Appendix 1: Key documents

Selection of the areas of focus, directional targets and key actions outlined in chapter three was informed by a range of evidence, research and indicator information. Examples include:

• The State of Education in New Zealand report 2006, which pulls together existing education indicators on participation, achievement, effective teaching, labour market outcomes and resourcing across the early childhood education (ECE), schooling and tertiary sectors highlighting why presence, engagement and achievement are important and how we are doing.
• The annual Profile and Trends reports on the tertiary education sector, which bring together statistics on participation, achievement, resourcing, capability, research and other factors, covering New Zealand’s diverse range of tertiary education learners, providers and programmes.
• The best evidence synthesis iterations, which have since 2003 helped to draw together, explain and illustrate what makes a difference to student outcomes. Syntheses to date have focused on the complexity of community and family influences on children’s achievement, quality teaching, early foundations and characteristics of professional development linked to children’s learning in ECE settings, quality teaching for a diverse range of students in schooling and, most recently, effective teaching in mathematics.
• Work done to research, consult on and develop sector and population strategies (as listed below), including the current redevelopment of the Māori Education Strategy, has added to our understanding of what is most important for children and students to succeed in education and to achieve their potential.
• The Student Outcome Overview 2001-2005 (Research Findings on Student Achievement in Reading, Writing and Mathematics in New Zealand Schools), which highlights the wide spread of achievement in reading and mathematics in schooling years compared to other highly achieving countries. Literacy and numeracy professional development projects and schooling improvement projects have produced very significant positive shifts in reading, writing and mathematics achievement for low-achieving students in participating schools.
• Findings of the recently released Competent Learners @ 16: Competency Performance and Development Over Time report are consistent with results from previous phases of the Competent Children, Competent Learners Project, which highlight the importance of developing early numeracy and literacy skills for later success.
• Picking Up the Pace research into raising literacy achievement of children in decile one schools.
• The documents referred to above, and a wide range of further documents including statistical, research and evaluation publications and education sector indicator information, are available on the ministry’s website for statistics and research – Education Counts (www.educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz).

Early childhood education

• Pathways to the Future: Ngā Huarahi Arataki – A 10-year Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Education 2002-2012

Schooling sector

• Making a Bigger Difference for all Students: Schooling Strategy 2005-2010
• New Zealand Schools Ngā Kura O Aotearoa 2005 – A report of the Minister of Education  on the Compulsory School Sector in New Zealand (October 2006)

Tertiary sector

• Tertiary Education Strategy 2007-2012 (December 2006)
• Tertiary Education Strategy monitoring reports
• Profile & Trends 2005: New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Sector (December 2006)

Strengthening Māori educational achievement

• Māori Education Strategy (currently being redeveloped)
• Ngā Haeata Mātauranga – Māori Education Annual Report 2005 (August 2006)
• Māori in Tertiary Education – Fact Sheets (March 2007)
• Māori Tertiary Education Framework (November 2003)

Strengthening Pasifika educational achievement

• Pasifika Education Plan 2006-2010 (June 2006)

Strengthening outcomes for students with special education needs

• Better Outcomes for Children 2006-2011 an Action Plan for GSE (September 2006)
• The New Zealand Disability Strategy – Making a World of Difference: Whakanui Oranga (www.odi.govt.nz)

Strengthening outcomes for all ethnic groups

• Ethnic Perspectives in Policy – Helping Ethnic People
  be Seen, Heard, Included and Accepted
  (www.ethnicaffairs.govt.nz)

International Education

• International Education Agenda 2007-2012 Discussion Document (in draft)

Information and communication technologies

• ICT Strategic Framework for Education (released for consultation December 2006)

Unless noted otherwise, the documents listed above are available through the ministry’s main website (www.minedu.govt.nz) , or through Education Counts (www.educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz).