry of Education.

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School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why Best Evidence Synthesis (published 4/11/09)

The Ministry of Education’s School leadership and student outcomes: Identifying what works and why: Best evidence synthesis iteration (BES) was launched by the Minister of Education, Hon. Anne Tolley, at the opening of the University of Auckland Leadership Centre on 4 November 2009.

A friendly guide to the leadership BES
Professor Viviane Robinson has recorded a friendly guide to the leadership BES on the Educational Leaders site.

Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies: Final Report(published 21/10/09)

This final report provides an overview of the findings from the Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies (CIES) project.

Readiness to Implement The New Zealand Curriculum (published 31/7/09)

Schools are expected to be preparing for the implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum by February 2010. As part of its regular reviews from Term 3, 2008 until the end of 2009, ERO is evaluating and reporting on schools’ readiness to implement this curriculum.

Managing Professional Learning and Development in Secondary Schools (published 30/04/09)

Teaching is a complex and demanding profession. Teachers require high quality support and training throughout their careers to ensure they have the strategies and skills to meet the needs of learners. Professional learning and development (PLD) is central to maintaining and improving teacher quality.

Managing Professional Learning and Development in Primary Schools (published 30/04/09)

In this report and its companion report for primary schools our focus has been on how well schools manage professional learning and development for the people whose skills and training are most fundamental to the achievement of students – classroom teachers.

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Social Sciences Tikanga a Iwi (published 11/08)

This report is one of a series of best evidence synthesis iterations (BESs) commissioned by the Ministry of Education. The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme seeks to support collaborative knowledge building and use across policy, research, and practice in education.

Teacher Professional Learning and Development (published 12/07)

The Teacher Professional Learning and Development BES illuminates the kind of professional learning for teachers that strengthens valued outcomes for diverse learners.

Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics/Pangarau (published 2/07)

This best evidence synthesis in pāngarau/mathematics plays a key role in knowledge building for New Zealand education. As a capability tool, it identifies, evaluates, analyses, and synthesises what the New Zealand evidence and international research tell us about quality mathematics teaching.

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Professional Development in Early Childhood Settings (published 10/03)

This report is one of a series of best evidence syntheses commissioned by the Ministry of Education. It is part of a commitment to strengthen the evidence base that informs education policy and practice in New Zealand . It aims to contribute to an ongoing evidence-based discourse amongst policy makers, educators and researchers.

Community and Family Influences on Children's Achievement (published 6/03)

The influences of families/whanau and communities are identified as key levers for high quality outcomes for diverse children. Outcomes include both social and academic achievement. The focus is on children from early childhood through to the end of secondary schooling.

Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling (published 6/03)

Quality teaching is identified as a key influence on high quality outcomes for diverse students. The evidence reveals that up to 59% of variance in student performance is attributable to differences between teachers and classes, while up to almost 21%, but generally less, is attributable to school level variables.

Quality Teaching: Early Foundations (published 1/03)

This synthesis addresses the question of:

“What works in early childhood teaching for maximising children’s learning outcomes and reducing disparities amongst diverse children?”

NZC Online update - October 2011

2011-10-10T02:00:30+00:00

Community engagement - New section on NZC Online

This new section features a collection of tools, ideas, stories and resources to support schools as they explore the NZC community engagement principle.

Secondary middle leaders

Creating a culture of excellence
Alec Solomon, subject specialist leader of physical, health and outdoor education at Albany Senior High School, discusses how he supports students to excel by creating 'a culture of excellence'.

Teachers working together
Kristan Mowat, Head of Media Studies at Logan Park High School, discusses how conversations are happening across disciplines and across departments as teachers support each other.

New resources

Rangiātea case studies and exemplars
These five Rangiātea case studies and exemplars examine five secondary schools, each of which is on a journey towards realising Māori student potential.

Ako in action
Eight New Zealand school leaders talk about how they have connected the learning they undertook in three Ministry-funded professional learning programmes to their professional practice.

Shaping education
The earthquakes that rocked Canterbury will, of necessity, lead to changes in the way education is delivered in the region in the future. This provides a unique opportunity to take the best of what we already have and introduce some fresh thinking into the future shape of education in greater Christchurch.

NZC Update 14 - Creating educationally powerful connections
This Update explores educationally powerful connections in the digital world through case-studies of how such connections are enabling and enriching students’ learning.

Enabling eLearning
Enabling e-Learning is the Ministry of Education’s online ‘hub’ for ICT-related education resources and programmes in New Zealand, bringing together everything that school leaders and teachers need to improve their e-learning practice.

Tread lightly
This free climate change education and engagement site features innovative online educational tools and resources designed to empower youth to reduce their ecological footprints and take action on climate change.

Secondary

Career benchmarks
The benchmarks are a set of documents outlining four key dimensions for effective career education practice.

NCEA Update 2
The latest detailed communications on NCEA and related matters written for teachers.

Middle Schooling

Financially literate at Northcote Intermediate
Northcote Intermediate’s approach to financial literacy includes the GetWise programme. Students have responded positively to learning about being more financially responsible.

NCEA teaching and learning resources
Asia:NZ has developed a set of five level 1 NCEA resources – English, geography, social sciences, history, and media studies – to support teachers to use an Asian context within their programmes.

EDtalks: Simon Breakspear
Keynote presenter at Ulearn11, Simon Breakspear, asks for whose future are we educating students – theirs or ours – and are we preparing students for a future that no longer exists?

Key Competencies Online

Exploratree
A free web library of ready-made interactive thinking guides, which can be used for discussion or as a presentation tool to share findings and thinking.

Implementing the Key Competencies - Sabbatical report
Paul Kingston from Papanui School reports on the implementation of Key Competencies into primary school programmes and the reporting of progress/achievement of children in the Key Competencies.

NZC Online update - September 2011

2011-08-30T21:50:01+00:00

Secondary middle leaders

Two new digital stories and two inspirational videos have been published in the Secondary Middle Leaders section:

Putting students first in English at Albany Senior High School
Hamish Chalmers provides examples of how his students are at the forefront when designing English courses. He says the important thing to remember is that it is all about the students' own learning, their engagement, and therefore their ownership of that learning.

Student first homework in science at Queen's High School
In this video Sarah Swan demonstrates an approach she uses for student first homework in her science classes.

TED talk: A Short intro to the Studio School
"Some kids learn by listening; others learn by doing. Geoff Mulgan gives a short introduction to the Studio School, a new kind of school in the UK where small teams of kids learn by working on projects that are, as Mulgan puts it, for real."

Youtube: Learning to change - changing to learn
A number of well known educational thought leaders reflect on the future of learning - "The death of education but the dawn of learning"

New resources

NZC Update 13 - Levelling the School Journal
This Update explains the recent changes in levelling processes for items in the School Journal and in the other instructional series for year 4–8 students.

Smoke free schools
This website offers information, ideas and resources to help schools/kura develop and promote a smokefree school community.

Read and achieve with the All Blacks
David Riley from Tangaroa College submitted this resource to the English Online Listserv. It aims to develop reading comprehension skills using articles about All Blacks as the context.

New in the resource bank

Literacy in technology
This resource looks at how literacy learning needs can be addressed in the technology teaching and learning programme.

Literacy in the arts
This resource looks at how literacy learning needs can be addressed in the arts teaching and learning programmes.

Schools World TV
With the closure of TeachersTV in the UK, the full 3,500 videos have found a new home on Schools World TV.

National Standards

The Ministry has updated the guidelines provided for reporting the progress and achievement of English language learners to parents to be consistent with the requirement of NAG2A.

Secondary

NCEA: The Myths
Sort the myths from the facts with these NCEA Mythbusters from NZQA.

Senior secondary curriculum guide – Philosophy
Philosophy is about acquiring wisdom through free inquiry. It explores fundamental questions about the world and our place in it.

Middle Schooling

YouTube: Teachers
Launched this month, YouTube for Teachers - incorporate YouTube clips into your classroom by subscribing to the teachers’ community.

Ewan McIntosh #TEDxLondon: The problem finders
Read educator Ewan McIntosh’s TEDxLondon presentation on schools developing a problem-finding curriculum to engage students through authentic and worthwhile problems.

New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network
The New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network fosters the growth of effective youth mentoring practice throughout New Zealand.

Key Competencies Online

Teaching as inquiry
This discussion tool suggests prompts that could be used to give attention to the key competencies in teaching as inquiry.

Learning in a modern classroom
Two year 12 students discuss what learning in a modern classroom means for them at the Education Leaders Forum in Wellington last month.

Competent Learners project reports
NZCER Competent Learners study has followed some 500 children from just before they started school. In 2009 they turned 20. This summary outlines the findings of this phase of the research.

Developing the KCs
Paroa School’s curriculum map prioritises four pedagogical approaches to learning to guide their development of the key competencies.

NZC Online update - July 2011

2011-07-06T04:14:24+00:00

New resources

NZC Update 11 - Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of NZC
This Update focuses on an evaluation of progress in the implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum, using data collected in 2008 and 2009.

Rugby World Cup activity books
Developed by the NZ 2011 office in association with the Ministry of Education, the RWC 2011 Activity Book provides year 1-8 students with a book of learning activities. It has three curriculum levels to choose from, each strongly aligned to the social sciences curriculum, and Effective Pedagogy in Social Sciences: Tikanga ā Iwi: BES.

Tax education and citizenship
This resource supports students to understand what tax is, what it is used for, and how all citizens are involved. It focuses on key social studies objectives and also covers the key NZC value of 'community and participation', key competency 'managing self' and the future focus issue of 'citizenship'.

New in the resource bank

Real learning - It's bigger than inquiry
In this EDtalk, Lane Clark explores the processes of learning while taking a lighthearted look at some of the current practices within many of our schools.

Where good ideas come from
In this YouTube clip, Steven Johnson takes on, in exhilarating style, one of the key questions: Where do good ideas come from?

New research reports

NZCER 2010 Primary & Intermediate Schools National Survey (published December 2010)
This survey was conducted in schools in July 2010 in a random sample of 350 schools. It includes the views of principals, teachers, boards of trustees, and parents on a range of issues. The survey included questions about the implementation of National Standards.

Directions for learning: The New Zealand Curriculum principles, and teaching as inquiry - May 2011 (published July 2011)
In early 2010, ERO were asked to conduct an initial evaluation, and a follow up evaluation one year later, to investigate how schools were using the eight principles and the teaching as inquiry process as outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum.

More ladders, fewer snakes: Two proposals to reduce youth disadvantage (published 19/7/11)
Youth aged 15 to 19 in New Zealand are disadvantaged compared to youth in other OECD countries in nearly every way. Can New Zealand reduce the disadvantages suffered by young people in a way that contributes to New Zealand becoming a successful multi-cultural society?

National Standards

New National Standards reading and writing illustrations
Set 4 of the National Standards reading and writing illustrations are now available on Literacy Online.

School stories

Monitoring the key competencies at Sylvia Park School
Barbara Ala'alatoa, Glenis Hanline and Ngamihi Masaga discuss monitoring children's increasing abilities with the KCs.

Key Competencies Online

Key competencies: Implementation and issues
Paul Kingston’s sabbatical report discusses implementing key competencies within their programmes at Papanui School, and the reporting of children's progress/achievement in the KCs.

Dylan Wiliams' podcast: Assessment of key competences
In this podcast, entitled ‘What kinds of assessment support learning of key competencies?’, Dylan Wiliams discusses how schools can design systems for assessing key competencies.

Derek's Blog: Creating a world of good thinkers
Derek Wenmoth blogged from the International Conference on Thinking (June 2011) on a presentation about ways of infusing thinking - both creative and critical - into the classroom.

Discussion tool: Creating a KCs wall
This tool picks up on the key competencies wall idea as described by the Sylvia Park School team. The 'wall' is not just a place to put up finished work but somewhere to support the development of learners' key competencies.

Middle Schooling

Registered Teacher Criteria resource
The Registered Teacher Criteria wiki has a page devoted to each of the twelve criteria, with ideas on how teachers could demonstrate they are meeting the criteria through the use of elearning.

Preparing for principalship: A personal story
First-time principal Lisa Morresey writes about how regional and national aspiring principal programmes have helped her prepare for principalship.

Improving the Transition: Reducing Social and Psychological Morbidity During Adolescence
This report was released in May 2011 from the taskforce headed by Sir Peter Gluckman.

NZC Online update - June 2011

2011-06-08T04:12:37+00:00

School stories

We have three different story packages for you this month. The first is from Sylvia Park School in Auckland, the second from Stonefields School also in Auckland, and the third is a curriculum conversation recorded at the Learning@School conference.

Sylvia Park School's inquiry planning team supports all teachers to develop authentic engaging learning for their students:

Stonefields School opened its doors to students this year. With this new start came the opportunity to try new approaches to curriculum design:

In this curriculum conversation Gay Gilbert and Lynette Townsend discuss how they have used 'the mantle of the expert' as a different approach to inquiry learning:

Mantle of the expert

New resources

Te wiki o te reo Māori
The 4th to 10th of July 2011 is Te wiki o te reo Māori. With the help of Tamara Bell, Te Manawa Pou Facilitator, we provide this list of resources

NZC Update 9 - Effective learning pathways
This Update is designed to help secondary schools review their curriculum to ensure that all students experience effective pathways throughout their learning.

NZC Update 10 - Engaging with families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
This Update focuses on partnerships between schools and diverse families and communities. It builds on Update 1 (September 2010), which focused on engaging with whānau and Māori communities.

New in the resource bank

Science education for the 21st Century
A strong and forward-looking science education system in the school years is a necessary prerequisite for New Zealand’s future success in an increasingly knowledge-based world.

Interactive Boundary Maps
Statistics NZ have created this resource for geography teachers; in particular those teaching Level 6. It contains suggested activities that are to be completed with the use of the interactive boundary tool.

EPortfolios – guidelines for beginners
The guidelines provide sufficient understanding to enable consideration of the place of ePortfolios in your school’s ongoing educational strategy.

Using teaching as inquiry to guide to e-learning action plans
In this EDtalk, Claire Amos talks about using a 'teaching as inquiry' cycle to inform the eLearning action plans that will be implemented by professional learning groups in each of the school's curriculum areas.

Secondary

Standards alignment update
Level 2 draft standards and draft assessment resources for new or significantly changed internal standards, and sample assessment resources for external standards, have now been issued. These are watermarked 'Drafts for school planning purposes' – access the updated materials at NCEA on TKI.

What's happening in the job market?
Learn more about the labour market and trends of work in New Zealand, including information on living and working in the regions.

Key Competencies Online

Blogging at Tahunanui School
At Tahunanui School, Nelson, blogging is seen as a pathway to the development of the key competencies.

A Wonder Room – every school should have one
The Nottingham University Samworth academy houses a space filled with curiosities and puzzles that fuel students' imaginations.

Good Education: How do we prepare kids for jobs we can’t imagine yet?
The growing consensus is that we need to shift schools toward fostering creativity and conceptual thinking abilities, and a new project called Imagination: Creating the Future of Education and Work wants to help educators figure out how to do it.

NetSafe: What is digital citizenship?
Drawing from the key competencies in the NZC and in consultation with New Zealand teachers, NetSafe has produced this definition of a New Zealand digital citizen.

Middle Schooling

EDtalks: How to make inquiry happen in a school
In this EDtalk, Lyn Ross draws on her experiences as ICT facilitator for four ICTPD clusters to describe strategies and factors that can help ensure inquiry really does happen in a school. These include the role of school leaders, the need for ongoing support, and tips for teachers.

Asia:NZ Online: Japan Rugby World Cup
Encourage students to learn about Japanese culture by following the fortunes of Japan, the only Asian team to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Use this resource with level 3 and 4 students to enrich their learning about Japan through a teacher directed or guided inquiry.

Restorative justice programme
Bream Bay College is a coeducational year 7–13 school in Northland. As a result of school-wide interventions based around restorative practices, the college has gone from achieving below national averages to achieving at levels well above in national examinations.

ePortfolios at Tauranga Intermediate
Karen Mills shares how Tauranga Intermediate has gone about the process of moving from paper-based portfolios to the use of ePortfolios.

NZCER 2010 Primary and Intermediate Schools National Survey
This survey was conducted in schools (July 2010) in a random sample of 350 schools, and includes the views of principals, teachers, boards of trustees, and parents on a range of issues. This report provides a snapshot of the overall patterns.

NZC Online update - May 2011

2011-06-08T04:12:26+00:00

School stories

The NZC Online team interviewed educators at Learning@School 2011 in Rotorua about the curriculum based workshops they were presenting at conference.

Willowbank curriculum map

Jane Danielson and Julie Cowan explain how they used a map analogy to guide their curriculum development, because on a map you can go to different places, get to different points, take detours, and take different ways of travelling.

New resources

NZC Update 8

This Update focuses on findings from the recent evaluation of the Network Learning Communities (NLC) initiative.

Research reports

Network learning communities case studies

These ten case studies outline how school leaders have made connections and learned together to shape their school curricula.

Curriculum research reports

On this page you will find links out to the various research reports that support the New Zealand Curriculum, all in one handy place.

Keynotes and presentations

Rosemary Hipkins - The shape of curriculum change

Rosemary Hipkins presented this session at the CORE Breakfast seminar in Dunedin, March 2011, which sketched the overall shape of curriculum change in CIES schools.

A PowerPoint, used during the session, and link to the full Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies 2 report is included, as well as a discussion paper covering the key findings from the CIES project – The Shape of Curriculum Change summary.

New in the resource bank

The arts:

Ahi Kaa

Ngāti Porou students are showing their talent and ICT skills with ‘Ahi Kaa – Through our Eyes’ – a photography exhibition by Ngāti Porou East Coast.Published 16th May 2011

Science:

Learning science in context

Continuing an approach used in years 9 and 10, Year 11 students at Mt Maunganui College with the support of teachers decide what they will learn. ‘Tomorrow’s scientists choose what they will study today.’

Mathematics:

I nteractive probability and statistical investigation games

This set of 28 games are categorised into curriculum levels to help identify which games are most appropriate for students. Statistics NZ have had great feedback already from teachers already about how it is great to have an interactive, fun resource for teaching maths.

National Standards

New Zealand Curriculum Reading and Writing National Standards wall charts

Classroom wall charts were sent recently to every teacher of students in years 1–8 (distributed to schools 9 May 2011). They summarise The New Zealand Curriculum Reading and Writing Standards for Years 1–8 and The Literacy Learning Progressions.

New Question and Answer

A question regarding the wording in the new reading and writing wall charts is answered.

Key Competencies Online

Snapshot: CamEast TV at Cambridge East School

Students at Cambridge East School have set up their own successful TV show, CamEast TV. The school embarked on the project as part of their ICTPD contract, and have taken delight in watching their students succeed and grow as they learn. Along the way they discovered it was an ideal context through which to develop the key competencies.

Discussion tool: Gathering feedback

Feedback from students is an important means of thinking about how key competencies are developed in teaching and learning. In this discussion tool, three suggestions for gathering feedback are outlined - ratings, postbox sentence starters, and photo prompts. Using these kinds of approaches to gather feedback, teachers will be able to consider students' perceptions of teaching and learning in their programmes.

Blogging and the key competencies

In this example, ICT PD facilitator Tessa Gray has collated thoughts from the ICT PD project about the ways in which the key competencies can align with e-learning practices online.

Middle Schooling

Once Upon a School

Once Upon a School is a site designed to collect stories of how individuals engage with their local schools. This is a global project, inviting people to share their own stories of how 'private' individuals connect with 'public' schools.

EDtalks: Using teaching as inquiry to guide an eLearning action plan

Claire Amos is Director of eLearning at Epsom Girls' Grammar. Claire talks about how the school is using a 'teaching as inquiry' cycle to inform the eLearning action plans that will be implemented by professional learning groups in each of the school's curriculum areas.

Youth Mentoring Network - He Ara Tika

He Ara Tika is a programme that mentors Māori students, and is run by the Youth Mentoring Trust. A Gisborne secondary school has picked up this programme and, instead of using it to focus on Māori students, they have used it to give all students from year 10 upwards a teacher mentor. These mentors become the first port of call for parents, and follow the students right through their schooling.

Snapshot: NZAIMS Games

The NZCT AIMS GAMES is a strategic partnership between Sport Bay of Plenty, the four Western Bay Intermediate Schools, and the Tauranga City Council. The sporting championships give year 7 and 8 students a unique opportunity to compete against the best of their age in New Zealand, across fifteen different sports.

Secondary

Secondary Education Gazette stories

These articles have a secondary focus and are published in the New Zealand Education Gazette. Each link will take you through to the story on the Education Gazette website.

Secondary Literacy Website

The new secondary literacy website has been launched on Literacy Online. It provides:

Literacy in the learning area
Leading literacy in your school
Professional readings
Links to Literacy Progressions, NZC, ELLP
NCEA and literacy
…and much more.

Understanding NCEA: A relatively short and very useful guide for secondary school students and their parents

New from NZCER, this book explains the NCEA system in plain language and includes stories drawn from the real-life experiences of students who have followed different NCEA pathways.

NZC Online update - May 2011

2011-05-06T01:39:15+00:00

School stories

The NZC Online team interviewed educators at Learning@School 2011 in Rotorua about the curriculum based workshops they were presenting at conference.

Willowbank curriculum map

New resources

NZC Update 8

This Update focuses on findings from the recent evaluation of the Network Learning Communities (NLC) initiative.

Research reports

Network learning communities case studies

These ten case studies outline how school leaders have made connections and learned together to shape their school curricula.

Curriculum research reports

On this page you will find links out to the various research reports that support the New Zealand Curriculum, all in one handy place.

Keynotes and presentations

Rosemary Hipkins - The shape of curriculum change

Rosemary Hipkins presented this session at the CORE Breakfast seminar in Dunedin, March 2011, which sketched the overall shape of curriculum change in CIES schools.

New in the resource bank

The arts:

Ahi Kaa

Ngāti Porou students are showing their talent and ICT skills with ‘Ahi Kaa – Through our Eyes’ – a photography exhibition by Ngāti Porou East Coast.Published 16th May 2011

Science:

Learning science in context

Mathematics:

I nteractive probability and statistical investigation games

National Standards

New Zealand Curriculum Reading and Writing National Standards wall charts

New Question and Answer

A question regarding the wording in the new reading and writing wall charts is answered.

Key Competencies Online

Snapshot: CamEast TV at Cambridge East School

Discussion tool: Gathering feedback

Blogging and the key competencies

In this example, ICT PD facilitator Tessa Gray has collated thoughts from the ICT PD project about the ways in which the key competencies can align with e-learning practices online.

Middle Schooling

Once Upon a School

EDtalks: Using teaching as inquiry to guide an eLearning action plan

Youth Mentoring Network - He Ara Tika

Snapshot: NZAIMS Games

Secondary

Secondary Education Gazette stories

These articles have a secondary focus and are published in the New Zealand Education Gazette. Each link will take you through to the story on the Education Gazette website.

Secondary Literacy Website

The new secondary literacy website has been launched on Literacy Online. It provides:

Literacy in the learning area
Leading literacy in your school
Professional readings
Links to Literacy Progressions, NZC, ELLP
NCEA and literacy
…and much more.

Understanding NCEA: A relatively short and very useful guide for secondary school students and their parents

New from NZCER, this book explains the NCEA system in plain language and includes stories drawn from the real-life experiences of students who have followed different NCEA pathways.

What's the point? Meaningful learning through curriculum integration

2011-05-17T08:45:03+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The sector leader chose the title 'What’s the point?' to reflect the NLC’s ongoing journey towards greater meaning and relevance for students in their learning process and for teachers leading the integrated studies programmes and taking part in the NLC.

This NLC was formed in 2009. A total of 15 secondary schools have been involved in this NLC with the paricipant teachers coming from many different subject areas. Most other secondary NLCs are based around a curriculum area; this one is focused on integration, on breaking down the traditional secondary school silos. Its size and integration focus make it particularly interesting. The schools involved vary widely in the extent to which they have implemented an integrated curriculum, both in the type of approach and the level of experience in delivering an integrated studies programme.

The purpose of the NLC has been to provide an opportunity for schools, which already have an integrated curriculum programme, to share their experiences and explore effective ways of reviewing and developing their practice. The focus of the NLC work is on sharing good practice both from within the NLC and externally.

Activities and processes

The NLC meets approximately once a term. Agendas are circulated by the sector leader prior to the meeting. The format of the meetings has evolved over time to focus strongly on individual teacher’s stories of implementing integrated studies and the shared learning possible from these through discussion and debate. What works is evaluated both through the experiences of others and professional readings.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The main benefit from involvement in the NLC is learning how other schools would approach things and what they would do differently to avoid past mistakes. Getting feedback on their own programme and having time to discuss and debate ideas were also mentioned as benefits. The collegial support that has been provided, including affirmation from others was also mentioned as a benefit.

For the school communities the main benefits were in the ideas and enthusiasm the participant teachers brought back into their schools. For example, one participant discussed how her involvement in the NLC had helped increase the focus in her school on integration and collaboration between teachers of different subjects. Further, there were reports of increased engagement from students engaged in integrated programmes, positively influencing their learning.

Ingredients for success

The ingredients for success, as mentioned by the sector leader, included having a group of committed and motivated teachers to work with and support from their schools. Also important was having a clear purpose or goals and a diversity of ideas to share. Funds to allow payment for release time were also seen as an important ingredient.

The other participants mentioned ensuring the meetings were focussed and based on teacher needs and having access to the right people to ensure there is mentoring and support. They also mentioned the need for flexible but structured meetings and having a strong, well organised sector leader who is able to keep the meetings on track.

The trials and tribulations of the Pataka classroom

2011-05-17T08:41:07+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The 'Pataka classroom' is actually an art gallery, used by this NLC as a venue for their meetings. The title reflects the importance of this venue to the NLC; but also the hard work that has gone into making the NLC a success.

This NLC is interesting in respect of its size and its ‘floating’ population, with a number of itinerant schools, as well as a core group. It is very task oriented and focussed on the core aspects of secondary school: assessment and content. In this way it highlights how an NLC can be very practical in nature and directly related to the problems of practice teachers face every day. It also highlights how much can be achieved.

The Pataka classroom NLC was established in 2010 and is focussed on the visual arts curriculum at secondary level. Teachers from a core group of nine schools attend NLC events regularly; teachers from a further six to ten schools attend intermittently. For larger events up to 20 schools can be represented. Other participants in the NLC include gallery educators from local museums and art galleries.

The goals for the NLC are related to raising achievement for Māori and Pasifika students; extending senior students to excellence in scholarship and building a community to support the New Zealand Curriculum.

Activities and processes

This NLC always meets at the art gallery, which is seen as important to it success. Meeting there provides teachers with the opportunity to view exhibitions and take ideas back to their schools. Each meeting has an agenda and a specific focus for discussion. As well as the meetings there is regular contact by email.

In the first term, the meetings focussed on how to organise the NLC and what to cover. The regional arts advisor and a national moderator attended these meetings. During this period tasks sheets were developed for the written components of the achievement standards and circulated to all teachers for comment.

In the second term there was an evening workshop and a session on the new achievement standards. There was also a two day conference for art teachers from the wider region. Guest speakers at the conference were both local experienced teachers and speakers from outside the region. A resource package has been put together including over 300 different artists. This was given to all conference attendees on CD Rom.

In the third term the group met to hold pre-verification meetings for completed art work. Post verification meetings were held in term 4. These meetings exemplify the potential of NLCs to support teachers in their professional tasks. During these meetings teachers have brought student portfolios to enable feedback from colleagues from other schools. Ideas and comments provided have then been taken back to their students to enhance their work.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The benefits for the participants of this NLC have been highly practical and directly related to their roles as classroom teachers. Belonging to the NLC has helped them understand the New Zealand Curriculum with relation to the arts. It has also enabled them to reflect on how they mark student work.

In particular, the participants reported valuing the ideas they gained for how to approach the new achievement standards; access to the arts advisor and national moderator and the opportunity to participate in curriculum specific and practical workshops. Also mentioned as benefits were feeling less isolated through the networking that has occurred; having an opportunity to share their expertise and to learn from others while getting feedback on their planning and ideas.

The main benefit for the wider school communities has been the resources and expertise their teachers bring back to the school as a result of their participation in the NLC. Another key benefit has been the sharing of moderation and assessment processes. Through sharing their students’ work, participant teachers have gained new ideas and their students have, reportedly, been motivated to extend their work to a new level.

A concrete example of the benefits of the NLC for schools is the combined arts session run by two of the schools. During an exhibition of their work, 60 students critiqued each other’s art. In addition, an opportunity was provided for the students and staff to socialise from across the two schools.

Ingredients for success

The sector leader for this NLC suggested a number of ingredients for success. These included purpose and passion, dedication and inspiration. They also included an appropriate venue, funding and a formalised structure. It was seen as necessary for the NLC to be teacher and student driven and for knowledge sharing to occur between teachers and students.

The honest teacher: True confessions of a language teacher on the path from confusion to clarity

2011-05-17T08:36:58+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The title for this case study depicts the journey of those involved as the NLC has deepened their understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum and its implications for them as language teachers. The choice of title was motivated by the sense of finding a sense of direction; of putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

The Honest Teacher NLC is interesting in terms of its shared leadership model with all the leaders being middle managers (HODs) rather than senior management. This story reflects the need for such groups and potential issues with implementing the New Zealand Curriculum at a secondary level. Further, it highlights the importance of accessing external experts.

The group is comprised of teachers from six secondary schools and was established at the beginning of 2010. The schools differ in many ways, including both co-educational and single sex schools, urban and rural, and an integrated school. Developing an understanding of what the New Zealand Curriculum means in practice for language teachers is a key focus for the NLC. The participants want to close what they saw as a gap between the document and what it means in the classroom.

The NLC is led by a leadership group of three teachers, who are all Heads of Languages (HoDs) in their respective schools. Along with sharing the organisational load, the leadership team allows for significant professional and personal development in relation to the leader’s roles as HoDs.

Activities and processes

The NLC provides an opportunity for the language teachers at each of the participant schools to come together on a regular basis. This group had met previously but the NLC reportedly has meant a higher value is placed on the meetings and there is more focus.

The meetings have a clear structure and purpose. They are organised by the leadership team but hosting meetings has been shared across the schools. This is seen as beneficial as it cuts down travelling time, creates buy-in and shares the planning load. Seven meetings were held in 2010. Three of these were led by school support services advisors and focused on effective language teaching and learning, including key competencies, teacher as learner and inquiry-based teaching. For one of the cluster meetings funds were used to bring Gunhild Litwin to a meeting which was described as a highlight for the participants clarifying many of their concerns.

NLC funding has been used for teacher release time, travel and the cost of external speakers. Online communication has been through email and a central wiki. This wiki is used as a repository for information about meetings and to share resources. All NLC documents are posted on the wiki including the workshop programme and notes from completed workshops. The leadership group were funded to attend the NZ Association of Language Teachers conference in 2010. From the conference they were able to bring back both resources and new knowledge to the NLC.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

Amongst the benefits for the participants have been the opportunities to share ideas and develop an understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum and what it means for classroom teaching and learning. They reported growing in confidence through meeting and working with others. Benefits for their wider school communities included being able to share resources from the NLC with their colleagues at school. Also mentioned were the good ideas they were able to put into practice in their classrooms.

A number of examples were provided of material being taken back to schools to trial. One such example was co-creating lesson plans with students. After hearing about the idea at an NLC meeting one participant decided to trial it. The concept was now being used for all senior classes and was flowing through to other departments in the school. Another participant described working more closely with a teacher from another school. They intended to share classes across the two colleges.

Ingredients for success

Good communication was reported to be one of the main ingredients of success for this NLC. The wiki has played a central role in enabling communication across the NLC. Also important has been having one person as a central co-ordinator, who ensures all communications are sent out. Other ingredients mentioned by the sector leader include sharing the leadership and having the support of the advisors and access to external experts.

The other participants in the NLC reported ingredients such as having a clear aim and purpose; teachers who are passionate about the work of the NLC and support from senior managers in their schools. They also talked about the need for access to outside expertise and having a leadership team who were willing and able to make things happen.

The sky is the limit: A learning pathway

2011-05-17T08:33:36+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The title The Sky is the Limit: A learning pathway was suggested to reflect how this NLC has been on a learning journey and still has a long way to go. The sector leader suggested that they were looking at the horizon; that there was no obvious end point for their work. When one goal is achieved other opportunities arise.

This NLC is interesting for two reasons. First, it is a cross sector group and second, it has shifted and changed direction as it has moved along its learning pathway. This shift is a reflection of the needs to move from a strategic consideration of curriculum to implementation and practice. Also of interest is how, while there were some initial difficulties, the sector leader has been willing to make changes, to reflect on what is happening and to work out what is needed.

There are eight schools involved in this NLC, although the secondary school’s involvement has been minimal, in 2010. When the NLC was first formed in 2008 the focus was at a principal and strategic level with the initial goal being to develop a continuum for school-based curricula. While this remains a long-term goal the focus, in 2010, has been on developing and implementing individual school curricula. This NLC is comprised of schools which are linked through geographical proximity and they serve the same wider community. This has been seen as a factor in enabling them to work together.

Late in 2010, the decision was made to shift the composition of the NLC group from the principals to deputy and associate principals (DPs/APs). This was seen as necessary to ensure the implementation of the curricula developed. It was also seen as a way of increasing the knowledge and expertise of this group, who did not have the same level of understanding as the principals of the implications of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Activities and processes

Initially, the NLC was incorporated into a wider cluster meeting held regularly by the principals. However, it became obvious that the NLC work needed to be differentiated from these meetings, to better reflect the importance of the curriculum work. As a result, separate meetings were established. These meetings were very structured and followed definite agendas. There were protocols regarding attendance and contributions. The sector leader filtered material provided at the sector leader training days and ensured others received copies of what was relevant. Other participants also shared resources and ideas.

The final meeting of the principal group was in term 3 of 2010. The DPs/APs also attended this meeting. Future NLC meetings are to occur in the first hour of regularly scheduled DP/AP meetings.

One of the main events for this NLC, in 2010, was a review day held in term 3. Both the principals and APs/DPs were involved. This was a full day during which they reviewed their individual curricula and aligned them with the New Zealand Curriculum. The group discussed what a curriculum is and what it should look like. The focus for the day was to develop a one page representation of their individual curricula, which could then be supported by other materials and resources with links back to the one page. Part of the review process was to determine what resources they already had and what they needed to develop or adapt.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The benefits and highlights, for the school participants, include the resources provided, the opportunity to share practice and the collegiality and networking that occurs. Learning about what other schools are doing was seen as very valuable; as was the chance to discuss National Standards and to make them meaningful. The participants saw the NLC as recharging their batteries, as reinvigorating them. Key benefits for the sector leader have been the professional development opportunities provided and having the time to focus on curriculum without other issues intruding.

The school communities have benefitted through a more effective implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum and the development of a local curriculum that meets the needs of their students. The principals have been able to bring back ideas and resources and share them at staff meetings and with key people.

In one of the schools the NLC had helped to drive the development of an integrated plan. Through the NLC they had been able to see what other schools have been doing and to draw on their expertise. For another the review day had enabled the school leadership team to get started on pulling their school curriculum together and linking their many resources to one page.

Ingredients for success

For the sector leader, the ingredients for success for this NLC have included building and maintaining relationships and making sure everyone is kept informed, even if their involvement is minimal. It has also been important to be well prepared, to make sure there is always plenty to do that is relevant to the participants. Further, has been the need to ensure that the work of the NLC is always on the agenda of the wider cluster meeting so that it is embedded in their wider practice.

Ingredients, mentioned by the school participants, include having respect for each other, valuing their time together and being willing to hold each other accountable to a commitment. Having professional conversations, being able to question practice without hurting feelings and staying focussed were other ingredients. It was also seen as important to ensure there was some fun involved.

Family ties: Doing it together

2011-05-17T08:31:18+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The sector leader for this NLC described the group as a family in that they argue a bit but always apologise afterwards. S/he felt they were growing together. For this reason this case study is called Family Ties: Doing it together.

Illustrated in this case study is the value of external expertise and knowledge and of ensuring that the focus of the NLC reinforces that of the individual participant schools. It also highlights how different initiatives can work together, providing a greater level of resourcing for the schools involved, when aligned through a clear vision.

The Family Ties NLC is comprised of ten primary schools whose deciles range from two to ten. They are a mix of rural and urban schools and their school sizes range from U3 to U6. They are all from the same geographical location, around and within a provincial city. The NLC was formed in 2008. Of the ten schools, seven are also part of an ICTPD (information, communication technologies professional development) cluster. This was formed in 2010. A conscious effort has been made to link the two initiatives, to ensure they work together.

When the NLC first formed in 2008 the focus was on understanding the New Zealand Curriculum. In 2010 the focus was much more specific, concerned with “making learning visible” for the students in the participant schools. The schools have worked on making sure their students understand the New Zealand Curriculum, that they are able to write success criteria and understand the purpose of school and lessons.

Activities and processes

The NLC focuses heavily on using external expertise to provide access to best and next practice ideas, both as individual schools and collectively. Individually, all the schools have been involved with the Visible Learning work out of Auckland University. This focus on the use of data to inform practice was driven by the introduction of National Standards. In addition, both the NLC and ICTPD clusters have worked with Pam Hook on utilising the SOLO taxonomy in planning and assessment across their schools.

In 2010 the NLC held three teacher only days involving the staff from across the participant schools; 109 teachers in total. They also held two half day sessions. The same programme was repeated at each session, making it easier for schools to send staff. There is a blurring between the activities of the NLC and those of the ICTPD cluster. The three schools, which are in the NLC alone, are involved only when it is a specific NLC meeting.

Two trips were also made to other schools, outside their NLC, with similar goals and intentions. The first visit involved principals only. The second was open to all staff in the NLC schools and a total of 50 teachers travelled, on a Saturday, to meet with senior staff at a school the principals felt was setting the benchmark for them to work towards. During this visit they discussed the practicalities related to the implementation of both Visible Learning and the Solo taxonomy.

Beyond these formal professional development activities, the principals communicate regularly utilising audio conferencing and email. Often this communication is daily. Much of this is for planning. The principals also meet three times a term.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The Visible Learning workshop was a highlight in 2010 for this NLC. The sector leader described how it had been a turning point for his/her work. S/he intended to do a lot more work with effect sizes and one of the intentions for the group moving forward was to share achievement data across the schools.

As a result of the professional development opportunities the NLC had provided, in conjunction with the ICTPD cluster work, the sector leader had seem huge changes in her own school. They had mapped their school curriculum across all levels for the year, highlighting the links between the different areas of an integrated curriculum. While not complete the competencies, principles and values from the New Zealand Curriculum were clearly threaded into the teaching and learning across the four terms.

Ingredients for success

The ingredients for success for this NLC include the relationship between the principals; that these principals are always open for learning and that they communicate regularly. Also important has been ensuring that all participants have ownership of the NLC. This has been achieved through regular contact between the principals ensuring that it is not just an add on, that it is part of their daily school lives. It has also been achieved through honesty and clear expectations. Early in 2010 three schools were asked whether they wished to remain in the NLC as they did not appear to be sufficiently focussed. They chose not to and were replaced by three other schools.The ICTPD cluster resourcing has been critical in enabling much of the work they have done.

Dream sleepers: Wakening the dream in everyone

2011-05-17T08:26:04+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The Dream Sleepers title reflects the overall purpose of this NLC. While the principals are not viewed as having 'lost the dream', the concern is that it has been 'lost in administrivia.' The NLC is seen as a way of reinvigorating the principals; of 'wakening the dream.'

This case study illustrates how it is possible to facilitate professional learning conversations that critique and challenge practice at an early stage in the life cycle of a cluster. The shared belief of the participants was that they did not have three years to work on developing trust or shared understandings, before they began to work together at the desired level. The needs of their students were more immediate than that. As a result they formed what has been called an “intentional group,” one that is highly deliberate and focussed on the task.

Five principals, from urban primary schools, belong to the Dream Sleepers NLC. They cover a range of deciles. The membership was purposively selected to ensure a group with the same philosophical values and beliefs. The goal of the NLC is to provide 'a better place for kids to achieve at' in each of their schools. They want to 'go beyond superficial chit chat...to go quicker into a model where [they] could bare problems.'

The work of Patrick Lencione on high performing teams has informed the processes and culture of the NLC. Lencione believes that trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and attention to results are critical. This NLC purposefully engages in deep conversations, critiquing practice and helping each other solve ‘puzzles of practice.’

Activities and processes

Initially the principals met for one day to talk about what they really wanted to do and achieve. They employed a facilitator for this day and focussed on Lencione’s work. At the end of this day the mechanics of the group were outlined in a team charter describing how things would run and clearly articulating the purpose of the NLC.

Since then the NLC has met once a term. Each of these meetings follows the same agenda incorporating three key activities. First is the sharing of a ‘puzzle of practice’; something that is happening, or has happened; providing an authentic learning situation that enables deep reflection. Successes and challenges since the last meeting are then shared before engaging with a professional reading provided by one of the members. This reading will be related to the ‘puzzle of practice’ from the preceding meeting. The reading will have been circulated prior to the meeting.

All members have a role at each meeting and the responsibilities are rotated. For example, the principal who presents the ‘puzzle’ at one meeting will provide the related reading at the next.

Staff from the different schools have also had opportunities to visit other schools in the NLC.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The benefits for the Dream Sleepers participants have been their continued professional growth as a team and as individual principals. They reported being more likely to stop and consider different points of view and engage in learning conversations as a result of their work in the NLC. They also reported having moved out of their comfort zones, becoming more self-aware. One principal reported being less grumpy at school! Also mentioned were improved understandings of the New Zealand Curriculum and the support and guidance received from colleagues.

There have also been a number of benefits for their school communities, in particular with regard to capturing student voice. Four schools have begun to capture student voice as part of the teaching/learning cycle and all five schools have talked to their students about what authentic and rich conversations look like. In one school class blogs have enabled students to share their insights. Other outcomes for schools include the establishment of professional learning groups.

Highlights have included the ‘puzzles of practice’ and the use of video to deconstruct practice. Linking the reading to the ‘puzzles’ has meant that the research has become more relevant to their daily practice.

Ingredients for success

The Dream Sleepers NLC was purposively formed based on the philosophies and value bases of the principals invited. This meant that there is agreement on the big issues while they are able to challenge each other on their practices. This was seen as important for the culture of the group. Everyone in the group is held accountable to both the students in their schools and to themselves.

The charter is an essential ingredient of the success of the NLC. It can be referred to whenever needed and clearly describes the expectations and protocols for the group. Spreading the work load and ensuring relevancy by directly linking the professional learning to practice have also been important ingredients.

Building bridges: A DIY approach

2011-05-17T08:17:02+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

This case study is entitled Building Bridges: A DIY approach to reflect the key focus of the NLC, which is to connect different schools within the local area; promoting a common curriculum and pedagogy across them and easing issues of transition.

The Building Bridges NLC is particularly large, comprising 20 schools, and its goal is equally large. It is of particular interest as it is a cross-sector NLC including a very large secondary school and all its feeder schools. As a case study it highlights how the NLC initiative can provide a focal point for a much larger piece of ongoing work.

The core of the NLC is a leadership group, which co-ordinates and facilitates a large transition project. The schools first began working together in 2007, forming a transition cluster in 2008 and accessing NLC funding from 2009. The overall goal of the wider project has always been a seamless transition for students through primary and into secondary school. The specific goal for 2010 was to share and develop curriculum and pedagogy across years 0 to 13, with a particular focus on years 7 to 10.

Activities and processes

The key activities in 2010 were the buddying of year 7 and 8 teachers from the 19 primary schools with about 30 teachers from the secondary school and a professional development day. The goal of the professional development day was to develop agreed common pedagogical threads for the cluster. It included a workshop on Visible Learning.

Through the buddying programme a teacher, or teachers, from the high school was buddied with a primary school. At least one high school teacher at each primary school had to teach a core subject (mathematics, science, English, social studies). The focus of the buddy visits, in 2010, was on ‘what causes the best learning’. During these visits participants used a framework for recording practices they believed should be started, stopped, parked or kept.

The leadership team is comprised of principals, classroom teachers and an RTLB. The ten members represent seven schools, including the secondary school. This team meets once a term to co-ordinate activities, to consider what is happening across the overall project and where to next.

Some specific activities that have occurred as a result of the project include:

The high school surveying students and teachers to gather information regarding the transition experiences of students into their schools.
Schools developing their own action plans relating directly to the overall goals of the NLC.
The development of the ‘advisory’, a regular newsletter to all participant schools.
Changes to the way the orientation day is organised at the high school.
Some year 7 and 8 teachers changing the language they use to describe curriculum activities to their students to better align with secondary school terminology (e.g. topic becoming science or social studies).

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The key benefit, and a highlight for most, has been the increased interaction between the secondary school and its feeder schools. The sense of ‘us versus them’, of barriers between the two sectors, seems to have been minimalised through the buddy project. Participants from both primary and secondary reported gaining a greater awareness of what is happening in the other sector.

For the secondary school, there is a greater understanding of the abilities of their year 9 students, and of what primary school practice can teach them with regard to pedagogy. Other reported benefits for the secondary school included better relationships with the wider community and students feeling better about coming to secondary school. Also mentioned was being and able to avoid the repetition of material taught at primary school, as they have a better understanding of their year 9 students’ prior learning.

For the primary schools there was reportedly more awareness of what their students will face and of the mechanisms behind the secondary school system. Through greater interaction they reported feeling able to better prepare their students and to ensure that they cover key areas in their teaching. As a result of the NLC they have begun making efforts to shift their practices in years 7 and 8 to facilitate the transition between primary and secondary.

Ingredients for success

Success for this NLC has been achieved through having a clear focus and purpose, and the willingness and enthusiasm across all levels of the wider project schools. The commitment of the secondary school has been critical as has the work of the leadership team. The capacity of this leadership team to have rigorous debate and to challenge not only their own thinking but also that of the wider community is also a key enabler.

Other ingredients for success have been the opportunities provided for the teachers from the schools to be involved and to shape what is happening. The mix of internal and external professional development and the opportunities for reflection and review have also been important.

Coffee, cake and twiducate

2011-05-17T08:13:17+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

This NLC has a dual focus and the sector leader wanted a title that reflected both of the foci: the collegiality and support participant principals show each other, and the emphasis on meeting student need through technology. Hence the name Coffee, Cake and Twiducate.

This case is interesting because of the unique nature of the sole charge schools involved, and because of the focus on technology. It exemplifies networking and interaction between multiple communities of practice, through and within the NLC, and how important these communities are for small, relatively isolated schools. It was formed in 2010.

While it is 'officially' comprised of four schools there are nine sole charge schools within the wider geographical region. Invitations are extended to the principals at these other sole-charge schools to attend any professional development days planned for the NLC. Some of these additional schools also belong to other NLCs.

One of the goals of the NLC is to provide a network of support for sole-charge principals who have unique needs due to the size of their schools and the potential loneliness of their role. This includes reducing their workloads as principals and classroom teachers. There is an intention to moderate online for National Standards.

The other goal is to utilise digital technologies in ways that minimise the isolation their students can also face. Using tools such as Twiducate, Voice Thread and Skype the NLC is hoping to enable students from across the schools to not only communicate but also share and peer review their work and undertake joint assignments.

Activities and processes

The NLC meets regularly at a central venue for professional development days. These always involve external experts and, as already mentioned, colleagues from other sole-charge schools. In 2010 they had three such days focussed on using digital technologies, the moderation of mathematics, reading and writing, and National Standards. They began each of these days with a ‘what’s on top’ session during which principals ‘unload’, sharing professional concerns in a safe, understanding environment. In addition, members of the wider sole-charge network regularly share resources and materials. They support each other informally between the meetings, and there is regular communication between them.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

The main benefit reported from this NLC for the principals was the networking and the opportunity to share resources, concerns and solution in the context of very small schools. The NLC plays a critical support role, for not only its direct membership but the wider network also. For the members of this wider group, their colleagues are often the only people they feel they can really talk to about the educational and management issues they regularly face. As all the principals come from a similar professional context there is a strong empathy for, and understanding of, any issues aired. Other benefits mentioned include access to good professional development through external experts and the creation of a wiki, where they are able to ask and answer questions and share resources.

There have also been benefits for their school communities. The introduction of Voice Thread was seen as providing a valuable tool for enriching and widening the learning experiences of students, and was a highlight for many of the principals. This was evidenced in the way in which students from across three schools were sharing their writing, commenting on each other’s work and developing friendships as a result. Other students were debating across schools using Twiducate.

Another benefit for the wider communities was the professional learning experienced by the principals, which enhanced their leadership. The resources and new ideas they have been able to bring back to their classrooms also benefit their students.

Ingredients for success

A key ingredient for success, for this NLC, has been its focus on the needs of sole-charge schools. This has meant the activities of the NLC are all immediately relevant to the participants. Another key ingredient has been the high levels of trust between participants, their respect for confidentiality and honesty, and the cohesiveness of the group as a whole.

Also mentioned were the qualities of the sector leader who is passionate about the NLC, collaborates and consults, and makes things happen. S/he is flexible in the planning of professional development sessions, willing to make changes to ensure the needs of the participants are met.

Country calendar: Making it work for us

2011-05-17T08:06:35+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The sector leader chose the title Country Calendar: Making it work for us to reflect the rural values that underpin the NLC, that they share who they are 'warts and all' and are 'making things work for them', while ‘having a bit of fun as well'. This case illustrates how educational knowledge can be successfully filtered through a specific lens to provide external knowledge and understandings to a professional learning group.

The Country Calendar NLC was formed in 2008 to support the development and implementation of school-based curricula. The eight principals who make up this NLC are all from small, rural primary schools with rolls ranging from 14 to 185. Maintaining their links to the country and to a rural lifestyle is important to these schools; as are their unique identities. The schools involved are also linked through other activities and associations within their wider geographical setting. However, they are smaller than many of the other schools in the region and this was seen as a defining characteristic in determining their needs with regard to implementing a local curriculum.

The initial focus of the NLC was on understanding the New Zealand Curriculum and what it meant for the participant schools; a sense-making exercise. This shifted to the need to develop school-based curriculum that met not only the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum but also the needs of their individual communities.

The activities and processes

The NLC meets once a term at the sector leader’s school for three hours. The meetings begin with a ‘what’s on top’ session enabling the principals to share current professional concerns. The rest of the meeting is focussed on readings and other materials the sector leader has gathered from sector leader professional development days, organised by the regional advisors. Each school also shares their progress on their school-based curriculum. The principals are reimbursed financially for their time with a lump sum payment of $125 per meeting. This is seen as recognising the difficulty they have in attending meetings and the cost to their schools.

There is a very strong sense of volunteerism in the way this NLC works. Each of the principals is doing what they need to do; what they would have done anyway. However, through sharing their ideas and progress they make the workload easier for both themselves and other members of the group. What is taken and used by individuals is entirely up to them; the purpose of the meetings is to make a range of ideas and resources available. Further, through the expectation that they will share progress in the development of their local curricula there is an added driver to get tasks completed before meetings.

The benefits to those involved

The NLC has enabled the principals to stay true to what is important to them and their schools, without losing sight of the bigger education landscape beyond their local communities. It has enabled them to focus on curriculum in the context of small schools. Further, the NLC has provided a forum for focussed professional conversations that these principals otherwise struggle to have, due to the size of their schools. In many ways it has become a senior leadership team.

The relationships that have been formed, the conversations they have had and the willingness to share resources and ideas have been the highlights of this NLC for its participants. The development and sharing of schools-based curriculum has both empowered and affirmed the principals and what they are doing in their schools. The benefits they have gained from participation include the opportunity to network, to springboard ideas with other school leaders and to learn what others are doing including how to avoid mistakes made in the past.

All the participants agreed there were real benefits for their school communities from their engagement with the NLC. These benefits were primarily related to the professional learning the principals receive, their access to new trends and pedagogies and a deepened knowledge of the New Zealand Curriculum and how it is being implemented in schools. Further, the NLC meetings were seen as re-energising the participant principals; as reigniting their passion and enthusiasm for change. What they were shown by their colleagues was a catalyst for change in their own schools. As a result of sharing at the NLC meetings many of the schools had developed vision pictures which formed part of their local curriculum reflecting what was important to each school and what their goals were.

Ingredients for success

One of the main ingredients for success, for this NLC, has been the strong interpersonal and organisational skills of the sector leader, who was described as an excellent communicator; able to translate what s/he has learnt into something accessible and relevant to others.

The strong similarities across the schools mean they have been able to focus on what is important for them. They have also meant the sector leader has been able to filter what was provided at sector leader huis to ensure relevancy to the NLC.

Further, the small size of the schools means that the principals involved all have some teaching responsibilities. This has made the work of the NLC more directly linked back into the classroom.

Other enablers mentioned include the reimbursement paid to each principal making it easier for them to be away from school, the very structured agendas and the expectations that they will have material to share, that they will have done their homework.

Scooby Doo: The case of the mysterious NLC

2011-05-17T08:10:21+00:00

Introduction to the NLC

The sector leader suggested the title Scooby Doo: The case of the mysterious NLC describing the NLC as 'a haphazard group of friends travelling down the road together', who were 'just missing a few clues.' The title is related to the initial confusion for the group around how the NLC would work and what they were expected to do; confusion that was eventually resolved.

This case illustrates the importance of embedding what has been achieved, of ongoing reflection and affirmation of success, of actively seeking solutions to challenges. It highlights how, sometimes, what can seem to be a muddle is in fact an initial developmental stage, which needs to be worked through.

The Scooby Doo NLC was formed in 2010. It is made up of eight secondary schools from across a provincial region. They are a diverse group of schools, with rolls ranging from 288 to 921, covering deciles two to eight. As a secondary group, the participants are middle managers and classroom teachers rather than principals. Despite all being very busy, the work of the NLC is very important to these teachers and the reported benefits are considered to be worth the effort. Four of those involved in the NLC have worked together as literacy leaders for some time.

The purpose of the NLC is to create a wiki site, which will be available to all staff, at the participating schools, to support the teaching of literacy across the curriculum. On this site they intend to provide a range of resources and other material for teachers to access and use. Long term success for the NLC will be when this wiki is being used actively by classroom teachers.

Activities and processes

The NLC met four times in 2010. Each meeting was for a very specific purpose. Two days in the term 2 holidays were spent working with a literacy advisor considering secondary practice. This was followed by a meeting during term 3, where they discussed what they were going to develop as a resource. Again they were supported by a regional advisor from School Support Services. During the term 3 holidays they met for the third time, to begin working on the wiki. By the end of this meeting the wiki had been created and resources were already available. The fourth meeting was late in term 4 and was to undertake planning for 2011. This schedule of activities reflects how much can be achieved with a practical goal in mind.

The sector leader learnt a lot during the initial months of the NLC. Plans for future activities reflect this learning and include practical solutions to two key challenges for the group. As literacy leaders the group had experienced a high level of input and leadership from their regional literacy advisor. The NLC model meant considerably more autonomy and less direct guidance. It also meant potentially less access to external resources. One of the key future goals is to ensure that the group takes ownership of the project themselves and that it gathers some momentum. There also remains a need to ensure that the group has access to external experts; to facilitate their professional learning as literacy leaders in their schools. The intended solution is to hold ‘embed meetings’ after key day long meetings with literacy experts. The day long meetings will provide for professional learning and ongoing development of the wiki. The embed meetings, likely to be by video conferencing, will be a chance to talk through things again and ensure that the project remains in the forefront for these busy teachers.

The benefits and highlights for those involved

Working together, discussing things and learning from one another were the main benefits reported for the teachers involved in the NLC. More specific benefits mentioned include the professional knowledge gained around literacy, data analysis and recording, and how to be inclusive for students.

The wider school communities have also benefited from the increased expertise and knowledge of their literacy leaders, who have been able to transfer their knowledge back into the schools. This has occurred through the provision of school-wide professional development: modelling strategies for teaching literacy and supporting their colleagues in understanding the New Zealand Curriculum.

Ingredients for success

The main ingredients for success have been having an organised leader, being aware of what they want to achieve as a group and ensuring that the NLC is made up of people who want things to happen. Access to external experts, able to provide them with professional learning, was also considered critical.