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 that St Patrick’s Catholic 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. 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 • PAT’s

9. 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

10. More Information • www.nzmaths.co.nz/nzc-and-standards • http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/National-Standards