A new report from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) has identified key approaches that support high UE attainment for ākonga Māori and Pacific students.
The research, carried out for NZQA, involved six schools that had above-average UE attainment for ākonga Māori and
Pacific students compared to similar schools. The study identified five foundational conditions that supported the
schools’ success and five types of initiatives that they employed to support high UE attainment for ākonga Māori and
Pacific students. The foundational conditions were:Establishing and maintaining meaningful staff and student, and school and whānau, relationshipsUnderstanding the importance of cultureHolding high expectations for all studentsEnsuring students are taught by effective teachersHaving effective school leaders who actively prioritise equity.
While the initiatives undertaken by schools were:Developing leadership systems, roles, and opportunities that prioritise relationships, learning, and achievementUsing achievement data to set targets, and identify and respond to needsDesigning pathways to UE that reduce barriersStarting students early on a path to UESupporting students to stay on a path to UE
“In terms of laying the foundation for Aotearoa to grow a more culturally representative workforce and to become a more
equitable society, these six secondary schools are leading the way”, notes report author Dr. Esther Smaill.
“We saw such an incredible range of actions that these schools were taking – from in-house mentoring programmes, to
destreaming practices, to a dedicated, deliberate culture of high expectations for all students.”