What is expected of boards of trustees?
Aligning the charter to The New Zealand Curriculum
Links to existing board requirements
The existing planning and reporting framework
Working in partnership: what is expected of principals
The board of trustees is ultimately responsible to the community and the state for the performance of a school. It has a stewardship role; it must be confident that it is meeting its legislative obligations and serving the best interests of student learning and achievement.
Boards’ specific responsibilities in relation to the revised curriculum are set out on page 44 of The New Zealand Curriculum. In line with the National Administration Guidelines (NAGs), the governance/management partnership which is at the heart of school self-management in New Zealand meets these responsibilities:
In a letter to the Chief Review Officer published in the Education Gazette of 4 February 2008, the Minister (in his capacity as the minister Responsible for the Education Review Office) wrote:
During 2008 and 2009, I would expect Boards of Trustees and school principals to be aware of the changes, to review their practice to consider what actions to take to meet the new requirements, and to progress towards fully basing their teaching and learning programmes on The New Zealand Curriculum by February 2010.
By that time, I will be able to advise you about related changes to the National Administration Guidelines, particularly those which refer to The New Zealand Curriculum.
I think it is a huge responsibility - and hard - but if we really want schools to be a partnership then we have to do the work and be part of what we want the curriculum for our children to look like.
Board chair.
Boards can look to chief executives, for example, the principal, for considerable guidance as they review and revise the school charter to align with The New Zealand Curriculum, but they should not expect principals to do everything.
We started by looking at what our school was already doing. Our principal started us discussing this in 2007 and we realise that it is going to take time to work through all the implications.
Board chair.
Aligning the two documents does not mean The New Zealand Curriculum values and vision must replace those in the charter. It means engaging school stakeholders in discussions that help to identify shared values and a strategic vision.
I see it as 'revisioning'. The school does not exist in isolation from its community, nor is it owned by the Ministry so it is important any changes build on from our current vision.
Principal
Which stakeholders need to be engaged in consultation and dialogue? These may vary from school to school, but in addition to the board and staff, key stakeholders include:
It's about having everybody walking in the same direction, which is one of the basic principles of Tomorrow's Schools.
Board member
We held a community meeting, but very few parents came. We did a survey but again we didn't get a great response. Then board members decided to make phone contact with all of our families to make sure they knew about the curriculum changes. Everyone got a real buzz out of this - it has started lots of discussion.
Board chair
The introduction of The New Zealand Curriculum is an exciting development in our education history and it is important for boards to remember that:
We've also been looking at how we can make our vision connect with Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (the Māori medium curriculum). I would recommend that boards focus on both documents with a view to seeing whether they can be meshed together. We are getting an increasing number of students who are very capable in te reo. A focus on the child first, their identity and then curriculum would be wonderful.
Board member
Each Board of Trustees with the principal and teaching staff is required to:
The NAGs are part of the National Education Guidelines, as are the National Education Goals (NEGs), the ten goals that establish a common direction for education in New Zealand.
The third component of the National Education Guidelines is the National Curriculum Statements. With The New Zealand Curriculum replacing the current curriculum statements from 2010, it is important that the strategic plan reflects the steps being taken towards its implementation. NAG2 also highlights the need for a programme of self-review to include an evaluation of all aspects of the school's operation. The outcome of curriculum review will feed into the strategic planning process together with other information, including student achievement data and community input.
The passing of the Education Standards Act clarified that strategic plans are part of the school's charter, as shown in Figure 1 below.
| The Education Standards Act (2001): Requirements for charters | ||
|---|---|---|
| INTRODUCTION | Who we are mission, values and vision | Governance: with the principal and staff |
| STRATEGIC PLAN | Where we want to be aims, directions goals and priorities | Governance: with the principal and staff |
| ANNUAL PLAN | How we will get there targets, objectives, strategies and actions that promote student achievement | Governance: through the principal and staff |
The principal plays a critical role in a school's governance/management partnership. As well as being a full member of the board, the principal is the chief executive with responsibility for achieving the outcomes that the board specifies and regulation requires.
This is a very high priority for me as a principal. My responsibility is to help teachers get their head around these ideas, to make sure they understand what The New Zealand Curriculum means and its impact on classroom teaching. My role is to be a professional leader, for the staff and community - otherwise I'm doing them a total disservice.
Principal
Professional Standards for principals clarify the principals' role in strategic planning. Relevant sections of the recently updated standards for primary principals appear alongside current secondary standards in Figure 2 below. The two sets of standards can be found in their entirety on the New Zealand School Trustees Association website.
| The Professional Standards for Principals | |
|---|---|
| SECONDARY | PRIMARY |
| Dimension: Strategic Management | Dimension: Culture |
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| Dimension: Systems | |
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| Dimension: Partnership & Networks | |
| |
Valuing of parents and community is important. Listening as opposed to telling them 'this is the way it is'. The principal is not afraid to admit she doesn't have all the answers. She asks whether there are other ways of approaching issues. Relationships are important. I can see that the Māori community is responding well to this.
Board member
In 2009, The Education Review Office will be assessing schools' readiness for implementing The New Zealand Curriculum. From 2010, it will expect to see evidence that schools are using The New Zealand Curriculum as the basis for their learning programmes.
I think it represents an opportunity and a challenge for trustees to find out more about what is happening in the school.
Board member
Reporting to the board should enable trustees to answer the following questions:
Is the curriculum in our school:
Are the programmes at our school:
Reporting to the board should also allow trustees to be confident that:
We are caretakers of 'now' but we also need to prepare for the future. If you are focused on the future, decisions made at BOT level need to be aligned with the future. If we don't do this we sell the children short.
Board member
Published on: 21 Sep 2008
