Principals stunned as ministry looks for new reading, maths tests

• The Government has surprised primary principals by seeking a national system for testing in reading, writing, and maths.
• The Education Ministry’s request for proposals aims for a standardised assessment tool for Years 3-10.
• Principals Federation president Leanne Otene expressed concerns about the potential for a foreign-developed test.

By John Gerritsen, RNZ

The Government has blindsided primary principals by going to market for a national system for testing children in reading, writing and maths.

The Education Ministry has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a standardised assessment tool that schools can use twice a year with children in Years 3-10.

The move to two tests a year was part of the Government’s push to improve children’s literacy and numeracy and was previously limited to Years 3-8, primary and intermediate school.

The Government also previously said schools could use the existing New Zealand-made e-asTTle (electronic assessment Tool for Teaching and learning) and Progressive Assessment Tests (PATs).

Principals' Federation president Leanne Otene told RNZ the call for proposals was a total surprise and contrary to what it had been told.

She said principals were comfortable with continuing to use the PAT and e-asTTle assessments but had begun to hear that Education Minister Erica Stanford wanted a single, national assessment system.

Otene said she was worried the new test could be developed by a foreign company with no knowledge of New Zealand schools or culture.

“Tests are created by jurisdictions to meet many requirements in terms of whether or not they’re culturally responsive whether they will meet the curriculum of a particular country ... so I am concerned,” she said.

Otene also questioned whether the minister’s commitment to ensuring schools' test results could not be compared still held true.

“Should I be worried? I’m not sure. She said there wouldn’t be a nationalised tool. She said that we wouldn’t be able to compare schools. How much of that is still the case,” Otene asked.

Stanford is in the UK and was not immediately available to comment.

However, Education Ministry curriculum centre acting deputy secretary Pauline Cleaver said in a statement it had decided that its own test, e-asTTle, was not up to the job.

“We have investigated the long-term use of e-asTTle. What that showed is that the tool had technical limitations and that the content does not align to current curriculum expectations. For these reasons further investment in e-asTTle wasn’t viable and instead we are looking at the option of a new tool to meet our needs in assessing student progress against the updated national curricula,” she said.

“We want a tool that will have many of the best features of e-asTTle but will also be fit for the future with the benefits of up-to-date technology and assessment tasks. The RFP is seeking a national or international provider to work with us to deliver a dual language tool for assessment and aromatawai that caters for both English and te reo Māori.”

Cleaver would not say how much the new tests might cost.

“Investing in a new tool is one of the most important and powerful levers available to improve the quality of information available to lifting student achievement and closing the equity gap. Getting this right will mean that good quality data about students' learning is available to inform teaching and learning, provide timely information to parents, whānau and caregivers, and inform decisions at every level of the education system,” she said.

The RFP said the Education Ministry wanted “a long-term solution to support all schools and kura to effectively enact twice-yearly assessment of learners and is aligned to Years 3 to 10 of the new National Curriculum”.

It said: “New Zealand currently has no standardised assessment tool that provides a clear view of how individual students are progressing until NCEA Level 1.”

Council for Educational Research chief researcher Charles Darr told RNZ its PATs were used in more than half of New Zealand schools “as low-stakes, evidence-based, standardised assessments in mathematics, reading, punctuation and grammar, and listening comprehension for ākonga in Years 3-10”.

He said in a statement the assessments were research-driven and broadly aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum.

“Currently the Ministry of Education still indicates that e-asTTle and PATs are encouraged at all schools, and NZCER is pleased that PATs can continue to support teaching and learning,” he said.

The council last year warned that a single mandatory test was a bad idea.

“An over-reliance on testing can lead to a narrowed curriculum that is focused on test preparation, which may result in heightened security concerns, and possibly even cheating,” it said.

The Education Review Office last year said national tests like PAT and e-asTTle were critical, but only about half of schools were using them.

However, PAT-provider the New Zealand Council for Educational Research said 78% of primary schools used PAT and/or e-asTTle maths tests last year and 71% used the tests to assess reading comprehension.

Correction: The last sentence in this article regarding primary school’s use of PAT tests has been amended.

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