Good data allows us to achieve in education

Four out of five kids are getting the qualifications they need from school. But our plan is for five out of five. National is focused on raising educational achievement for all students.

We want all our kids to leave school with the skills they need to reach their potential. That means lifting up those who are being left behind, and encouraging those who are doing well to do even better.

Having robust, quality information that helps us to support a student's learning is one of the ways we are working to achieve this. And National Standards data is a part of that. National Standards help keep parents and families up to date on how children are doing, help ensure we catch those falling behind, and help all learners to succeed. The data, to be reported in late September, will be part of Public Achievement Information, which will also include Education Review Office (ERO) reports, schools' annual reports and NCEA information. Over time, relevant national and international reports will also be added.

This will provide a comprehensive body of information that can be easily found online in the Ministry of Education's Education Counts website.

Public Achievement Information lets parents see how their children's school is performing, and will allow the Government to see how well the whole system is doing.

Given this is the first year National Standards data has been submitted it is variable. So the Government is working with schools to implement a five-year plan to improve the quality and use of this information.

The plan includes clear annual outcomes, a consistent reporting format, and revised timelines that better reflect the planning, reporting, and key delivery dates for schools.

It also includes targets that work towards our Better Public Services target of 85 per cent of 18-year-olds achieving NCEA Level 2 or better in 2017.

National wants to help parents track their child's progress, and be able to make informed judgements about schools through transparent information.

It's our priority to deliver better results from our public services, and raise achievement in education to ensure all children have the opportunity to succeed and make the most of their lives.