Delving Deeper Keynote speaker - Eruera Tarena

The day began with an inspirational keynote presentation from Eruera Tarena, titled:

"Wayfinding Maori Futures: jumping on the waka to a brighter future."

Here's a few key things that struck a chord with me:

The pace of change is increasing and as a society we have a lessening amount of control over being pre-organisation for things. As individuals, we need to get used to being in a state of being without control over what is happening. This is a huge challenge for us as educators, where we like to preplan and know exactly where we are headed and anticipate what we may need to head off.

Maori traditions always have layers of meaning. - I'd never really considered this, but if you take a moment to think about many of the legends and myths, they are often adapted slightly to fit with the story they are telling at the time.

Maori success as Maori... it's a destination point. Early voyagers knew where they were going. Although they had never been to their destination, they used a term called "seeing the island", which meant imagining what that destination might look like in their minds. You won't see that destination until the last 10% of the journey, so it was important for Navigators to use "star points" or "way finding" to use as markers or indicators of progress along the journey. - The correlation for us, as educators, can be seen in our TAI's. We make a hypothesis as to what the destination point might look like... We then use data and anecdotal observations along the way as indicators of progress towards that.

Modelling equity and equity and equality for Maori. What happens if we continue to do the status quo? What happens if we do something different? - Even if the status quo is "working" it's our duty to be on the look out for ways to improve, both our practice and our achievement outcomes for our akonga. We need to reject the status quo. It's not good enough to continue to perpetuate them, morally etc

Things that require shifts in attitudes, values, the way we view the world

When we're thinking innovation, it's often about creating something to help us not have to change. We all like change until it happens... then we often find excuses to delay adopting it.

It seems ludicrous that we are still talking about cultural responsiveness 30 years on, rather than cultural sustainability. Gone is the time to respond. 

Te Waipounamu pipeline.

Equity is just being ordinary, the same as everyone else.

The Browner you are, the more likely you are to be replaced by a robot in future. Many young Maori are flatlining in terms of income in their early 20's.

Statistics are showing that they are more likely to be in unskilled jobs, due to leaving education earlier. Maori are always the last ones on and the first ones off in terms of opportunity.

The statistics of Maori students not completing university is extremely high. An audience member recounted a story of her daughters journey through university. One by one, her Maori peers dropped out. It became quite challenging and isolating to continue without that peer support, staying focused on the long term destination. It was a very emotional recount and resonated with all in the room.

What is the opportunity? And how do you frame that?" Moving beyond good intentions. There is an unconscious biased system as teachers. We all have a contribution to make.

We all like projects or programmes, but they only Create a bubble of change. We need to be thinking bigger picture and long term.

We inhabit that ship that's a shared future, with our treaty partnership. Our narrative has been driven by grievance loss and hardship, but we need to turn it around.

• We need to come together; 
• Change isn't 'out there' but 'in here'; 
• Know what you bring to the table; 
• identify your champions; 
• be the change - join our collective.

What is the future together we want to inhabit.

More information on the data can be found at maorifutures.co.nz

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

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

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.