Only 8% of poorer students in Year 8 are at or above curriculum level in maths, while for Māori students it’s one in every 10 and for Pacific students it’s one in 16.
Similarly, the proportions who are more than a year behind in Year 8 maths are 81% of poorer students, 78% of Māori students, and 86% of Pacific students.
These are among the new details in the 2024 national assessment data for maths and writing, released yesterday, which overall showed fewer than one in four Year 8 students at or above curriculum level in mathematics (23%) and writing (24%).
A majority were more than one year behind in maths (62%) and writing (61%).
This cohort grows as students move from Year 3 (roughly two in five were more than year behind in maths and writing, respectively), to Year 6 (roughly one in two students) to Year 8 (roughly three in five students).
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Teachers’ Institute academic director Dr Nina Hood.
“The only small mercy is that the data isn’t getting worse.”
For the latest national assessments, the average maths results improved slightly compared with 2023 across each of Years 3, 6 and 8. The increase was so small, however, that it represented no statistically significant change.
There has also been little movement in national maths assessment results since 2013.
The average writing achievement results for 2024 were similar to a comparable assessment in 2019.
A deeper dive into the numbers reveals:
“These results remind us of the ongoing equity challenge in education, with clear differences in achievement across socioeconomic context and ethnicity,” said Curriculum Insights project lead Dr Jenny Ward.
When it came to writing, the achievement gap shrank between Pacific and non-Pacific students as they moved from Year 3 to 6 to 8.
This indicates signs of progress through their school years but this was not mirrored for mathematics.
Some caution needs to be taken with the data, as the assessments were done in Term 4 last year, when the new curricula and pedagogical approach for maths, reading and writing were yet to be mandatory.
Hood said these reforms represent a “glimmer of hope”.
“Over time, if we make sure that everyday teaching is really strong, we are going to see shifts in terms of the student data.
“But we also know there are a number of children, as this data clearly shows, who are a long way behind. In reality, the only way they’re going to catch up is really targeted, additional support.”
Yesterday, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the Make It Write campaign to support 120,000 Year 6-8 students who are below expected writing levels, and who won’t have the benefit of structured literacy from Year 1.
“Teachers will gain the skills needed to work with small groups of students who need targeted support, using structured, evidence-based approaches,” she said.
This follows a similar plan to attempt to improve maths learning.
The Government remains a long way from achieving its public service target of 80% of Year 8 students at or above curriculum level in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.
This data means the most recent results are 23% for maths, 24% for writing and 47% for reading.
Whether these reforms, among others such as a complete replacement of the NCEA system, make a difference remains to be seen, especially for those who are currently being left behind.
According to the summary report, the results show many Year 3 students struggle with simple maths equations, Year 6 students with adding fractions, and Year 8 students with equations combining multiplication and subtraction.
Sample Year 3 questions:
Put these numbers in order from smallest to largest: 183, 14, 243, 43, 127
There are 24 paddlers at a waka ama. There are six people in each waka. How many waka are there?
Which set of shapes repeat to make the pattern?
Sample Year 6 questions:
There are 18 trays of kiwifruit. Each tray has about 24 kiwifruit in it. About how many kiwifruit are there?
Max rode 5.8km on Friday and 6.5km on Saturday. How many km did he ride in total?
Sample Year 8 questions:
Mere is planning a hāngī for 40 people. She needs eight kūmara for every 10 people. How many kūmara does she need in total?
What is 4 x 8 - 6 ÷ 3?
What is the perimeter of this shape?
The following is a typical example, adapted from real students’ work, of writing for the Year 3 assessment:
Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery team and is a former deputy political editor.