National Standards: Parent Information

1. National Standards: Parent Information

2. Overview • General information about the National Standards • The debate: what’s it all about!? • Describe the steps Te Kowhai School is taking with regards to the Standards • Explaining your child’s report

3. What are the Standards? • They are “milestones” for achievement at the end of every year level (Years 1-8) • Standards of minimum achievement in reading, writing and mathematics • They aim to provide clear expectations for teachers, parents, students, schools and BOT’s on achievement at different year levels and plain language reporting on next steps learning.

4. The Requirements for Schools • To report to parents a minimum of twice a year in “plain language” • Assess children against the standards and report on Achievement and Progress • Use the school assessment information to set targets (goals on achievement) to form priorities for 2011 • Send assessment information on our standards achieved to the Ministry of Education

5. Information about the Standards How the standards were developed • The goal is for every child to achieve a minimum of NCEA level 2 • The Standards have been backwards mapped from NCEA level 2 to determine where children need to be each year to reach NCEA level 2.

6. Information about the Standards NCEA Level 2 by end of secondary school National Standard – After 1 Year at school Year 8

7. Information about the Standards Overall Teacher Judgement • Teachers have to use a combination of three components to make an “Overall Teacher Judgement” as to how each child is achieving

8. Definitions of Achievement • Above – children are achieving above the standard for their age / year group. Generally, they have to be achieving / working a year or more above where they are expected to be • At – children are achieving at a level consistent with expectations for their age / year group • Below – children are achieving below the expected level for their age / year group, but it is expected that normal classroom programmes should, over time, allow the child to reach the expected standard for next year. • Well Below – children are achieving significantly below the expected level for their age / year group and extra programmes over and above the normal classroom programme will be needed to allow the child to reach their expected level

9. Sources of evidence to support decision-making Classroom Observation Evidence gained from informal assessment opportunities: Learning Conversations Evidence arising from Learning Conversations: • Conferencing • Interviewing • Questioning • Explaining • Discussing Overall Teacher Judgement • Focussed Classroom Observation • Student books and tasks • Running Records • Student peer assessment Test Outcomes Evidence gained from assessment tools, including standardised tools: • 6 year Observation Survey • STAR Reading • asTTle • Numeracy Stages

10. So what are the concerns… Educators are very concerned about the National Standards • There are many reasons why everyone in the education sector is worried about the National Standards. The main reasons are: - Standards are not based on Research Information - Short timeline for implementation - Negative impact on learning - Creation of league tables

11. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards National Standards are not based on Research Information • The problem is that the Standards do not line up with current assessment data based on National norms. • The Standards are more aspirational for children, rather than reflecting what research says is realistic for children • The standards were developed without the input of the education sector, or taking into account research that shows realistic and achievable levels of attainment for children

12. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards National Standards are not based on Research Information • You cannot assume that because the student is at the age-related norm according to the assessment tools you are using, that they will be at the standard. Teachers and principals will need to explain this to parents – in plain English.

13. Norm Test vs. National Standards 11 students have moved from here to… 11 students that are achieving in the top 50% of NZ students are now considered “below standard”

14. Based on current data the Ministry estimates that in reading approximately: • - 50% of students are likely to be at/above the standard after one year of school • - 60% are likely to be at/above at Year 4 • - 60% likely to be at/above at Year 8

15. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards National Standards are not based on Research Information • The result will be that a large number of children and parents will be under the impression that their child is failing, their school is failing, or as parents they are failing, when in reality they are being measured against a criteria that is unfair. This is high stakes reporting • As educators, we do not want to do that to children, parents or communities

16. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Short Timeline for Implementation • Schools (including Te Kowhai) have set out a carefully laid plan to bring the Revised Curriculum into reality. • Timeframe is rushed and professional development, resourcing is minimal

17. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Negative Impact on Learning • Across the world every country who has brought in National Standards has seen the education system change to focus entirely on achievement levels for the standards at the expense of other curriculum areas – arts, PE/sport, culture, sciences • Of these countries, most hold NZ up as an example of how not having standards still allows children to achieve to high levels (NZ ranked 5th globally)

18. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Negative Impact on Learning • Attention will move to focusing on the standards and not the curriculum. Already teachers are talking about referring to the standards to plan, not the curriculum as the standards are obviously the important things for children to learn • Despite the Ministry saying this will not happen, that is what has happened in every other country

19. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Negative Impact on Learning • While there is no “one test on a day” planned, this is inevitable • Other countries who have gone down this track have all moved to a test as they found that even with moderation there was too much variance to provide reliable data comparison between schools

20. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Creation of League Tables • These are inevitable. While this may not be the intention, parents / ERO / Ministry will rate the success of a school on their National Standards result Interesting Fact: The ERO site is one of the most clicked on sites in NZ (Trademe is the most clicked on site in NZ)

21. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Creation of League Tables • Comparisons will be made as to how good a school is based on how well the students are achieving, not how much progress they have made • There is little consistency in what schools are doing at present. School 2 School 4 School 1 School 3 School 2 is the most effective school because it has the highest results

22. The Standards aren’t Standards Example: By the end of Year 6, students will create texts in order to meet the writing demands of the NZ Curriculum at level 3 Start of Level 3 end of Level 3

23. Why Educators have reservations about the Standards Creation of League Tables • This has a negative effect in numerous ways • Schools will change the way they teach children. There is also “initial talks” re performance based pay for teachers. • Low achieving children will miss out on extra intervention as schools will focus more on those “they can move” to bring their results up, at the expense of those significantly behind (that is what has happened in every other country)

24. Te Kowhai School: Where are we at? • We are continuing to implement the Standards, to the best of our knowledge. • As a school we fully support the idea that schools should report to parents on their child’s progress in plain English that is easy to understand • Our commitment to you is that we will continue to do our best to raise every child’s achievement • We have looked at and discussed the National Standards as a whole staff to try and understand what is required of us and to understand what is in the Standards. • We have put in place a plan to try and do as much as we can over 2010 with the limited information and resources we have available to us • This year will be a learning process (not a “trial”), as we work with you to discover what is suitable for students and families.

25. Where are we at, as a profession? • It is a professional and ethical debate • Principals/schools are in support of National Standards…but not in their current form • We are calling for a group to be involved in re-writing them and, ideally, to have them trialed 1st

26. Reporting to Parents Plain language reporting twice a year • In 2010 our first priority is to try and develop a reporting format and system that will show progress, show goals and also show achievement in an easy to understand format. • In term 4 we are going to have a formal end of year report on Reading, Writing and Numeracy using the National Standards headings

27. Reporting to Parents • Student-Led Conferences will continue throughout the year. Ministry goals for 2010 include: - help students understand the standards and their goals in relation to them. - ensure that students understand their progress and achievement and what the next steps are for learning. Key message from Ministry: Students are active participants in the assessment process. • The 2nd National Standards related report will go home at the end of the year, with portfolios.

28. Reporting to Parents What do I need to learn next? How will my teacher help me? How will my parents/ whanau help me?

29. Te Kowhai Report

30. Questions