Accelerating Student Achievement

Accelerating Student Achievement

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

Education Review Office
Linda Pura-Watson

What is ERO doing in 2016?  The reason we are in these roles is because of what combines us...children.  Aiming to be the best they can be.  What we want is what everybody wants.  Data is about providing good information to make good decisions.  These decisions create cultures that accelerate learning.  This learning is for everyone.  

Equity and Excellence

What does equity mean?  Ensuring that children in our school shave opportunities and skills to achieve excellence.  Who defines this excellence?  Curriculum and ERO have developed indicators.  Boards, schools and communities define what excellence looks like in their own community.  

Everybody has culture to value.  It is all interconnected.  Kids are at the forefront.  

This document is going live in August.

Ka Hikitia

When we accelerate achievement for Māori, we accelerate achievement for all.  

ERO evaluations are intended to be a catalyst for change.  

For the majority of children in this country, they are getting a good education.  ERO has looked at what they do, to help what we do.  Identify the names and needs of children who are most needing support.

Doing it Differently

Trying to work with schools to do what they need to be doing to work with the children who need acceleration.  Potential approach.

Truth without relationship will result in rejection.  We need a professional relationship.

Acceleration Student Achievement: Māori

How does the school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

In our school, how are things linked?

Pre Review-Sense Making

Let us know what you need to know.  Ask the questions of ERO before they come.  We can get information.  Provide information early.  Supply it all.  Take control and be a master of the next step of what happens.  Tell your school story.  Your are not bound by paper. Use what you need to use to tell your story.  

Reviews include National Standards but is not all of it.  We are sharing our data and learning information.  

Internal Evaluation 

Find the person who will give you the information you need.  

Onsite-Doing it Differently

Have professional conversations early.

Talk about data and learning information. You don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to ask the questions.  That is the power of change.

How?  Be a part of the process, ask questions, answer questions and stay informed. 

Start with data.  What do we see?  What does acceleration look like?  Is the curriculum right for those kids?  A hui is not parents being engaged with learning.  Enhance professional capability.  If it is not working, find another way.

Data

We need to fix the belows.  Notice, investigate, make sense of it, prioritise for action and impact.  

What is so?

Why is it so?

So what?

What now?

What evidence will you need to monitor?

Acceleration.  Is it a plan for progress or a plan for acceleration?  How to address the disparity?  Need to define what acceleration looks like for each child.  ERO influences change, BOT implements change.

Raising achievement plan...line of sight to those children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

What is the plan to accelerate learning?

What did ERO's findings say?  Call it what you want as the concept is the key.  

It's about numbers, names and needs and strengths.  What school conditions should become the focus?  ERO follow up six months later, how the plan is working.  How is the implementation going and what is the progress children are making.

Together we will know the next steps...we are on this journey together.

HOT-Honest, Open, Two way

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa

The Child-the Heart of the Matter

NZSTA Conference Day 2

Nanny's Place

Our conference theme song...loud and proud...Let's stick together.

Day Two of conference started with a buffet breakfast.  A quick walk to the arena and we were ready for more inspiration, new thinking and ideas for moving forward.  

Nanny from up North shared her wisdom from her kitchen.  

A nation is like a boil up...a whole lot of different flavours mixed to make a flavoursome feast.

Nanny had a few questions for us to ponder...  

You only get threatened by other races if you are not sure about what you are.  

Violence and child abuse.  When we see a Māori name connected with violence, we cry. It is not Māori behaviour.  Early observations about Māori behaviour in 1814, included such comments as:

John Savage, who wrote in 1807, "The children here appear to be treated with a great degree of parental affection. They are robust, lively, and possess, in general, pleasing countenances."

Samuel Marsden, the leading missionary who visited New Zealand for the first time in 1814 (and could never be accused of possessing a bleeding heart), noted: "I saw no quarrelling while I was there. They are kind to their women and children. I never observed either with a mark of violence upon them, nor did I ever see a child struck."

In 1824, Richard Cruise remarked: "In the manner of rearing children, and in the remarkable tenderness and solicitous care bestowed upon them by the parents, no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed. The infant is no sooner weaned than a considerable part of its care devolves upon the father: it is taught to twine its arms round his neck, and in this posture it remains the whole day, asleep or awake."

As the artist Augustus Earle wrote in 1832: "They are kind and hospitable to strangers, and are excessively fond of their children. On a journey, it is more usual to see the father carrying his infant than the mother; and all the little offices of a nurse are performed by him with the tenderest care and good humour."

Here is the full article from Anne Salmond.

How can we fill the emotional tank when there is no plug in the tank?

Poverty...when growing up, there was no money but house was filled with aroha.  The worse kind of poverty is poverty of spirit.  

Filling up our kids emotional tanks.  Praise is better than punishment.  Who is praising Māori?  Life is like a box of cereal.  All the good stuff is on the front and the small print shows the rubbish.  For Māori, our rubbish is at the front but our good stuff is in small print.  

As far as our brand is concerned, do our children need to carry that brand?

Look after one another and make sure we know who we are.  

Thoughts from the audience:

How do we teach Māori to be awesome?  It's about empathy, understanding, seeing more than just the child, connections.  

Our tamariki are our brand.  

How do we convince our government that te Reo Māori should be taught throughout school?

Pasifika cultures have their language.  

Our Māori kids need that for their sense of belonging and connection.

NZSTA Conference Day 2

Nanny's Place

Our conference theme song...loud and proud...Let's stick together.

Day Two of conference started with a buffet breakfast.  A quick walk to the arena and we were ready for more inspiration, new thinking and ideas for moving forward.  

Nanny from up North shared her wisdom from her kitchen.  

A nation is like a boil up...a whole lot of different flavours mixed to make a flavoursome feast.

Nanny had a few questions for us to ponder...  

You only get threatened by other races if you are not sure about what you are.  

Violence and child abuse.  When we see a Māori name connected with violence, we cry. It is not Māori behaviour.  Early observations about Māori behaviour in 1814, included such comments as:

John Savage, who wrote in 1807, "The children here appear to be treated with a great degree of parental affection. They are robust, lively, and possess, in general, pleasing countenances."

Samuel Marsden, the leading missionary who visited New Zealand for the first time in 1814 (and could never be accused of possessing a bleeding heart), noted: "I saw no quarrelling while I was there. They are kind to their women and children. I never observed either with a mark of violence upon them, nor did I ever see a child struck."

In 1824, Richard Cruise remarked: "In the manner of rearing children, and in the remarkable tenderness and solicitous care bestowed upon them by the parents, no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed. The infant is no sooner weaned than a considerable part of its care devolves upon the father: it is taught to twine its arms round his neck, and in this posture it remains the whole day, asleep or awake."

As the artist Augustus Earle wrote in 1832: "They are kind and hospitable to strangers, and are excessively fond of their children. On a journey, it is more usual to see the father carrying his infant than the mother; and all the little offices of a nurse are performed by him with the tenderest care and good humour."

Here is the full article from Anne Salmond.

How can we fill the emotional tank when there is no plug in the tank?

Poverty...when growing up, there was no money but house was filled with aroha.  The worse kind of poverty is poverty of spirit.  

Filling up our kids emotional tanks.  Praise is better than punishment.  Who is praising Māori?  Life is like a box of cereal.  All the good stuff is on the front and the small print shows the rubbish.  For Māori, our rubbish is at the front but our good stuff is in small print.  

As far as our brand is concerned, do our children need to carry that brand?

Look after one another and make sure we know who we are.  

Thoughts from the audience:

How do we teach Māori to be awesome?  It's about empathy, understanding, seeing more than just the child, connections.  

Our tamariki are our brand.  

How do we convince our government that te Reo Māori should be taught throughout school?

Pasifika cultures have their language.  

Our Māori kids need that for their sense of belonging and connection.

Student Achievement

Student Achievement

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

Tom Scollard

The number of attendees at Student Achievement Workshops, shows that trustees are dedicated to and care about student achievement.  

At times we get tied up with other areas of school such as the physicality.  Student Achievement is often something that may get overlooked.  

Section 75 of the Education Act outlines the Board role and responsibility.  The one piece of information and legislation that every prospective board member should read and continue to keep in the forefront of minds, is this section.
Functions and powers of boards

(1)

A school’s board must perform its functions and exercise its powers in such a way as to ensure that every student at the school is able to attain his or her highest possible

standard in educational achievement.

(2)

Except to the extent that any enactment or the general law of New Zealand provides otherwise, a school’s board has complete discretion to control the management of the school as it thinks fit.

Section 75: replaced, on 13 June 2013, by section 16 of the Education Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 34).

We are building capacity and providing the opportunity to attain.  This is not for some students, it is for every.  This is the fundamental thing for us...to understand our focus. The importance of one.  Every student in our school will have the best possible opportunity to attain their highest possible standard.  Central focus is our students. Decisions benefit all students in our schools.  

When we think of our governance role, if we think of it as power or being the boss of the school, we need to change this thinking to realise that our role is to be guardians of our school. Guardians of the vision that every child is able to achieve.  Sometimes we understand the word guardian more so than governance.

Ask ourselves...

Is this going to make a difference to our children?  If it isn't, why are we spending time talking about it?

THE NEW ZEALAND CURRICULUM

      

The New Zealand Curriculum is future focussed.  The children in our schools today are our future.  This may sound like a cliche but it will be a reality in thirty years.  Young people being confident, connected, actively involved life long learners.

Two intrinsic needs...to belong and to have purpose.  We need to ensure children, staff, principal and ourselves have purpose.  Purpose of the Board, Section 75.  

Slide rule...one generation ago the digital age began with the faze our of the slide rule and the introduction of a Casio calculator.  
From this...

To this...

In a very short period of time, things have changed and continue to do so at a rapid pace.

We are preparing our kids for the future that we have no idea about how that will look.  

Key Competencies- These are not just about the academic elements.  This embodies the whole person, the whole child.

In Partnership of Learning- What is it like between students, teachers, school, parents, whānau?  What kind of partnership do we have and what do we want? Does homework help or hinder relationships at home?  Is it homework or home learning? How do we help our parents learn?  We are in a world of constant change.

What is Educational Achievement?

Reaching milestones, understanding, reaching objectives, choice, being a good citizen, social skills, inclusion.  

Ask ourselves, what do our kids actually need?  Review this and what we are doing.

Graduate Profile

Thinking ahead to describe what skills we want our students to have when they move on from our school.  These include being resourceful, trade skills, academic skills, planning skills, career planning, knowledge and knowing how to access knowledge and to discern what knowledge is true.  Information and attitudes.  Socially responsible.  Values...these are seen in action within our school.  We don't trade our values.  Make sure these are truly valued.  

Belonging and purpose is a massive driving force in our kids psyche.  

In governance we give our principal power to act.  How do we do that and what do we need to change? 

National Standards and Data- Legislation.  Purely to help us measure where children track.  The Plunket book is full of lines to measure height and weight.  Reference points or signposts.  Are the only things in learning we can measure.  The intention is good.  In schools we become so focussed on that, that we lose the whole child.  

When not performing academically, it may not just be because of what is happening in the classroom.  We learn when we are happy.  How do we know how happy our students are?  Student well being survey.  The place where children communicate the most, is not the classroom.  Reporting...national standards and where they are in relation to their own goals. 

Charter

Our Charter needs to be truly future focussed.  Focussed around our core objective.  (Section 75).  Needs to be reflective about what we need.  Asking questions of our community...What are your concerns?  Aspirations for your child's learning in next five years. 

Policies

Does our budget reflect the priorities of the needs of our kids?   

Our Priorities

Are they a true priority or someone's fad?  Are they really focussed on where our children are going?  Professional Development for staff is not a cost.  Is an investment.

Our Targets

Need to be clear that they are smart, Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, Time based.  Make sure improvement is sustained and will continue.  

Reporting

Data needs to be summarised and well articulated with recommendations.  Next steps are needed.  

Meetings

Average adult will focus for 90 minutes.  Do priority stuff first.  Meetings need to be strategic and purposeful.  Ask ourselves at the end of meetings, "Did we discuss anything that makes a difference to our kids?"  

Deliberations

Asking questions and having robust discussions.  If you don't understand it, don't agree to it.  Stop the distractions.  Keep things in perspective.

Decisions

Need to be well considered and future focussed.  Need to realise that our decisions have a lasting impact.  Be proactive and considered.  Seek evidence and ask what the facts are and what is true.  Make decisions on that.  Be deliberate and do things POD Proactive, Objective and Deliberate.

Accountability

Information being reported to is in house.  When reporting to the community, the Board needs to know what is being reported.  Have an acronym free report to parents.  Ask if what we are reporting to parents makes sense.

NZSTA Conference 2016

NZSTA Conference 2016

Effective Governance: Accelerating educational success for every learner

Pio welcomes us.

So here we are at the 27th annual NZSTA Conference in Wellington.  Our day started early as we wondered around Wellington looking for the TSB Arena.  Finally made it after a five minute walk and help from friendly locals.  

President's address...Lorraine Kerr

Our conference theme...accelerating success for every learner...that is every learner.
Each learner is our responsibility.  
As a board member...do not have a hidden agenda.
Every child, together.  As a board member you have an obligation to up skill.  Value yourselves, NZSTA offer development and building of skills for free.  In the interest of every child in this country.  
We don't hear about the work done around board tables.  This weekend is about developing skills and becoming better equipped to provide for each and every learner in this country, with the best opportunitites that we can.

Keynote Speaker- Katrina Casey acting Secretary for Education

It's all about the kids.  

Everything we do, is about the kids.  From a background in corrections, Katrina has seen the outcome of kids having little education.  Education is the single biggest thing you can do to give kids choice.  

Boards are a critical element to our education system.  

We need to work closer together even though we work in different parts of the sector. All views need to be heard.  

Conference song...We Stick Together.  The definition of we will define how well we provide for our kids.  Need to work together.  There are around 12 000 board members nationwide.

Changes being made because they need to be.  Our education system has been working for most kids for a long time.  Cannot move forward unless you recognise the past.  Can make changes now because of the work done before.  Recognise the work of people who have been before you.

Education work programme...funding.  Is it time to make funding changes?  Research has been done to see how other countries have done this.  For other sectors, outcomes can be easily measured but achievement is not so obvious for every single child.  Changes will not be implemented until 2020.  

Education Act 1989 is being looked at.  What kind of flexibility do we need in legislation to get the best results for our kids.  Strengthening the teaching profession.  Without support and dedication from teachers, all things in place will mean nothing.  New roles being developed.  There are pockets of best practice in schools.  True acknowledgement to the best, Prime Minister's Education Excellence award.  Look at best practice in our school and see if we should be entering awards.  Currently not enough entries from primary schools.  

Teaching Practice + Learning Environment=Best Outcomes

Communities of Learning

How can we get different types of schools to collaborate and learn together?  What are the pathways that kids take through the education system.  Where do they come from and where do they go to? Transition points are difficult for kids. Schools tend to assess children on entry.  This is because we don't have a flow on of information from Early Childhood to primary to secondary.  Looking at the kids in our local community pathway.  

For boards, think about involvement in Communities of Learning.  Our kids are no longer our kids just when they are at our school.  They are our kids from early learning and until they leave secondary and move on to other areas of their lives.  

Change is in the wind.  The future design is being co constructed.  Ministry need ears on to make sure we are being heard. 

Every single parent in New Zealand should know what education needs of kids are and what a good education looks like.  Parent voice needs to be heard and we want parents to be able to go to school and demand that their kids are getting the best education.

When we say it's all about the kids, do we know what that means?  Is this the decision really in the best interest of our kids.  All kids are our kids.  

Question time- 

Curriculum and National Standards being about Literacy and Numeracy

Communities of Learning-who does this involve? Workshop needed at the conference.  

Assessment being dictated by National Standards

How does our thanks as board members reflect in our meeting fees and the need for people attending conference, to take time off work?

The room is filled to the brim.

Conference attendees...made it and still going.

Associate Minister of Education Hon. Nikki Kaye

Boards are an integral part of our school system.  

Network for Learning and the Managed Network-We are one of the few countries in the world with all schools having internet and uncapped data.  

Spoke about what the current ministry have done, are doing and intend to do around infrastructure.