Posted by: Winged Avenger
on Feb 17, 2010
A 2009 MOE report released under the OIA tells the minister that National Standards will “improve [MOE] ability to compare performance across primary and intermediate schools.” The ministry already uses “National Qualification statistics to monitor secondary schools performance.”
The report goes on to detail possible interventions for schools with low achievement. These range from voluntary school improvement initiatives, to statutory managers or even school closure. The ministry plans to expand its use of statutory interventions, rather than saving them as a last resort.
The report asks the minister to “direct the ministry to develop a coherent intervention framework for schools, for an environment where student achievement information will be used to decide which schools warrant intervention.”
Posted by: blogger
on Feb 4, 2010
By Winged Avenger
2010 should be all about the NZ curriculum. Instead, the government is determined to railroad teachers into focusing on national standards.
Secondary teachers already know the downsides of too much summative assessment and league tables, both of which are key features of the national standards.
Teachers want to use the NZC as a platform for developing great teaching for diverse learners; parents want plain-English reporting of their kids’ progress. Neither group needs the national standards to achieve these goals.
Posted by: Cynic
on Feb 3, 2010
National standards for patients
The government intends to introduce national standards that will enable patients and concerned observers to compare medical practices online, and potentially identify poorly performing doctors.
This comes after political analysis of a new report revealed 30% of doctors have only a rudimentary understanding of human physiology and inappropriately low expectations, passing up opportunities to motivate and engage patients.
