Transforming practice: Policy lessons from an evaluation of New Zealand’s ECE strategic plan

1. Transforming practice: Policy lessons from an evaluation of New Zealand’s ECE strategic plan Linda Mitchell University of Waikato Presentation to Early Years Strategy Expert Advisory Group 18 September 2012, Dublin

2. This presentation • The New Zealand context • Evidence on outcomes of ECEC • Introduction to New Zealand’s strategic plan • Evidence of the impact of the strategic plan

3. Aotearoa New Zealand in the Pacific • Diversity of ECE service types, including Māori and Pacific immersion, homebased • Mandated bicultural curriculum birth to school starting age • All ECE services are integrated within Ministry of Education

4. Importance of quality ECEC for positive gains • Mathematics, reading, general cognitive or school performance • Learning dispositions which refer to the competencies and skills that enable children to keep learning. The idea of learning dispositions is about identities that are positive about learning, and therefore able to support further learning, such as children developing a ‘mastery orientation’.

5. Conditions, and interactions supporting quality outcomes

6. Pathways to the Future: NgāHuarahiArataki Government vision For all children to have the opportunity to participate in quality early childhood education, no matter their circumstances

7. Goals and supporting strategies • Increase participation in quality ECE • Improve quality of ECE services • Promote collaborative relationships (parents, schools, health and welfare) • Four supporting strategies: reviewing regulations and funding, undertaking research and evaluation, involving the sector in policy development. • Action steps for each goal and strategy

8. Integrated evaluation 2004, 2006 and 2009 • Locality based • Three time points • Mixed methods • Four evaluation questions

9. Evaluation questions To what extent in what ways and how effectively has the plan: • increased participation in ECE? • improved the quality of ECE? • facilitated the formation of collaborative relationships? • supported parents’ ability to engage in education and employment?

10. Universal funding and participation in ECE • Government expenditure increased almost four fold • New funding system based on cost drivers • 20 hours “free” ECE for 3 and 4 year-olds

11. Enhanced responsiveness of services • Many of the sessional services increased or adapted hours to better meet needs of families and attract higher funding • Yet still high levels of children attending more than one ECE service – 28% in this study

12. Increased participation • Increase in hours of attendance of 3 and 4 year-old children • 20 hours ECE contributed to parental decisions to use ECE • ECE more affordable

13. It is great to know that my child is able to get the education that she needs without having to find the money to pay for it. If I had to pay I would probably not have taken her to kindy. Living is way too expensive these days.

14. But no right to access an ECE place People with existing bookings assumed they could increase their bookings to the ‘20’ hours—when actually there was no new space available (manager) Exemplifies the critical importance of planning ECEC provision where it is needed

15. Four curriculum principles

16. Strategic plan policy initiatives Professional resources • Assessment resources • ICT strategies • Self review resources Professional capabilities • Professional development • Teacher registration targets and incentives • Centres of Innovation

17. Assessment practice ratings 2004, 2006 to 2009

18. Shifts in teachers’ assessment practices were mirrored by shifts in parents’ involvement in assessment and planning Parent participation in assessment and planning • 2004 – 36% • 2006 – 47% • 2009 – 60%

19. Understanding Te Whāriki (ECE curriculum) ratings 2004, 2006, and 2009

20. Registered teachers (national figures) • 2004 - 37.3 % registered • 2006 - 56.4 percent • 2009 – 64% registered • 2011 – 69% registered

21. In 2009, positive shifts in overall quality were apparent. Overall “good” and “very good” quality was sustained or strengthened between 2006 and 2009 in 22 of the study services (69 percent). These gains were associated with the uptake of training and professional development opportunities emerging from the strategic plan.

22. Coherence of policy initiatives The key points of difference between services that were low quality and services of consistently high quality, were the proportion of qualified and registered teachers, the range and depth of professional development engaged in and management support for teachers/educators to develop professionally.

23. Early childhood centres as democratic communities This coherent set of initiatives was key to the shifts that have occurred in New Zealand’s ECE pedagogical landscape towards more open and democratic ECE provision. Benefits came from policies that were universally available and coherently organised around an understanding of children, families and communities as participants.

24. References Mitchell, L., Meagher Lundberg, P., Mara, D., Cubey, P., & Whitford, M. (2011). Locality-based evaluation of Pathways to the Future - Nga HuarahiArataki. Integrated report 2004, 2006 and 2009. from http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ece/locality-based-evaluation-of-pathways-to-the-future-ng-huarahi-arataki Mitchell, L., Wylie, C., & Carr, M. (2008). Outcomes of early childhood education: Literature review. Report to the Ministry of Education.http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ece/25158/48867 Mitchell, L. et al. (in preparation). An evaluation of MOE Participation Programme. Baseline report.