How can National Standards be used?

Information collected by using National Standards can be used by different people for different purposes. It can be used by:

• Teachers in their classrooms for planning and teaching. This means they can target a student’s need more accurately and also support a student to use assessment information for their own learning.
• School management for school-wide planning, supporting teachers and their professional development needs.
• Boards of trustees so they can make decisions about staffing and resourcing.
• Students will be helped to set goals for their learning and to identify next steps.
• Parents to support their child and the school in their child’s learning.

Why can this happen?  Because there will be a reference point for evaluating progress and achievement. National Standards provide nationally consistent benchmarks so that assessment information can be considered, interpreted and then used to adjust teaching and learning strategies.

In other words, they are about supporting the educational success of all students.

What are National Standards?

National Standards are written descriptions of what a student should know and be able to do in reading, writing and maths at certain points in their learning.

They clearly describe what performance looks like for students who meet the standard, giving boards, management, teachers, students, and parents, family and whānau shared expectations and a basis for talking about learning.

They are not a measure of “average” performance or national norms which are based on what the average student of a given age can do.

They are not a test.

Rather, they identify the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to be able to

• fully access the New Zealand Curriculum or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
• be on track to achieve NCEA Level 2 which is regarded as the desired minimum leaving qualification for students.

Welcome

I have set up this blog as a forum for information about the hot topic of National Standards in NZ primary schools.

It seems to me that boards need more plain language answers to the questions they may have about National Standards – and here it is.  Every few days I will post a new question with a plain language answer.

I look forward to your comments and discussion.

Lesley