Assessment data helps lift student achievement

Education Minister Hekia Parata says the latest ERO report on ‘Raising Achievement in Primary Schools’ is further evidence of how improved use of data and innovative teaching practice are helping to lift student achievement.

Ms Parata says the report shows the more widespread use of assessment data, including National Standards data, is helping to accelerate student progress.

“Schools are using data to support students achieving below or well below National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics, and to monitor the progress of these students over a number of years.”

The ERO report also shows that the ability of schools to use assessment data to target students needing more help has shown ‘considerable improvement’. In particular, Māori and Pasifika students receiving additional support are doing better.

“Around 50 percent of primary schools are now effectively using assessment information to improve student performance, compared with 2013 when ERO found only 25 percent of the schools sampled were doing so. This is great for kids and their parents.

“The ERO report also shows primary schools are getting better at using assessment data to inform and improve their teaching practice. Work is being done with teachers to further improve the reliability and consistency of assessment data. 

“The report also found that National Standards and other assessment data are being used to develop innovative teaching practices in primary schools that are doing the best at tackling underachievement.

“Investing in Educational Success is focused on raising student achievement across the entire system. It will build greater collaboration and innovation in teaching and school leadership and have more teachers and principals sharing their knowledge of what works to raise student achievement.

“As ERO says, further improvement in education achievement will not come ‘from doing more of the same.’ All students will benefit from the innovation in teaching practices and improved school performance that Investing in Educational Success will bring,” Ms Parata says.

The report can be found at: http://www.ero.govt.nz/National-Reports/Raising-achievement-in-primary-schools-June-2014