The Role of the Education Review Office NZSTA Chair Residential 2017

ERO’s purpose How ERO’s independence is critical to our role Core to New Zealand’s Accountability system Independent Equity and Excellence Every learner in our system is successful How Evaluating the implementation of government priorities, programmes and policies across the system Evaluating the quality of education and care in schools and early learning services Evaluating the effectiveness of schools and services in achieving outcomes for learners Supporting improvement in the performance and operation of our early learning services and schools Contributing to the evidence base about what works ERO’s independence is critical to our role

Equity and Excellence “We want New Zealanders to have confidence in their schools” “We need every school to be a great school and every child to be successful”

Our approach to school reviews (1) Reviews typically occur on a three yearly cycle We review approx. 20 schools per week during term time We consider all aspects of the school’s performance but at the core is how effectively the school’s governance is contributing to student learning, wellbeing, driving for equity in achievement and contributing to student progress We typically take around a week to undertake a review involving three reviewers We take a “context-specific approach to the design, conduct and reporting of our review” Prior to the review it is important that the Board Chair and Principal complete the Board Assurance Statement During a review it is important for us to engage with all parts of the school, its Board, leadership team, teachers, students and parent/whānau community

Our approach to school reviews (2) We also review the school’s strategic, policy and operational documents and its compliance with legislation and government policy and these will be requested as part of our pre-assessment process During the review we will regularly meet with the principal and senior leadership team confirming our areas of focus, clarifying observations and discussing emerging findings These conversations are a critical element of the evaluation process and thinking Our emphasis is on “evaluation as a learning process for the school and system” Interim findings are discussed with the Board at the end of the on site period

Our approach to school reviews (3) Our reports are the result of further synthesis and distillation of the evidence collected Boards will receive an unconfirmed report – where they have an opportunity to respond to the findings We will suggest the timing for the next review (1-2year, 3year and 5year), and may place expectations on the Board Reports are published within about a month of being provided to the Board for comment

How to prepare for a review: There shouldn’t be any surprises for a Board arising from a review We are looking for a deliberate improvement agenda in every school “Excellence is not a destination – every school must be on a journey of improvement, even our best schools!”

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship including a compelling vision and clear improvement agenda to ensure that every child succeeds Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

Stewardship The Four Pillars of Governance# Determination of purpose, vision and strategy An effective governance culture Holding to account Effective compliance Note #: Institute of Directors in New Zealand

Pillar 1: Determination of purpose Key function for Boards to contribute to the establishment of the school’s vision and direction Strategic planning is the process of reflecting on past performance, establishing future directions and deciding what will constitute success. Changes to the Education Act - 2017 School Strategic Plans (proposed from 2019) A statement of the school’s purpose, values and environmental context, the school’s goals, targets and key strategies to achieve these National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP (remain in effect for 5 years) Reflect objectives for the education system National performance measures for Boards (small no. of key measures linked to government’s stated expectations set out in the NELP) Boards required to report on these in their annual reports 3. Annual Implementation Plan

Note: # Suggested good practice

“It is your right and role to ask questions!” Core to the Role of a Trustee is Information (especially evaluative information) The Board’s main responsibility is to ensure that all students at their school are achieving well Making sure the principal and staff are supported and resourced to achieve high-quality teaching and learning To do this, trustees need reliable and detailed information from school leaders about the learning and wellbeing of children at their schools “It is your right and role to ask questions!”

School’s Strategic Plans# Three parts: Purpose, Values, Context The Strategic Direction Goals/Objectives (defines the student outcomes the school is trying to achieve based on an analysis of the key questions above, defines the priorities for the school) (e.g. to improve the numeracy of students at all year levels) Targets (measure of success in achievement of the goal) (e.g. by 2019 there will be a 10% point increase in the proportion of students at or above National Standard at Year 8, from 70% to 80%) Should be limited in number – sharpening and narrowing the school’s attention on improving learning outcomes Ensure a direct line of sight to lifting student achievement, delivering equity and school improvement Ensure inclusion of NELP priorities and how the school will contribute to the Community of Learning and the agreed Achievement Challenge(s) Key improvement strategies (the high level actions that the school will use to achieve its goals) (e.g. individual plans will be put in place for learners who at the beginning of each year are at risk of not achieving this target). Note there may be a number of related improvement strategies identified to achieve a particular goal. Key actions, risks and success criteria and communications plan Indicative Planner / ACTION Planner Actions the school will take each of the four years (e.g. by the end of term 2 professional learning teams will be meeting fortnightly to review student mathematics progress and their practice) Note #: suggested good practice

SMART Objectives Specific (A small number of specific targets) Measurable (what are the measures of success and progress) Achievable (what’s achievable given resource and context) Responsible (who is responsible for the task) Time Bound (when will it be achieved and what are the milestones)

Annual Implementation Plan Describe how the key improvement strategies in the school’s strategic plan will be implemented and monitored The plan should break the overarching plan into annual bite sized elements The Board should regularly monitor the progress against the key improvement strategies, success criteria and progress towards the established target Strategies should be adjusted in line with progress identified through this monitoring programme

Who is responsible for what? RASCI Model Responsible (Who is responsible for the task) Accountable (The person(s)/functions ultimately answerable for the outcomes/deliverables or task) Control or Quality Review (The person responsible for reviewing the results of the activity) Supports (Resource allocation – who will provide input and in what form to complete the task) (who is responsible for the task) Informed (The person(s)/function kept informed of the results of the activity)

Suggested task allocation between the principal, school staff and Board of Trustees# Note: # subject to clarification by the Ministry of Education and NZSTA

Pillar 2: An effective governance culture Operation of the Board (1) At the heart is a focus on improving student learning outcomes Ensure that resources and supports are aligned with improving student learning outcomes Members set aside their own personal interests Involves the community in key issues, challenges and opportunities for the school Actively involved in setting the strategic orientation of the school Sets expectations for the school principal. (Derived from the school’s strategic plan) Promotes meaningful parent and community engagement and actively seeks views of its community Establishes strategic partnerships through working with other Boards (particularly in relation to COLs/Kāhui Ako) in support of establishing effective student pathways Has clear understanding of roles and responsibilities Includes membership that represents the diversity of their community

Pillar 2: An effective governance culture – Operation of the Board Assesses areas of potential representative and skill weakness and addresses this through co- option Has a clear and consistent process for decision making, and for recording and promulgating decisions Maintains high ethical standards Works collaboratively Questions – thoughtful challenge Communicates with the school community about its activities Regularly reviews and evaluates its own performance Trusts and delegates to individuals and its own subcommittees Ensures an effective relationship between Board members and with the principal and school’s management Understands their responsibilities as distinct from those of the principal (Understanding the functional split between the Board and principal is critical for the effective functioning of the school. The Board has a governance role and the principal manages the school and is responsible for ensuring the delivery of a comprehensive education program to all students.) Acknowledges and celebrates improvements in achievements

Pillar 3: Holding to account / “and being held to account” Managing the Principal Relationship The Principal is the key portal into the school Principal performance expectations must reflect and be aligned with the school’s strategic priorities, goals, targets and delivery of the school’s implementation plan. Principal appraisal – measure performance against expectations School Improvement framework. Key domains for consideration: Student outcomes Leadership of quality teaching Collective efficacy (ie aligning accountability processes through the school) Strategic resource management Strengthening community & system engagement Professional growth Professional learning and development of the school’s workforce Resource: Supporting school improvement through effective principal appraisal (May 2014)

Pillar 3: Holding to account / “and being held to account” Annual report For the school community about the school’s successes and challenges in implementing the strategic plan and improving student outcomes The effective allocation of resources in pursuit of the school’s goals and objectives Will be a critical document for ERO reviews

Pillar 4: Effective Compliance From 2019 the Board must report to the Secretary, to its school community and to parents on the performance of the school’s students Health and Safety at Work Act (2015)

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

National Standards The New Zealand Curriculum suggests a range of achievement for each year level and a rate of progress. National Standards set out what can reasonably be expected of most students by the end of the designated period or year.

“Great organisations are those that regularly reflect on how well they are doing” “Data, assessment & evaluation are the bedrock of organisational improvement” BUT “Analysis must result in action impacting the individual learner, teacher, syndicate and leadership team!”

Measuring Student Achievement Summative assessment (Outcome of the programme, achievement or summary) Diagnostic assessment (sometimes called formative assessment, focusses on progress in learning and aims to understand the learning process in order to adjust teaching approach and materials to the learner’s needs) What assessment tools and systems is your school using? Quality tools must be: valid (is it measuring what it is supposed to be measuring); reliable (will give the same results over time and between teachers and different circumstances); and absent of unconscious bias. TKI Assessment Bank - http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Assessment-tools-resources/Assessment-tool- selector/Browse-assessment-tools Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) The Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) supports teachers as they make judgments about students’ progress and achievement in relation to The New Zealand Curriculum National Standards.

Overall Teacher Judgement (OTJ): “…involves drawing on and applying the evidence gathered up to a particular point in time, in order to make an overall assessment judgment about a student’s progress and achievement. …”

Three elements to consider in judging quality of learning How good is our school? What are the achievement rates for our school? Is this school effective? How well are students progressing? Is our school equitable? Is this school addressing the needs of all students in particular Māori, Pacific and students with additional learning needs? Is our school getting better? Are achievement levels improving or declining Are we closing the gap in student outcomes for different groups of students within our school year on year? Are students progressing at a greater rate this year than in previous years?

Judging the quality of learning

Student wellbeing and engagement

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

ERO’s School Improvement Framework Learner Outcomes Effective stewardship including a compelling vision and clear improvement agenda to ensure that every child succeeds Leadership Educationally powerful relationships Responsive curriculum Effective teaching and learning Professional capability and collective capacity Driven by data and evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building

For more information Nicholas.Pole@ero.govt.nz www.ero.govt.nz