New Zealand Principals Federation Conference

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e wha.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Thank you Ernie [Ernie Buutveld, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation] Good morning everyone – principals, speakers, researchers and education leaders.

I am delighted to be invited to speak with you about Government priorities, and issues of concern to you including National Standards, leadership issues, professional development for principals and updates from the Taumata.

The Government has identified six priority outcomes where the Ministry of Education will focus its resources and funding. All of these aim to lift student achievement.

We want to equip our nation’s children and young people with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century. To achieve this we have identified six priority areas.

We want to ensure that:

1. every child has the opportunity to participate in high quality early childhood education;


2. every child achieves the literacy and numeracy knowledge they need to succeed;


3. every young person has the skills and qualifications to contribute to their future, and to New Zealand’s future;


4. relevant tertiary education is provided to meet student and labour market needs;


5. Māori enjoy education success as Māori, and


6. the Ministry of Education is achieving education priorities capably, responsively and efficiently.

Budget 2009

At a time of global economic challenge, The Budget has made clear the priority our Government places on education. We have high expectations for every child and equally high expectations for the quality of education spending. 

This year’s Budget committed to a range of new initiatives and also secures funding for several significant cost pressures that were announced but not funded by the previous Government.

The Government’s Jobs and Growth Plan invested in school buildings as part of boosting economic activity. We committed an additional $326 million over the next four years to the School Building Programme. The space and facilities provided through this will make a real difference to teaching and learning conditions.

We have recognised the pressures on schools to meet their day-to-day resourcing, and provided $80 million [1] over four years to adjust the school operational grant for inflation. Plus heat light and power are now calculated and paid automatically.

We have made the largest new investment in special education in more than a decade. With new funding of $51 million over four years into the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes, and $11 million for high health needs, we have taken the total investment to nearly $579 million over four years - that’s an increase of almost 16 per cent.

We have committed an extra $16 million over four years to help secondary schools tackle truancy on the front line. We are also providing an additional $8 million over four years to increase support for disruptive and challenging behaviour – this doubles the size of the Interim Response Fund.

National Standards

I’d like to talk a little about National Standards. Literacy and numeracy skills lay the foundation for learning in every area of the curriculum - from primary through intermediate to senior schooling.

Intervening early will help ensure students remain on track to obtain worthwhile qualifications in secondary school. We already know from literacy and numeracy development projects that the right intervention makes a difference – in fact these projects have accelerated the progress for the majority of ‘at-risk’ students by up to four times the expected gains [2].

Many of you will have taken part in the National Standards consultations which end today, and I thank you for doing so. This process has produced a wide range of views and some consistent themes – feedback on these will be available on the Ministry website shortly.

Assessment data is only meaningful when it is used by teachers to inform their teaching and learning. Your role is to support teachers to do this and do it consistently. This Government wants to see best practice in using assessment become national practice.

The Ministry of Education will provide assistance and support to teachers to assess progress and achievement. It will also help students with special education needs and help their teachers develop individualised education plans.

All schools will need to ensure that they use student achievement data to plan professional learning and development opportunities for their teachers.

The Government has committed $36 million over four years to support the National Standards in literacy and numeracy. This includes additional assistance to schools where there are a high numbers of students not meeting the National Standards for the variety of reasons we are all well aware of. I have asked the Ministry to work with schools to determine the best way to allocate this funding to minimise bureaucracy and maximise flexibility for you.

We have good evidence on the important contribution parents can make to their child’s educational progress. Plain language reporting to parents about their child’s progress will make it more possible for parents to support their children’s learning.

The parent consultation meetings have shown that parents want to know at what level their child is achieving, what they need to learn next, and what teachers, students, and parents can do to support their child’s learning. 

After the National Standards consultation has concluded, I will consider any changes to the National Education Guidelines and National Administration Guidelines that might be necessary to implement the Standards. In the medium term I am considering a wider review of the guidelines as part of the accountability requirements for schools, and I welcome your input to this work.

I’d like to make a few points very clear about National Standards. They are not about having one test on one day across New Zealand. National Standards do not mean standardised national testing – they are about continuous assessment throughout the school year. The Federation has continued to misrepresent the Government’s position on this, and it should stop doing so – it is not helpful to the sector or to parents.

National Standards are not a means of bringing in performance pay for teachers. And they are not about constructing so-called school league tables. The Government does not intend to produce or issue league tables, but we are not going to change the law to prevent information being released to the school’s community and to parents.

Accountability to parents is the underlying principle behind Tomorrow’s Schools and National Standards – I am not about to legally prevent parents having access to information about their local school. That would contravene the basic intent of both policies, not to mention being a fundamental breach of New Zealander’s rights to information under the Official Information Act. I find it extraordinary that the Labour Party would even consider such an action.

Having said this, I do understand the concerns of many educators about the potential impacts of league tables. So I am open to suggestions on how school information can be collected and reported in ways that don’t lead to tables – indeed that question has formed part of the consultation process.

I want to introduce National Standards constructively, in a cooperative spirit, so that they are an aid to better teaching and learning rather than a cause of resentment in the sector. But you should be clear that the Government will not resile from National Standards. Parents want them, they have a right to them, and this Government is going to deliver them.

Worthwhile qualifications in secondary schools

We want all our young people to stay interested in learning and to achieve their best, and we want them to leave secondary school ready for work, training or further study.

The requirements for jobs today have changed. My local mechanic used to say that he wanted apprentices who enjoyed pulling cars apart and putting them back together. Now he needs apprentices who can work with car computer systems. So it’s not surprising that NCEA Level 2 is the minimum required for a modern apprenticeship.

We want young people to have opportunities to take part in hands-on and technical learning. We also want young people to be able to keep all their options open by working towards the career of their choice and continuing with NCEA. That’s what our Trades in Schools Policy is about, and it’s why we are introducing trade academies and investigating school-based apprenticeships.

We will be spending $8 million over four years to ensure the NCEA is robust, fair, and builds credibility with employers. It is essential that our young people can rely on a credible qualification.

Aligning the NCEA to the revised curriculum is an important part this work. Our goal is to develop a broad range of pathways for senior secondary students to move into work or tertiary programmes.

Aligning NCEA to the curriculum involves reviewing both unit and achievement standards, as well as addressing parity issues. The Ministry and NZQA have developed a second draft of standards in response to feedback from the sector, and they are keen to hear what the sector thinks of the revised drafts.

Many of you have contacted me with your concerns. I’ve listened, and I’ve asked NZQA to ‘have another go.’ I’m keen to hear how the new model proposed has allayed those concerns.

I know, as do you, that it is imperative that young people are able to keep all their options open by working towards the career of their choice and continuing with NCEA. I was delighted to receive 113 expressions of interest in establishing trades academies. We are currently working with 11 of those who are developing business cases, and we have promised at least five new Trades Academies.

They will deliver trades and technology programmes to school-aged students, based on partnerships between schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers. I’m excited about this, and I know many of you are keen to be involved in reshaping senior secondary school to meet the needs of young New Zealanders.

Lifting system performance for Māori

There is now substantial evidence of inequitable educational outcomes for Māori students compared to other groups. The Government’s plan to lift system performance for Maori is Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success.

The Government wants boards of trustees to set direction that lifts Maori achievement, such as iwi involvement and school targets. We want principals to set performance goals for teachers in this area.

I want to be clear that the Government is not seeking a special response to Māori, but a professional one. There is strong evidence that what works for Māori works well for everyone. What works for students is recognition of their language, culture and identity, with personalised teaching and learning, and ako – the teacher as a learner too.

We have invested $37 million over four years to help improve system performance for Māori.

Behaviour

Managing disruptive behaviour is a significant concern for principals and an area where the Principals’ Federation has been very active on your behalf.

I’d like to thank the Federation for your contribution to the recently drafted Behaviour and Learning Action Plan. It aims to reduce the impact of behavioural problems on learning; make good practice more consistent; and provide a framework for the whole sector to develop unified approaches.

The final plan is still under discussion, but I am looking forward to sitting down and talking through the plan. Although many factors outside school influence behaviour, schools can and do make a positive difference for children.

As principals, you are ultimately responsibility for your school’s culture and the quality of relationships with your local communities. Strong relationships between schools, families and whānau are important in dealing with behavioural issues.

Broadband rollout

High-speed broadband is central to our vision of children staying engaged in the curriculum and leaving school prepared for today’s workforce. The network upgrade programme will be aligned with the Government’s additional $48 million to improve broadband capability in rural New Zealand.

As ultra-fast broadband is progressively rolled out, the Ministry will provide support to make the most of the connection. This will include access to online services; information and guidance from school-based research and innovation projects; and increased infrastructure support such as software and hardware and helpdesk support.

Leadership

The Prime Minister has repeatedly said that removing the roadblocks of bureaucracy and compliance is vital to regenerating our economy. The Government’s approach to management is characterised by a commitment to reducing compliance, reducing bureaucracy, and devolved decision-making.

We have taken several steps to straighten out red tape in the education bureaucracy. We have brought in changes that streamline processes for the Ministry’s property project requirements.

We have reduced Education Review Office reporting cycles where schools are doing well, and reduced administration through introducing automatic reviews of heat, light and water. A new payroll system next year will reduce form-filling and provide your schools with online access to your own payroll data.

I know you agree that we need to get leadership out of the office and back onto the classroom. I encourage you to use the Educational Leaders website to share how you are acting on his ideas and keep the momentum going.

I want to help school leaders by reducing pressures and interruptions that detract from doing your job. Reading these emails gives me a good idea of what those of you at the front line are dealing with. I assure you that I read every one and continue to look for opportunities to act on them. 

This Government places high trust in you as leaders. We know that strong, forward-thinking educational leadership in every school is critical to achieving our priorities for young New Zealanders, and we want to support you and work with you to achieve that.

But strong professional leadership does not mean you lead alone. The best learning outcomes for students come about when school leaders not only lead well, but also distribute leadership effectively by developing the leadership skills of teachers.[3] [4] [5]  

There is now good evidence on what makes a good leader and how a good leader makes a difference for students’ learning. It includes creating a shared vision for your school and working with your teachers on learning and development.

Professional development for principals

Developing and supporting leaders has a direct relationship with improving learning outcomes, so your own professional development is vital as well.

In May I launched the Professional Leadership Plan.As I said then: The Plan is a roadmap. It can be looked at by any leader or potential leader and they can say “I am here and this is my priority”. I encourage you to have a look at it on the Educational Leaders website.

The Plan covers leaders at all stages of development. The programme for aspiring principals builds on the recent successful pilot and will cover hard-to-staff schools and developing Māori and Pasifika leaders.

There will also be support for 300 experienced principals in primary, secondary and area schools and I am happy to hear that the Ministry will have this up and running this month.

The Education Review Office reports on professional learning and development. It has found that only a third of all schools were effectively using professional development to make a difference to teaching and learning. I want this to change and the Ministry is developing professional development guidelines as part of a support package for implementing National Standards [6].

You leadership and management of your schools makes a difference in every area – whether you are leading learning, managing resources and relationships, or making change happen.

Your effective leadership is essential to your school and to this country. As your Minister I want to help you in every way I can.

Thank you for inviting me to be here today.

You have already had some inspirational speakers and I see there are still more to come.  Have a productive final day.

[1]      Note this is the figure used in the media release – it is GST inclusive

[2]       Ministry of Education’s  Ka Hikitia key evidence booklet

[3]      (in draft) Robinson, V., Hohepa, M. & Lloyd, C. (2008) School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why: A Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration, Ministry of Education.

[4]      Leithwood, K., Louis, K.S., Anderson, S. & Wahlstrom, K. (2004) How Leadership Influences Student Learning, The Wallace Foundation: Universities of Minnesota and Toronto.

[5]       Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2008) Improving School Leadership: comparative report.

[6]      The guidelines are based on the Best Evidence Synthesis Teacher Professional Learning and Development.