MID YEAR 2011


Assessment in 2011
The issue of National Standards has resulted in the school changing the way that assessment data is collected and analysed.  As a school we believe that the National Standards remain untested and as a result we believe they are not being used to provide consistent data across schools.

However, we are committed to providing parents with transparant information about the progress of their children comparative to the National Standards and other students in their year group at Campbells Bay. 

Issues with the Standards
Along with many other schools we have a number of concerns about the National Standards.  In the first instance it is important to understand that they do not in any way represent an 'average.'  In fact - they are not based on any 'real data.'  Instead they represent the knowledge and skills that a child will need to pass NCEA level 1 broken down into yearly chunks of equal size.  This does not account for the fact that we know childrens learning is not always linear.  Neither does it account for the very different experiences that children have when they start school, particularly in releation to start dates in the later half of the year that include the big summer holiday within a child's first six months at school.

What's New in 2011?
As children enter school their progress is assessed as and when the teacher feels that this is necessary.  Every time they reach an 'anniversary' (every six months) their progress is collated and you are able to compare their progress against the National Standards and the other children who have reached an anniversary date in 2011.  This data is collated until a child has completed three years at school.

As they move into the senior school, students data is collated twice each year.

It is important to note that assessment happens all the time and your child's teacher will be able to discuss their progress at any time.