Survey Findings: Reporting for Year 0-2 Students

Thank you to all those who took the time to complete this survey. The Findings below come from 447 respondents from teachers/leaders in schools across New Zealand. Teachers’ and leaders’ comments have been summarised using Google Gemini.

Additonal Comments from Survey Respondents (summarised by Google Gemini)

Lack of Consistent Assessment Tools and Guidance: There is an urgent and critical need for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide clear, consistent, and universal assessment tools for Years 0-2, especially in Maths. Currently, the only new curriculum-aligned assessments provided are the 20/40 week Phonics Checks (which do not measure fluency or comprehension), leaving teachers to rely on self-created tools, formative assessments, observations, and commercial resources like Maths Snapshots, making judgments less valid and reliable across the country.

Ambiguity in Year Level and Reporting Timeline: Significant confusion exists regarding how to classify and report on New Entrant (NE) students who start school throughout the year, especially those who start in Term 2. The challenge is deciding whether to report based on 6 months at school or their academic year level (Year 0 or Year 1), which disadvantages students who have had less time in school compared to peers in the same class and makes consistent reporting difficult.

Curriculum Overload and Unrealistic Expectations: Many teachers feel the new curriculum expectations, particularly in Maths for the end of Year 1, have risen too high, making them difficult for students who start later in the year to meet. The constant change, including new components and reporting language, is overwhelming, and the timeframes and lack of PLD support from the MOE are frustrating.

Disadvantage of Non-Cohort Entry: The system of students starting school at different times throughout the year (non-cohort entry) is widely criticized as it creates discrepancies, leads to students missing crucial scope and sequence content, and results in an uneven playing field. Several respondents suggested moving to a consistent system with only two intakes per year.

Need for Clarity on Progress Descriptors and Reporting: Teachers require greater clarity on how to align existing assessments (or lack thereof) with the new progress descriptors and statements, particularly when determining if a child is "developing," "consolidating," or "proficient" at mid-year reporting. There are too many progress statements to report on, and guidance is needed on which ones are mandatory.