Secret scheme for NZ’s worst schools
Six of New Zealand’s worstperforming schools have been placed in a secret ‘‘turnaround’’ pilot programme.
It aims to provide urgent, customised interventions in schools where a ‘‘perfect storm’’ of poor leadership, teaching and student achievement has persisted for at least three official review terms; or at schools in ‘‘a rapid state of decline’’. The Ministry of Education and Education Review Office (ERO) refuse to name the schools in their joint programme, saying the stigma could harm students’ chances of success. ‘‘Parents have the right to know about the performance of their school’’ through ERO reports produced every one to five years, the ministry says.
While there is no set budget for the pilot – it depends on ‘‘our ability to provide this support from within current ministry resources and budgets’’, a briefing to Education Minister Chris Hipkins says – it is likely a $50,000 annual allowance for recruiting principals will be extended from three years to seven to attract quality candidates.
The agencies declined requests for interviews but internal documents obtained under the Official Information Act show the schools’ improvement has become a priority. Education secretary Iona Holsted, ERO chief review officer Nicholas Pole, and New Zealand School Trustees’ Association (NZSTA) president Lorraine Kerr meet regularly to discuss the pilot’s progress, and information given to Hipkins says specially-created national teams of experts ‘‘will focus on delivering what and whomever is required’’.
‘‘While sustainable organisational development can take three to five years, learners cannot wait that long,’’ it reads.
The ‘‘Turnaround Schools’’ programme is based on research and similar initiatives in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, which, like New Zealand, have diverse, multilingual communities and strive for an equitable education system.
Work began in June 2016, when ERO identified 32 schools that had received three or more consecutive poor reviews. Early in 2017, ERO and the ministry agreed to focus on 19 of those. By 2018, they had narrowed them down to six.
An ERO spokeswoman said three of the schools are in Auckland or north of Auckland, two are in the Waikato or Bay of Plenty, and the sixth is in a region encompassing Southland and the West Coast.
The group includes primary, secondary and area schools.
The agency visits the schools at least once a term, and liaises with the ministry, NZSTA and the NZ Qualifications Authority to ‘‘address any possible barriers to the school’s success’’, according to a draft methodology created in December 2017.
The ministry said that could include importing specialists in governance, finance, literacy or wellbeing, among other areas, from different regions to assist the schools. ‘‘An extended suite of statutory interventions’’, and other new resources and services have been developed for the programme.
However, the Ministry of Education is wary that many of the turnaround schools ‘‘have multiple agencies on their doorstep’’, a February briefing to Hipkins said.
‘‘We know that over-assessing students is undesirable, and so is over-monitoring schools.
‘‘A careful balance between monitoring, evaluating, supporting, guiding and letting schools ‘selfhelp’ must be negotiated.’’
A joint statement from the ministry and ERO given to Stuff about two weeks before the briefing to Hipkins said it was too early to tell what effect the pilot was having.
‘‘It takes time to turn around large and complex organisations like schools. International research tells us the process can take three to five years,’’ it said.
On Friday, ERO said it had already seen ‘‘improvements in organisational and instructional capability’’ among the pilot’s schools.
Speciallycreated national teams of experts ‘‘will focus on delivering what and whomever is required’’. Briefing for Education Minister Chris Hipkins