Kuranga
ISSUE 3 – 2011 NZ$8.95
Cognition Education Magazine
Cognition EduCation magazinE
IssuE 3 2011
enhancing life through
education
marked increase in English results
Cognition Education is a leading education consultancy based in New Zealand that understands that great education means tapping into the curiosity and optimism of children. We work with governments, non-government organisations and schools to provide the full scope of consultancy services in a variety of national and international projects. Profits arising from our work are invested back into the education sector. We support the development and reform of education systems to achieve improved learning outcomes for students worldwide. We do this with the knowledge that education is one of the most powerful ways of improving the quality of life for children and young people. If you would like to know more about how Cognition Education can improve your education outcomes, contact us now.
INSpIrINg lEadErShIp www.cognition.co.nz +64 9 638 4760 0800 Cognition 0800 264 648
makINg lEarNINg vISIblE INSIdE thE aUcklaNd EdUcatIoN SUmmIt
Focus nEita nominations open
Kuranga “nominations are now open and you can acknowledge a great teacher you know by nominating them.”
Kuranga is the Māori word for schooling and Māori is the first language of our land, aotearoa — new Zealand. We have chosen this name for our magazine as schools and schooling are at the core of our organisation. The essence of what we do is to improve schooling for children in new Zealand and around the world. We build schooling systems and structures to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. It is through the impact our work has on schools that we enhance life for the students that attend them and therefore on the societies in which we operate.
Kuranga Issue 03 – 2011
Editor roxanne de Bruyn
Contributing Writers Diane Crawford roxanne de Bruyn sarah Ellich
design Transformer
Production Coordinator shalini Warusevitane
Subscriptions and Contact Kuranga Magazine Cognition Education Private Bag 92617 symonds st auckland 1150 Ph +64 638 4760 Fax +64 9 638 4751 Email publishing@cognition.co.nz Website www.cognition.co.nz Cover photo by Diane Crawford articles reflect personal opinions, not those of Cognition Education. no parts of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from Cognition Education. © Cognition Education 2011
teachers count
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ext to parents, teachers have the most influence in a young person’s life. The National Excellence in Teaching and Leadership (NEiTA) Awards recognise exceptional teachers and school leaders in New Zealand. Nominations are now open and you can acknowledge great teachers you know by nominating them. You can nominate school leaders for a Cognition Education Excellence in Leadership Award or teachers for an ASG Excellence in Teaching Award. Nominees can come from schools or early childhood education and nominations can be made by parents, boards of trustees, management committees, secondary students and local community organisations. Nominations close on 31 August 2011. For more information or to make a nomination visit www.neita.co.nz
Featured Articles
Marked increase in English results at Um Al Emerat Girls’ School in Al Ain
Inspiring leadership Ten principals from Abu Dhabi tour New Zealand to see local school leaders in action.
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Students at a school in Abu Dhabi are embracing English across many aspects of their lives. This is due to the efforts of the principal at the school.
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Making learning visible
Inside the Auckland Education Summit
When teachers see learning through the eyes of the students and students see themselves as their own teachers.
In May, 180 people from the education business and social sectors came together to discuss ways to improve education at the Auckland Education Summit.
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Contact Us For information about any of our services please contact Terry Bates, General Manager Operations, on+64 9 638 4784 or tbates@cognition.co.nz
For any media or publishing-related enquiries please contact Roxanne de Bruyn, Marketing and Communications, on +64 9 638 4782 or rdebruyn@cognition.co.nz
ISSN 1179-8432
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Contents
14 Aiming high for low decile schools Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
03 Making an impact An update from CEO John Langley
36 Supporting improvement in eductaion Staff profile — Consultant Anna Sullivan
04 News headlines All the news from Cognition
38 Students from refugee backgrounds Evaluating achievement of students with refugee backgrounds
20 The future is digital 2010 Digital Technologies Symposium
Education in the Gulf
44 It takes a village to raise a child
22 Online teacher registration a success in Qatar
A hub approach to early childhood education
A new approach to teacher licensing
48 Teaching and travelling
31 A, Bee, C English soars at Um Al Emerat Girls’ School in Al Ain
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43 Building future education
A lifetime in education
| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Message from the CEO
making an impact Greetings - T n koutou katoa Nimen Hao Kumusta - Namaste - Goeie Dag Talofa lava - As salaam alaykum Welcome to the mid-year edition of Kuranga for 2011. I think it is fair to say that the first two editions that were produced during 2010 have been extremely well received all around the world both in the quality of production and in the content. The real purpose of Kuranga is to give you, as our clients, stakeholders and colleagues, a comprehensive view and “feel” for the work that we do and the impact that it has. The range of articles you will see in this latest edition is true testament to both the breadth and depth of the work that Cognition is doing and the ways in which it is impacting on teachers and learners all over the world. The emphasis on impact is vital when talking about any work in education. We do this work primarily to bring about a change of some kind. Whether it is new learning, higher levels of learning, or the ability of a person to take knowledge and apply it in different and innovative ways, effective education is always about change. The change that occurs begins within individuals, but almost certainly impacts directly on their organisations, community, town and country. In the fullness of time the impact can be felt globally through greater levels of working together to generate new knowledge, on-going interaction between people and groups from all around the world and a better understanding of who we are as people and what makes us who we are. We are often asked at Cognition about what binds our work together. The answer is a common set of values. It is our view that any successful organisation will be led by the values it holds and how they are applied in our daily work by all of our staff and board members. We have been doing a great deal of work in this area over the last year and as we have done so, it has become even more obvious how our values impact on our success. What are our values? They are respectfulness, collaboration, professionalism and independence. Respectfulness refers to the need to understand those we work with and to operate in an “open, relaxed and non-
Dr John Langley ONZM Chief Executive Officer
judgemental way” as former All Black Chris Laidlaw once put it. It means that we see and seek to know those things that are important to our clients and colleagues and what their aspirations are. Collaboration refers to the need to work alongside people and never “at” them. It means valuing and understanding what others bring to a situation and what we as an organisation bring to it, establishing the path and moving along it together. Professionalism refers to our desire to perform the work we do to the highest level of professional and ethical excellence. Put simply, it means being good at what we do and applying our knowledge and skills in a way that can bring maximum benefit to all involved. Finally, independence refers to the place Cognition holds in both the New Zealand and international scene. Being able to work with a wide range of governmental, non-governmental, community and business groups is a significant advantage that we have in both effectiveness and efficiency. It also means that we are not tied to nor are we at the behest of, any one group or ideology, but flexible and nimble in terms of what we do, where we can do it and with whom. At the beginning of the 21st century such attributes are valuable indeed. So, please enjoy the third Kuranga. We have certainly enjoyed what has gone into making it and the opportunity to share who we are, what we do and why we do it with all of you. We believe in the work we do and we know you all do as well.
Dr John Langley ONZM Chief Executive Officer Cognition Education Trust and Cognition Education Limited
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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News Headlines
Te Toi Tupu – Leading Learning Network Cognition Education has recently partnered with four leading education organisations to form Te Toi Tupu — Leading Learning Network. Te Toi Tupo provides professional learning and development that enhances student outcomes and accelerates the progress of students previously under-served by the education system.
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he consortium partners are Cognition Education, CORE Education, the New Zealand Council of Educational Research, University of Waikato and the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development, working together for positive outcomes for students, teachers and schools across New Zealand. The consortium has considerable expertise in all areas of education, and currently provides professional learning and development programmes for the New Zealand Ministry of Education in the areas of literacy, leadership and assessment, e-learning and te reo M ori. For more information visit www.tetoitupu.org.nz
Fulbright Cognition Scholar Award Fulbright New Zealand and the Cognition Institute invite applications for the Fulbright-Cognition Scholar Award in Education Research. Applications for this award, valued at US$32,500 plus travel expenses, close on 1 July each year.
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he award is available to applicants involved in one or more of the research, practice and policy contexts of early childhood education and primary/secondary schooling. The recipient will have an active interest in the broader education sector and use the award to: a) establish key relationships with credible education researchers or research organisations in the US, and b) collect, collate, analyse and use data available in the US for a research project. See www.fulbright.org.nz/awards/nz-cert.html or contact Kameswari Vanka at Fulbright New Zealand for further information — kameswari@fulbright.org.nz / (04) 494 1500.
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New role signals bi-cultural commitment I te taha o toku papa, Ko Panguru te maunga, Ko Hokianga te moana, Ko Waihou te awa, Ko Waimirirangi te marae, Ko Te Rawara te iwi I te taha o toku mama, Ko Taupiri te maunga, Ko Waikato te awa, Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Horohora te marae, Ko Waikato te iwi, he piko he taniwha, he piko he taniwha, Waikato taniwharau, Ko Taupiri te maunga, Ko Waikato te awa, Ko Pootatau te tangata Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Waikato te iwi, he piko he taniwha, he piko he taniwha, Waikato taniwharau,
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s part of the government’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, schools have legal requirements to improve outcomes for M ori under the Education Act 1989. They are obliged to consider the views and concerns of M ori communities before a school’s charter is prepared or amended and are required in their charter to reflect the unique position of M ori culture. With this in mind, those who contribute to the growth of our New Zealand education system through professional learning and development need to do the same. Cognition Education, through its Principal Consultant Micheal King (Tainui, Te Rarawa) in his newly appointed role as Te Pouherenga Matauranga is signalling its clear intent to review and redesign its own cultural responsive practices in ways that promote the spirit of partnership inherent in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Micheal will be responsible for strategic leadership relating to iwi relationship and education policy development. He will also lead the development and facilitation of a cultural responsive professional development plan for the organisation. Micheal will also advise on appropriate kawa and lead the organisation during time when M ori tikanga dictates. Micheal is pleased that the organisation he is committed to is sending a strong message about its bi-cultural responsibilities. “This is a great opportunity for Cognition to build upon its previous work,” he says. “We can further plan and implement a programme of professional development that puts a greater emphasis on improving our cultural responsive practices.” Micheal says that this is a long-term approach. “Deeply embedded cultural responsive practices take time, commitment and support and we need to ensure that cultural safety for all, is integral to our approach.” Micheal says that Cognition is also looking at having kaumatua and kuia as part of our cultural responsive plan. “If we are to promote the spirit inherent within Te Tiriti o Waitangi, then kaumatua and kuia are recognise within the organisation as of right.”
News Headlines
Evaluation of Gifted and talented regional symposia the supportive focus on regional solutions: playgroups model uilding upon the success of the 2010 gifted and talented regional symposia,
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Cognition will again be conducting twelve regional symposia across New Zealand with a focus on: –– Sharing of regional gifted and talented effective school practices ––
Raising the awareness of regionally based support and networks
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Participant dialogue, synthesis and engagement
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Engaging in a solution orientated process.
The symposia will be facilitated by regional representatives and will have a strong focus on participant dialogue. Teachers and stakeholders who attend will be able to use their expertise and experience in authentic discussions about gifted and talented students. This will allow them to focus on creating practical solutions to meet their local needs. For more information visit www.cognition.co.nz Area
Date
Venue
Facilitator
Time
Auckland South
Thursday 27 October 2011
Holiday Inn
Micheal King
9.00am-4.00pm
Whangarei
Monday 31 October 2011
Flames Hotel
Micheal King
9.00am-4.00pm
Auckland North
Wednesday 26 October 2011
North Harbour Stadium
Micheal King
9.00am-4.00pm
Wellington
Thursday 1 September 2011
Holiday Inn
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Dunedin
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Scenic Circle Southern Cross
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Napier
Friday 9 September 2011
War Memorial Centre
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Whanganui
Wednesday 14 September 2011
The Grand Hotel
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Nelson
Friday 16 September 2011
Monaco Resort
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Invercargill
Monday 19 September 2011
Ascot Park Hotel
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Christchurch
Friday 23 September 2011
Copthorne Commodore
Maria Lute
9.00am-4.00pm
Hamilton
Thursday 29 September 2011
Claudelands Event Centre
Micheal King
9.00am-4.00pm
Rotorua
Friday 30 September 2011
Millenium Hotel
Micheal King
9.00am-4.00pm
Saudi conference
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ognition Education partnered with Saudi Arabia-based educational company Al Bassam Group at the International Exhibition and Forum for Public Education (IEFPE) in Riyadh in March this year. Representatives from both Al Bassam and Cognition attended the conference and the two companies shared a stand.
The Cognition research and evaluation team is involved in planning and implementing a high quality formative evaluation determining the effectiveness of the supported playgroups model for the Ministry of Education.
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his is a three-year pilot project, with the goals of increasing ECE participation amongst nonparticipating children in the Counties-Manukau area and supporting children’s learning, parent’s engagement with their children’s learning and children’s transition to school. The Ministry’s framework provides for the ECE service provider, and the family to work reciprocally to help the child reach his/her educational potential and contribute to an effective transition to school. The evaluation design, method and analysis of data will highlight the supported playgroup processes and practices that best promote children’s participation, engagement and learning. The supported playgroup model has the potential to enhance significant engagement with parents to ultimately meet the learning needs of individual children, maintaining culture, language and individual philosophical approaches. The Cognition evaluation methodology includes extensive consultation throughout the three-year period with the Ministry, playgroup providers and parents, which will result in a comprehensively evaluated model to help to determine the increase in participation within traditionally low participating groups in high-quality ECE. Critical to the successful delivery of the model is the credibility of the people that Cognition brings to the project. Dr Barbara Disley leads this project, supported by Bronwyn Weston as project manager, and team members including Patricia Vermillion Pierce, Tista Lythe and Komathi Kolandai-Matchett.
Cognition Institute research on display
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he BELA (beliefs and expectations in learning and achievement) research and the Cognition Institute was one of these. The BELA research explored the beliefs and expectations of parents, commissioned and funded by the Cognition Institute was showcased at teachers and students and the relationships between them. the University of Auckland’s Research Excellence evening in May. For more information about the BELA project, visit The event was part of the University’s graduation celebrations and www.cognitioninstitute.org. awarded outstanding research from 2010. The evening also had 10 stands, highlighting research funded by charitable organisations. The BELA project
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Abu Dhabi Principals tour to NZ
inspiring leadership Ten Abu Dhabi principals visited New Zealand as part of a three year professional development programme focusing on leadership. The purpose of the visit was to share leadership practices with principals in New Zealand and enrich their leadership skills and experiences.
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| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus Abu Dhabi Principals tour to NZ
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
Miriam Hamad Al Shamsi (left) and Mariam Jumh Al Shamsi 7
Focus Abu Dhabi Principals tour to NZ
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n April this year Cognition and the University of Waikato Faculty of Education jointly hosted a group of principals from Abu Dhabi for a tour of New Zealand schools. Cognition works in Abu Dhabi as part of the government’s educational initiative to reform public schools. The principals who attended this year’s tour are in the first year of a three-year support programme. This visit was a real opportunity for them to see what we are talking about in action,” says Bronwyn Weston, who coordinated the Cognition team for the tour. “It’s one thing to describe how things work in New Zealand, but to see it actually working and functioning well gave them the opportunity to experience and discuss it in depth and to articulate what might or might not work in their own schools and why.” And there was plenty of opportunity for observation and discussion. The tour comprised a structured programme of school visits, and targeted professional development including workshops, discussion groups and reflective sessions. There were also formal welcome and farewell dinners, and some tourist activities in Auckland, Rotorua and Waitomo. Leadership was a key focus for the tour, and the Cognition and Waikato teams ensured the principals saw a diversity of leadership in action. “The visitors met with the principals of each school to discuss aspects of leadership, and were particularly interested in how they have developed distributed leadership in their schools,” says Bronwyn. “They also met with deputy principals and other leaders within the schools to gain an understanding of how they can grow leaders in their own schools.” One of the aspects of New Zealand schools that most impressed the principals was how leadership opportunities existed throughout the school structure. “They were particularly impressed by the leadership shown by students: house captains; cultural leaders, librarians and captains of sports teams. In some cases it was the students themselves who led the school tours, answering questions and posing some of their own. The principals were impressed at how involved the students were in the life of the school, particularly in their levels of engagement and how they were able to articulate what their learning experience was all about.” The principals saw 14 schools in total — seven in Auckland and seven in Hamilton — with a range of single sex and co-ed, primary, secondary and preparatory schools. The schools also varied in size
“The principals were impressed at how involved the students were in the life of the school, particularly in their levels of engagement and how they were able to articulate what their learning experience was all about.”
Below Left: Back Row: Alia Fares Saeed Hattab Al Dhaheri, Majedh Mustafa Kamal, Sheikha Khalifa Alshamsi. Front Row: Miriam Hamad Al Shamsi, Mary Ann Baxter (Hamilton Girls High School), Ros Stephens (Cognition), Mariam Jumh Al Shamsi, and Shiekha Shamesi. Below Right: Manurewa Intermediate principal Iain Taylor receiving a plaque from Mohamed Ahmed Ali A. A. A. Al Nagbi from left Azza Arwani, Mohamed Abdulla Mohamed Al Hammadi, Mohamed Ahmed Ali A. A. A. Al Nagbi, Iain Taylor, Cam Calder, National List MP Manurewa
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| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus Abu Dhabi Principals tour to NZ
and philosophy, with some more traditional schools and others that were more modern in both the design of the physical environment and the curriculum. “What was amazing was the depth of discussion that was generated by the programme,” says Bronwyn. “There was a great deal of analysis of what they could genuinely take back to their own schools, how easy or difficult it would be to implement and how quickly it could be implemented. The key for them was to discover ways to put new ideas in place within the system in Abu Dhabi.” Critical in this regard was that two members of Cognition’s staff from Abu Dhabi accompanied the tour. “They were able to experience everything with the principals and see their reactions, hear their discussions and their goals. This will contribute to the principals’ ability to really make the changes they were so inspired to make while they were here.”
Top: Mohamed Abdulla Mohamed Al Hammadi, Mohamed Ahmed Ali A. A. A. Al Nagbi, Matthew Williams, deputy principal: e-Learning and future focus Right: David Ferguson, principal of Westlake Boys receiving plaque from Ibrahim Abdalla Aljarrah from the UAE
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Introducing Visible Learning Plus
making learning visible Cognition Education’s Visible Learning Plus Programme
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| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus Introducing Visible Learning Plus
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Introducing Visible Learning Plus
Visible Learning — When teachers see learning through the eyes of the students and students see themselves as their own teachers
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he Visible Learning Plus workshops are based on 15 years of research by Professor John Hattie from the University of Melbourne. Cognition Education’s principal consultant Debra Masters has been working with John to develop the workshops, which reflect the underlying philosophy of the research. “The research clearly shows that positive learning outcomes happen when teachers can see learning through the eyes of students, and students can see themselves as their own teachers,” says Debra. “John’s research reveals that the biggest impact on learning happens when students can ‘self-report’ their own grades. So, if you ask a student how they might do in a test, they can not only tell you what grade they might get, but why — what areas are they strong in? What areas have they not fully grasped yet?” In order to achieve this, both students and teachers need tools to help them assess progress in a meaningful way, and the workshops are a culmination of work that both John and Debra have done in this area. From 2000 — 2011 John was project director for the University of Auckland team that developed the asTTle (Assessment Tools for Teaching & Learning) educational resource for assessing literacy and numeracy for the Ministry of Education. The online version, e-asTTle, was piloted in 2008, and its valuable assessment and feedback tools have made it an important part of the workshops run by Visible Learning in New Zealand. At the end of 2008, John published his book ‘Visible Learning — A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement’. The book involved researching many millions of students and focuses on the importance of both students and teachers having a clear understanding of what success means and developing the ability to assess and articulate that. In 2008 Debra was employed by the University of Auckland to do more research on feedback between teachers and students, and to look the professional development opportunities available for teachers. “We realised that what John’s book was saying was important and we needed to get it out there to make a difference. It’s one thing to read a book, but what I was interested in was what it looks like in practice.” That question led Debra and John to develop the Visible Learning Plus workshops, which are now run by Cognition Education. Debra is now a principal consultant at Cognition Education and is responsible for the programme. The workshops focus on putting John’s visible learning research into practice. “For example,” says Debra, “how do you build your learners to be assessment-capable? In the workshops we say ‘This is what it might look like in a classroom; we show videos, teachers complete activities; we’re going to be doing learning cafes for the new workshop we have just developed on using data evidence in action.” The workshops have been running for the past 12 months and have already been delivered in New Zealand and Australia. Debra also ran a workshop in the US and has upcoming speaking engagements on visible learning in Sweden, Norway and the UK. In New Zealand the Visible Learning Plus workshops use e-asTTle as part of the programme, as it has been built on the philosophy of visible learning, providing teachers and students with clear information about what a student can do and what their next learning steps are. “We don’t use the e-asTTle model overseas, because it is not an assessment tool that is available there,” says Debra, “although parts of Australia are looking at
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| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
“We realised that what John’s book was saying was important and we needed to get it out there to make a difference. It’s one thing to read a book, but what I was interested in was what it looks like in practice.”
Focus Introducing Visible Learning Plus
Visible Learning Plus workshop in Auckland
introducing it in the future. Instead we tailor the workshops to whatever the national testing data is in each country. Whatever tools they use, the underlying philosophy stays the same.” The programme can take a variety of forms from one-off sessions and workshops to packages covering several aspects of visible learning. Debra and John are also regularly invited to give keynote addresses at conferences and fit those in where they can. A new package on putting evidence into action will require participants to do their own needs analysis and develop an action plan during the workshops. “We’re very conscious of the huge potential of this programme,” says Debra. “Our next step is to do a comprehensive business plan to decide which countries and formats we will offer workshops in. One of the exciting things we’ve introduced is the capacity for children to answer an online survey about what feedback is like in their school. We then feed that back to the school.” It’s initiatives like that that Debra loves — the practical understanding and application of the research that she and John have undertaken. “John has so many great ideas — my job has been to harness them, and to work with the team at Visible Learning Plus to take all that great research and develop a programme that puts meaningful information into the hands of teachers and students.”
“We don’t use the e-asTTle model overseas, because it is not an assessment tool that is available there. Instead we tailor the workshops to whatever the national testing data is in each country.”
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
aiming high for low decile schools The AIMHI ICT Professional Development Cluster
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| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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PHOTOS Roxanne de Bruyn
Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
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t the beginning of 2010, eight of the 10 AIMHI schools became part of the AIMHI ICT professional development cluster, with the broad aim of making collaborative use of ICTs to inform teacher practice and improve learner outcomes, especially in the area of assessment for learning. Cognition Education’s Dr Phil Coogan and Chris Jager are project director and project coordinator for the cluster. Cognition’s coordinating role included helping to prepare the initial application to the Ministry of Education for three years of funding from the ICT PD cluster pool. Chris and Phil supported the cluster to set the goals for the project. Their ongoing role has been to coordinate cluster activities and support the schools to develop their own action plans for implementing the cluster goals. They also coordinate milestone reporting to the Ministry of Education based on feedback from the schools and their own observations. “The principals decided that the overall focus would be the use of assessment data to inform, practice and improve learner outcomes,” says Chris. “What’s important about this project is that it is a process, not a prescribed programme — the schools are using the data and assessment tools differently depending on other initiatives they are involved in.” Some, for example, are linking it to the literacy strategy, says Chris; others are focusing on academic mentoring and getting students to set their own learning targets based on the data. Much of the data being used comes from the online e-asTTle (Electronic Assessment Tools for Teaching & Learning) resource, which was developed to assess literacy, numeracy and Te Reo M ori for the Ministry of Education. “e-asTTle was the tool of choice for the principals,” says Chris, “and all the schools have been using it. But, as the project has proceeded, several schools have found other assessment data useful as well. The process has meant that schools can use whatever assessment data they have available in a formative way to assess students’ needs and plan the most relevant next learning steps.” While it has been important that each of the schools has the freedom to use assessment data in the way that will most benefit its own learning environment, Chris says that one of the greatest assets of the project is the collaboration that is gradually growing out of the cluster approach. “The schools are sharing their strategies, their successes and challenges. And because all eight schools are collecting data in similar ways, this positions them to identify common trends and discuss potential strategies.” The next phase of the project is to increase collaboration using digital
“There is every reason to believe that changes brought about through the project will be sustainable and will continue to inform the school’s teaching practices and improve learning outcomes for students.”
AimHi ICT PD project goal Collaborative use of ICTs to:
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provide quality achievement data to teachers and students
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facilitate within and between school discussion about that data, especially about trends and exceptions which might influence pedagogy
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facilitate the sharing of data with parents to further include them in the learning partnership.
| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
A student from Tamaki College setting academic goals
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
Setting academic goals Tamaki College’s story A
cademic mentoring and goal setting is the approach that has been adopted at Tamaki College. Students consider their own e-asTTle data to identify gaps in their learning. They then use the online career development system, DreamCatcher — a New Zealand developed tool which encourages self-analysis — to set academic goals. With the support of their year level academic counsellor and the careers adviser, students identify specific numeracy and literacy learning needs and set medium term goals for improvement. They are actively encouraged to initiate discussions about their next learning steps with their subject teachers through the DreamCatcher messaging system or in person. This means that teaching can specifically target gaps in the knowledge and understanding of particular groups of students. Teachers are prepared for their role within professional learning groups (PLGs) which focus on the use of assessment data and its potential to impact on teaching and learning. The goals set by the students are exported into reports for parents to view as part of the reporting process. Parents’ awareness of the significance of e-asTTle levels and scores is raised through parent-tutor teacher conferences. Tamaki College’s approach transfers responsibility for learning to their students in partnership with their teachers and parents /whanau. Digital technologies make the process manageable and provide opportunities for the students to take control of their learning in ways that were not previously possible.
“What’s important about this project is that it is a process, not a prescribed programme — the schools are using the data and assessment tools differently depending on other initiatives they are involved in.”
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technologies. To this end Chris and Phil are developing an online ‘home’ for the cluster group on the Ministry of Education’s Virtual Learning Network (VLN). This will allow teachers to use a variety of tools to collaborate within and between the schools. The project team is also keen to see more online involvement of parents and the community. “Several of the schools are already involving parents, using learning managements systems or other online platforms that allow them to share information with parents and allow students to articulate and reflect on their learning goals,” says Chris. “But we would like to see more of them able to do that.” One of the challenges facing the project is a lack of access to ultrafast broadband. Under the government’s current rollout scheme these schools may not get ultrafast broadband for up to five years. “We’ve been encouraging the technical managers in each school to stay in the loop and to share successful strategies for ensuring the school’s infrastructure can handle the demands of the project. But the truth is that without ultrafast broadband, having multiple students accessing e-asTTle and other online tools simultaneously poses challenges for a number of the schools. Because they are unable to conduct multi-user testing, some teachers have reverted to pen and paper testing.”
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Phil has been working hard on behalf of the schools by discussing options with other low-decile schools in similar situations, and representing the needs of the cluster to the likely broadband providers and government decisionmakers in the hope that there may be a way to speed up the process. “If it takes five years to get ultrafast broadband into these schools, the current cohort of students won’t see the benefits of it during their high school years. We think these schools need to be a priority in this rollout, but that appears unlikely.” The funded phase of the project is set to finish at the end of 2012, and Cognition’s formal involvement will also end at that stage, but Chris is optimistic that the practices that have been implemented will continue. “One of the strengths of this group is that they were an existing cluster at the outset of this project through AIMHI. The principals already met once a month and this project has become one of the things they discuss at each meeting. There is every reason to believe that changes brought about through the project will be sustainable and will continue to inform the school’s teaching practices and improve learning outcomes for students.”
Focus Increasing achievement in multicultural high schools
Tamaki College teacher Gerard Thompson-Tindling helps a student set his goals
“...the truth is that without ultrafast broadband, having multiple students accessing e-asTTle and other online tools simultaneously poses challenges for a number of the schools. Because they are unable to conduct multiuser testing, some teachers have reverted to pen and paper testing.”
Project outcomes School personnel
Tamaki College students working with DreamCatcher
Increased capability for teachers in AIMHI schools to use e-asTTle as a tool for gathering student achievement data and to use results to determine next learning and PD steps, involving students wherever possible. Increased use of ICTs by teachers and school leaders to facilitate sharing and analysis of assessment data, identifying trends which may influence pedagogy — within and across schools.
Parents and whanau Increased involvement of parents and whanau in the use of assessment data as the basis of learning conversations with their children and their teachers.
Community partners Involvement with community partners to position this cluster to make earliest possible use of the government’s planned broadband deployment.
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Focus 2010 Digital Technologies Symposium
2010 the future is digital 2010 Digital Technologies Symposium
The 2010 Digital Technologies Symposium brought together education and industry to help secondary school teachers prepare for change to their subject area.
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Focus 2010 Digital Technologies Symposium
O
n 17-19 November, digital technologies teachers from around the country gathered at the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport for the Ministry of Education and Cognition Digital Technologies Symposium. The symposium was the result of a collaboration between Cognition and the Ministry of Education and followed the successful Digital Technologies Guidelines (DTG) project and the writing of the digital technologies area of the technology curriculum. It gave secondary school digital technology teachers an exciting professional learning opportunity and aimed to support them to successfully adapt to and implement changes in their subject area. There was also a strong connection between education and industry, with the event being supported by NZICT group members. “When the DTG project finished, we felt professional support for these teachers was required,” says Tracy Bowker, who was Project Director for DTG. “This high-quality symposium gave teachers a great opportunity to examine the new standards with their peers and think through their teaching and learning programmes.” Cognition CEO John Langley welcomed the 250 delegates to the symposium on Wednesday morning, and was followed by Anne Jackson, the Deputy Secretary Schooling at the Ministry of Education, who officially opened the conference. Day one culminated with a symposium dinner with Stuart Middleton from MIT giving an interesting and entertaining speech. There were many high-profile industry keynote speakers including Julia Raue from Air New Zealand, Dan Wang from Oktobor Animation and David Boyes from Westpac. Melissa Clark-Reynolds, a highly successful entrepreneur, Wendy McGuinness from Sustainable Futures and Dr Nathan Matthews from Massey University were also speakers. As well as the keynotes, there were numerous workshops with sessions focused on assessment, digital pathways, hands-on interactive workshops and industry panel discussions. There was also an exhibition space, where delegates could interact with the sponsors of the symposium. Conference organisers Cognition and the Ministry of Education had stands, along with the sponsors who included: Renaissance HP Natcoll Cisco Nextspace Toshiba Instant Education Solutions Microsoft MIT Teachers who attended the symposium were impressed with the quality of the speakers and the professionalism of the event. Friday, the final day of the symposium, focused on skillbased workshops for the teachers.
From top: Teachers at a workshop on day 3 of the Symposium Edwina Mistry (Manukau Institute of Technology) and Brett O’Riley (NZICT) David Boyes, the keynote speaker from Westpac, unexpectedly gave an iPad to a lucky teacher
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Focus A new approach to teacher licensing
online teacher registration success in Qatar Cognition Education and the Professional Licensing Office for Teachers and School Leaders have been developing online processes for online registration and licensing of teachers.
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Focus A new approach to teacher licensing
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus A new approach to teacher licensing
C
ognition representatives work closely with the Professional Licensing Office for Teachers and School Leaders to scope, support, test, and introduce internationally credible processes of online registration and licensing that support a continued improvement in the quality of Qatar teachers and school leaders against the country’s National Professional Standards. Mary Sinclair has been leading Cognition’s contribution to the Qatar policy since its inception in 2008. “Online registration was integral to the Supreme Education Council’s original vision,” says Mary. “The systems and processes have been designed as a start-to-finish solution that provides teachers, school leaders and education support professionals with a framework for building and measuring their own performance and for external affirmation of their performance.” The process of registration begins with the principal of each school applying for an access code to the system. That code then enables the staff employed in the school to create an online account. Once they have access, staff members are guided through a process of completing an online curriculum vitae, complete with evidence of qualifications and experience. This is then validated and verified against the country minimum education qualifications and experience by both the principal of the school and by the Professional Licensing Office before the applicant is issued with a provisional licence, which is valid for a maximum three-year period. During the provisional licence period each teacher, school leader or education support professional is expected to work towards the completion of an electronic portfolio. An essential
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“The systems and processes have been designed as a start-to-finish solution that provides teachers, school leaders and education support professionals with a framework for building and measuring their own performance and for external affirmation of their performance.”
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part of the portfolio is the uploading and annotation of an individual’s evidence of his/her practice. The annotation is particularly important, says Mary. This is the individual’s reflection on the quality and relevance of his/her practice to student and school needs and how and why that evidence relates to the Qatar National Professional Standards. For teachers and education support professionals there are 12 standards, and for school leaders there are seven. Each portfolio must contain sufficient evidence of practice to cover each of the relevant standards, and each portfolio must also contain a range of different types of evidence. These cover the full range of activity expected of quality teachers and school leaders, such as planning, resource usage, assessment tools, assessment outcomes, review and reporting. To support, guide and ensure the completion of a quality portfolio, each teacher, school leader or education support professional is assigned a coach. The coach is expected to quality-assure individual portfolios before the portfolio is submitted for a final attestation and the award of a full licence to the individual concerned. A committee established within each school and trained by the Professional Licensing Office undertakes portfolio attestation for teachers and education support professionals. The attestation for school leaders is undertaken by an independent external committee nominated and trained by the Professional Licensing Office. Participants on school attestation committees include the principal and vice-principal academic, plus nominated representatives from middle management, teachers, the school board of trustees, or the wider school community. School leader attestation committees include nominated
Focus A new approach to teacher licensing
representatives from senior school leaders, other groups within the Supreme Education Council and the wider Qatar education community, including universities. Following an applicant’s presentation of key aspects of his/her portfolio, each attestation committee is provided with an opportunity to ask questions of the applicant. The questions must be related to the applicant’s evidence of practice and the alignment of that evidence to the National Professional Standards. Once satisfied the applicant’s evidence of practice is consistent with the National Professional Standards, the attestation committee is empowered to recommend that the Professional Licensing Office award the individual with a full licence, which is also valid for up to three years. Teachers commence with an ‘entry level’ licence and progress through a ‘proficient level’ to an ‘advanced skills level’. School leaders qualify for either a ‘middle manager’ or ‘senior manager’ full licence. While the attestation process is yet to be fully automated, Mary notes that as at 30 April 2011, in excess of 11,000 teachers, school leaders and education support professionals had created an individual account within the Professional Licensing Office online system. These 11,000 individuals include employees from the state independent schools and also the private school community. It is expected that up to 18,000 individuals will be registered prior to the commencement of the Qatar 2011-2012 academic year commencing September 2011. Concurrently, the Professional Licensing Office is planning a celebration to award the first full licences before the end of the current
“We’re starting to get feedback now that school personnel really see the benefits in working to create their portfolios and in working with the attestation committees. There is a real sense of achievement when they complete the process and achieve a full licence.”
academic year. “This will be an important event for the director and staff,” says Mary, “all of whom have worked extremely hard to introduce a unique yet internationally credible registration and licensing policy framework.” An important part of Cognition’s responsibility has been to establish and develop sustainable links between the Qatar Professional Licensing Office and the international educational community. Prior to the conclusion of Cognition’s work with the Professional Licensing Office, Mary expects relationships will be firmly established with the New Zealand Teachers’ Council, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and with other international organisations such as the International Forum for Teaching Regulatory Authorities, the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and the United Kingdom National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services. “It’s important, for future development, to encourage the sharing of best-practice strategies between countries,” says Mary. A recent visit to Qatar by the chief executive and the general manager of the Australian Institute of Teachers and School Leaders is a good example of this in action. “They spent a day with us observing, and both countries shared the strengths and challenges of their unique systems.” But the best endorsement of the new system comes from the teachers, school leaders and education support professionals themselves: “We’re starting to get feedback now that school personnel really see the benefits in working to create their portfolios and in working with the attestation committees. There is a real sense of achievement when they complete the process and achieve a full licence.”
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus English soars at girls’ school
raising achievement in English Efforts by an Al Ain school Principal to promote the use of English has resulted in both teachers and pupils embracing the language. 26 PHOTOS Diane Crawford
| Cognition Education Magazine | 2011
Focus English soars at girls’ school
Keen to embrace English: Um Al Emarat Secondary School pupils from left Amina Fouzi Tuati, Dina Munaf Abdul Ameer and Aida Henidi Alloush
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus English soars at girls’ school
T
Cognition's English advisor at Um Al Emarat, Louisa Woods (left) and student Aida Henidi Alloush
he message from the three Grade 10 pupils at Um Al Emarat Secondary School is loud and clear: English is fun. For Aida Henidi Alloush (16), Amina Rouzi Toati (16) and Dina Munaf Abdul Ameer (17), English lessons are a highlight of their day. “We all love English, of course!” says Aida. “It is much more interesting now. Teachers have many styles of teaching. Before they used to do the lessons, give us homework and that was it. Now teachers have us working in groups and in teams. It is much more fun.” Her enthusiasm is echoed by Amina. “Now English is starting to make sense. The exams have changed too. They are more like what is happening around us, they are connected to life. It is interesting to learn.” The girls are proud of the improvement in their English language skills and their increasing vocabulary. “English is the language of the world because now everyone can understand English,” says Dina. “Now we can connect with people everywhere. It is a foreign language. It opens doors. Now we can speak more than before. We were shy when we made a mistake, but now it is easy. We have much more confidence to talk.” They all say their new English skills will help them in their career paths. They are unanimous in their reply when they’re asked if they want to go to university. “Definitely! Of course!” Careers have been chosen already — a doctor, English civilization and cultures teacher and a translator. Cognition’s English advisor at the school, Louisa Woods, says student achievement in English has increased in every area, at every grade level since Cognition has been working in the school. During this period she has worked intensively with its English teachers and has watched as their maturing teaching skills and confidence has reflected positively on students. Louisa admits it’s hard work and often frustrating for the teachers. English lessons are taught in English and so the classes centre on improving spoken and written English as well as moving through the curriculum.
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“The teachers are learning so much themselves, as well as trying to get the pupils to understand new concepts. But it’s worth it when they see that something has worked and the girl who could only say one word at the beginning the term because she was so frightened is now able to get up and answer in full sentences.” Louisa’s job focuses on supporting and coaching the teachers in terms of pedagogy and classroom practice. She provides professional development sessions for both departments and grade level groups and conducts one-on-one coaching sessions. She also carries out classroom observations and then provides feedback, ideas and help with resource development. “The curriculum was new last year so I have done work around helping the English teachers unpack the curriculum. It is aspirational, rather than the level the pupils are currently working at, so there’s a real challenge to balance the demands of the curriculum with the needs of the students who are in front of them in the class,” Louisa says. Working with the teachers requires constant innovation. “A lot of what we talk about they can’t even frame in their heads. Trying to explain student centred learning or concepts such as ‘students will analyse and appreciate different language forms’ can be difficult. That is part of the challenge. Sometimes you think they know what you are talking about but it can often be something completely different and this comes out in discussions later. Often using a tool such as a DVD will help with their understanding of these difficult concepts.” The teachers have not seen modern teaching practice modelled before. In their classroom teaching they often rely on a text book which they could follow from day-to-day. There is little unit planning; students are generally taught by rote learning. The teachers are positive about having more freedom in their teaching and using a basic learning plan. “I am amazed at the language teachers, they are great women and they are very articulate and their English language skills are impressive considering they learnt basically by rote when they were
Focus English soars at girls’ school
“We all love English, of course! It is much more interesting now. Teachers have many styles of teaching. Before they used to do the lessons, give us homework and that was it. Now teachers have us working in groups and in teams. It is much more fun.” Amina Fouzi Tuati (left) and Dina Munaf Abdul Ameer
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Focus English soars at girls’ school
Above left: from left Aida Henidi Alloush, Amina Fouzi Tuati and Dina Munaf Abdul Ameer. Above: Aida Henidi Alloush.
Some of these kids are never going to get 90 per cent... focusing on the learning, rather than the numbers at the end of the year has been a huge step.
at school,” Louisa says. “A lot of it they have had to do by themselves.“ Teachers now understand the importance of improving pupils’ performance. Previously the girls would be tested on their textbook knowledge and could ‘pass’ with a grade in the 90s. “It is a shift in mindset from a pupil getting a mark in the 90s to asking whether they have improved, but that is now happening,” Louisa says. “Initially a teacher with a low ability class was concerned because this meant some of these kids were failing, and they felt they would get into trouble as a teacher. But their mindset has changed and they see a pupil who was getting 30 per cent and is now getting 40 per cent so they understand the concept of adding value. “Some of these kids are never going to get 90 per cent and that’s the same in any classroom, anywhere in the world. Focusing on the learning, rather than the numbers at the end of the year has been a huge step.” The teachers have learnt to involve the pupils more in the classroom. When they introduce a topic, they will draw on the pupils’ prior knowledge and get them to contribute first rather than giving them the information. A typical lesson involves a starter with vocabulary that is linked to the lesson, group work and then a feedback session. The groups might have the same article or book to work from, but different tools — a dictionary, glossary, or translated words. Teacher-developed learning objectives are now forming part of the lesson and sometimes pupils develop success criteria
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themselves. Peer assessments and self assessments are also used. More work is being done on reading strategies and specifically teaching the pupils prior knowledge. Instead of giving them large chunks of text to read from a book, English teachers now encouraged their pupils to ask questions and make connections as they read. “We taught those skills specifically through all the grades and our reading marks shot up once this was implemented,” Louisa says. “The kids now know that they just can’t copy and paste the answers from the text, they need to actually think for themselves. There has always been a ‘right’ answer and in many other subjects there is a right answer and it’s something they’ve memorised. If you have a good memory you will do well, but in English it’s not like that.” Sometimes it was difficult for the teachers to choose what strategies to use in a lesson. “Sometimes there are too many things. The teachers have all these new skills and they will try to cram them all into one lesson. It would be a really super teacher who would do all of these things, every lesson. But they try really hard and they love the girls and really want to see them succeed.” English teacher Ms Lateefa Nayea Al Neyadi admits that changing the way she teaches has been a challenging experience. “Things have changed dramatically in English. In the past, the teacher did most of the talking, whereas now, students do most of the talking. I am teaching different strategies. Students have to be critical thinkers. Before I did not teach poetry, or about metaphors and similes, so that is a good thing for me as a teacher. I like trying new things. So I am not against the change, but the problem is each year there is more to learn. “It is almost like a new job. I embrace and welcome any change, but it is challenging. But I like the new strategies and I support it, as it is going to change education. I like the way that everything is linked to the UAE culture. When it is linked to their real life, the pupils will remember.”
Focus English soars at girls’ school
a , bee, c English soars at girls’ school Significant improvement in English has occurred at Um Al Emerat Girls’ School during the six terms Cognition advisors have been on board.
Respectful working relationship: Cognition’s Lead Advisor for Um Al Emarat Secondary School, Andrea Williams with Principal Maryam Hamad Al Shamsi.
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus English soars at girls’ school
I
n the open air assembly at Um Al Emarat Secondary School in Al Ain, a wasp flies lazily into a group of 16-year-old girls. The group disperses rapidly, the girls shrieking and flapping their arms to ward off the offending insect, calling out panicked warnings to each other as the wasp picks out its favourite and pursues her around the courtyard. Nothing unusual about that, says Andrea Williams, Cognition’s Lead Advisor for the school — except the girls voiced their panic in English, not Arabic. Learning to speak English is bundled in with the English curriculum at schools in the UAE, and the wasp incident is a small example of how the English language is becoming firmly entrenched in pupils attending Um Al Emarat, a grade 10-12 (New Zealand Year 11-13) cycle 3 girls’ school in the oasis town of Al Ain. After a year and a term of Cognition’s presence in the school, Andrea Williams says the biggest shift in pedagogy has occurred with the school’s seven English teachers.
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“There is a strong acceptance of English, an increasing usage of the language and a desire by teachers to build their capacity around the use of English,“ she says. “What’s really exciting about this is that our English teachers are predominantly Emerati and they have embraced the pedagogical change really well.” The teachers that the Cognition advisors work with all have English language targets to meet. They work with Cognition’s ESOL advisor. Some teachers, including an Arabic teacher, attend the classes voluntarily. The school will be well equipped to deal with the increasing number of students who will begin speaking both English and Arabic in kindergarten and will arrive at high school as biliterate students, Andrea says. The increasing use of spoken English in the school reflects a desire by the principal, Maryam Hamad Al Shamsi, for English to Working together to foster a love of English: Cognition Lead Advisor for Um Al Emarat School, Andrea Williams (left) and Principal Maryam Hamad Al Shamsi.
Focus English soars at girls’ school
“There is good understanding around the school improvement plan and a strong recognition in the senior leadership that this plan is more than something on a piece of paper, that it has to be a living document that we refer back to and we check through regularly.”
PHOTOS Diane Crawford
be spoken, and to be spoken well, Andrea says. She has introduced several reading initiatives to promote the rich use of English language and reading across the school and ensures English is spoken at the school’s daily assemblies. A team of six Cognition advisors — plus a translator — work in the school. They include Andrea, English advisor Louisa Woods, an ESOL and maths advisor and a translator. The team shares a science and ICT advisor with another school. Andrea describes the school as warm, welcoming and “incredibly nurturing of its students.” “We are really fortunate because we have been welcomed into the school by the principal and other key members of the staff right from the word go. We have had no resistance to us and our presence and the work that we want to do.” Um Al Emarat is a rural school and its roll and around 70 per cent of its 510 pupils are Emerati. A large number of parents do not read or write in either Arabic or English. Education, however, is valued within the community. “Parents are very fortunate to have their daughters in this school where the teachers and the leadership are very much focused on education for all young women,” Andrea says. “That is a very strong aspiration of this school.” She says a lot of the initial work with the principal focused on the role of the Cognition team in the school. Now in the second year of the three-year contract, the team is working towards sustainability. “Our work is very much around coaching and sitting alongside teachers to do with, not for, and we keep reminding each other of that all the time. It does sometimes make the implementation of things seem a little slower than it could because if you just go ahead
“Parents are very fortunate to have their daughters in this school where the teachers and the leadership are very much focused on education for all young women. That is a very strong aspiration of this school.”
and do it ourselves it would happen so much more quickly, but that is not going to serve our purpose long-term.” Andrea says as lead advisor her primary role is to work with the principal around what leadership for improving educational outcomes looks like in the 21st century. A large chunk of her time is spent with the principal, sharing ideas and implementing new initiatives around policies and procedures for the school. Good progress has been made around assessment policy and procedures and the need for documentation and reviews. “There is good understanding around the school improvement plan and a strong recognition in the senior leadership that this plan is more than something on a piece of paper, that it has to be a living document that we refer back to and we check through regularly,” Andrea says. The principal acknowledges that her pupils have made “wonderful” progress in English. She says the school is looking for new ways to get students to practise using English as often as they can. “We are trying to link the language with their school lives and their other subjects, so we are encouraging the teachers to try to talk more English in other subjects, to use different words to help the students. We tell the students that English is an important language and it is like a passport which will enable them to go to university. They need to help themselves; they need to learn this language.” As many of the children are not from educated families it is up to the school to play a greater role in fostering the language. Miss Maryam says much has changed in the school since Cognition arrived. “We have different kinds of people, different kinds of ideas and different styles of learning.” The fact that there are advisors working in specific curriculum areas means they can take responsibility for changes filtered through by ADEC and manage these changes with the teachers. “Usually when we have a change in any subject I sit down with Andrea and start to look at what we need to do as leaders in the school, then sit with the supervisors. Sometimes ADEC sends new strategies and we plan how we are going to manage these new policies. This year things are very comfortable and we can deal with the changes better than we could last year.”
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Cognition Institute Auckland Education Summit
making a difference to
Auckland education Leaders from across Auckland’s education, central and local government, business and community sectors met in small diverse groups to resolve what needs to happen for education — from early childhood to workplace learning — to make a full contribution to Auckland’s future
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n May this year, Cognition Institute and COMET (a charitable trust that provides leadership, advocacy, facilitation and co-ordination services for education) convened the Auckland Education Summit. The Summit’s key purpose was to explore what needs to happen in order for education to make a full contribution to Auckland’s and New Zealand’s future. a total of 180 people registered for the event, with participants coming from all parts of the education sector — early childhood to tertiary, not-for-profits, community and private — and from the wider social, political and business sectors. Cognition Institute Principal Consultant Nicola Meek was one of the Summit organisers. “While New Zealand does well in international education indicators, we have one of the greatest gaps between the highest and lowest achievers of any country,” says Nicola. “Around 28% of children are leaving school without the basics they need for success in life.” Nicola says this disparity reflects on M ori and Pacific Island children in particular, and the Auckland area has the greatest population in the country of children from that demographic. The Summit considered the radical changes that might be needed to make a genuine difference to educational achievement
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and its contribution to New Zealand. The day was planned to allow for intensive discussion, planning and to create better alignment between all those who are involved with education. Mayor Len Brown was one of four keynote speakers. He spoke about education as one of the seven key areas of focus for the new Auckland Council. He highlighted education’s role in the city’s economic development strategy, including tourism, high-tech industries, marine, finance, the screen and film industry, and the food and beverage industry. He challenged the participants “to come back to us with a collaborative and cohesive plan to sow into the Auckland Plan, to reflect our economic aspirations for growth, to reflect our aspirations to ensure that every single one of our youngsters when they come out of school are going into a job.” Three ‘provocateurs’ set the challenges for the day’s discussions. Tapu Misa, columnist for the NZ Herald, New Zealand’s largest daily newspaper, painted a picture of what it would look like if education were succeeding for 100%, not just 80%, of our children. “Tapu brought that narrative down to a very personal level, which had a real impact on participants,” Nicola says. “My siblings and I have 18 children between us,” said Tapu. “If
PHOTOS Shalini Warusevitane
Cognition Institute Auckland Education Summit
we accepted the 20 percent rule, we’d be buying into the idea that three, maybe four of our children will ‘fail’. We’re not prepared to see that happen. Let’s be clear. Our definition of success doesn’t involve all our kids getting doctorates, though some of them will. It doesn’t involve all of them becoming doctors and lawyers, although some of them will. It does involve all of them achieving to their potential and finding meaningful work that uses their gifts, and allows them to live independently and with dignity.” Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor, asked what might be happening if education were truly accountable to its community. He highlighted the importance of a shared understanding of what ‘education’ means. He signalled the critical importance of preparing today’s children for a changing world, where the rapid expansion of science-based challenges, such as climate change, water resources and health choices, have profound implications for the democratic process. As the final provocateur, Angus Fletcher, chair of The Fletcher Trust, asked about the systems needed for the first two scenarios to become realities, for education to be truly successful and accountable. He proposed a paradigm shift, where those with expertise, shared
leadership and mutual accountability developed policies and strategies specific to Auckland. He advocated the value of education organisations working with the private sector, particularly in the areas of programme resourcing and support, and technological expertise. “There is an opportunity to create an action plan from this Summit,” said Angus, “where the goal is to eliminate failure while increasing the quality of our educational institutions and learning experiences of all students.” The Cognition Institute, together with COMET, has offered to support participants in developing a work programme over the next 12 months. “The new city governance structure provides the opportunity for the council to collaborate more effectively with the education sector and others so that education can make its full contribution to Auckland,” says Nicola. “We currently have a fragmented sector that has many diverse groups operating within it. We want to make sure all sectors understand the role they can play in realising the learning potential of all Aucklanders.” To see the full speeches or find out more about the Auckland Education Summit, go to: www.cognitioninstitute.org/index.php/Summit/
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Staff profile — Consultant Anna Sullivan
supporting improvement in education
A
nna Sullivan started her working life as a teacher. After working as an assistant principal she decided to spend some time overseas. When she returned, Anna wanted to stay in the education field, but was keen to try something different. She was offered a role with the Multi Serve Education Trust (Cognition Education’s former incarnation) initially as professional coordinator and later professional manager for Multi Serve’s aspect of the Ministry of Education’s website for teachers — Te Kete Ipurangi. In 2004, when Cognition won a contract to support schools as part of the education reforms in Qatar, Anna was a member of the first group sent to the Middle East to get the process under way. Anna worked in Qatar for three and a half years, spending an initial 18 months at one school and then a year each with another two schools. As a school management advisor, Anna worked closely with the principal and senior management team. “We worked in teams based fulltime in the school, helping them to introduce a new curriculum, new assessment processes and new policies and procedures across every aspect of school life. So I was working beside the principal and senior management team every day, almost decision by decision, as well as supporting teachers in classrooms,” says Anna. “It was a very rewarding job”. In the early stages of the project, Anna was required to write an education plan for the school she was working with. “The initial plan was written in English and I was developing it with a principal who spoke very limited English and we had no official translator. There was a huge amount of trust involved, and it was an amazing experience to create this plan together.” When she returned from Qatar, Anna took a role as a senior advisor in the Ministry of Education’s professional learning team, becoming the team leader a few months
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later. This gave her a great insight into the workings of a government department and the opportunity to work with many skilled educators and professional development providers throughout the sector. But in January last year, the opportunity to return to the Middle East with Cognition took Anna back to Qatar for seven months. “I was in the same role as when I first went, but the reform process had changed a great deal. One of the best things was that I got to revisit one of the schools I had worked with at the beginning of the process and see how well they were doing. The measure of our success in countries like Qatar is not so much what we do while we are there, but what happens when we leave. It was great to see that the school had put into practice what we had planned and had continued to step up and improve.” Anna is now working for Cognition in Auckland as a consultant and is currently the consortium manager for Te Toi Tupu, a group of five organisations — Cognition, CORE Education, University of Waikato, Waikato Tainui College for Research and Development and NZCER — who have a series of contracts with the Ministry of Education to deliver professional learning and development to New Zealand schools. Anna is coordinating the consortium’s 10 projects, which cover e-learning, leadership and assessment, literacy and te reo M ori. “All of the organisations bring diverse skills and backgrounds, and everyone has so much to offer,” says Anna, “and part of my role is to make sure we are utilising that knowledge across the projects, and that what we learn from one project informs the others. “Ultimately, we need to make sure that students’ learning is improved as a result of our work. As with our work overseas, a measure of our success will be ensuring we provide the support and knowledge education leaders and teachers need to continue to improve and develop once we are gone.”
PHOTO Geoff Osborne
Cognition consultant Anna Sullivan uses her knowledge and experience to support improvements to education.
Focus Supporting improvement in education
“The measure of our success in countries like Qatar is not so much what we do while we are there, but what happens when we leave. It was great to see that the school had put into practice what we had planned and had continued to step up and improve.� Anna Sullivan
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Evaluating achievement of students with refugee backgrounds
investigating the needs of New Zealand’s students from
refugee backgrounds 38
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Focus Evaluating achievement of students with refugee backgrounds
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
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Focus Evaluating achievement of students with refugee backgrounds
A five-year research study into the social and academic achievement of refugee students in New Zealand schools is drawing to a close.
T
his is the fifth year of Cognition’s research study focused on refugee achievement in New Zealand secondary schools. The project, which began in 2007 with two groups of students from years 9 and 10, is the first in the world to take such a comprehensive look at refugee experience in secondary schools. The evaluation is a longitudinal study of the social and academic achievement of 115 students from 19 schools in the Auckland and Waikato regions. The study investigates the transition of these students to a New Zealand lifestyle and how their achievement patterns fit with other groups of migrant, refugee and New Zealand students. Students come from a range of countries, including Tanzania, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia,
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Kenya, Congo, Djibouti, Burundi, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Burma/Myanmar, China, Thailand and Albania. Participating students have been in New Zealand for varying lengths of time — a number of years or recent arrivals — in some instances arriving in year 9 when the evaluation began. They also come from a wide range of backgrounds, with some having had no formal schooling prior to coming to New Zealand or their entry to secondary school. The research considers three central themes: –– Achievement patterns/trends of refugee students in New Zealand secondary schools. Achievement is used in the broadest sense of both academic and social achievement.
Jo Smith working with students at Hamilton’s Fraser High School International Centre
Focus Evaluating achievement of students with refugee backgrounds
–– Factors that help explain the achievement patterns found. These factors may relate to family, school and the students themselves. –– Possible gaps, if any, in the provisions made for students and any changes that could be made to support provided to enhance the achievement of these students. As project manager, Cognition’s Bronwyn Weston has been working closely with the Ministry of Education and the schools involved in the project. She says that a key aspect of the success of the evaluation to date has been the consistency of the Cognition field team across the life of the project. This team — Bronwyn Weston, Michael King, Repi Wright and Therese Ireland-Smith — has been visiting each group of students and their teachers several times a year for four years, which Bronwyn believes has contributed to the consistency and depth of information that has been provided by the participating students. There is also an advisory group that works alongside the project, which includes the Ministries of Education and Social Development, the Department of Labour, community members, the schools and two refugee students who are not involved in the project. Each year of the study, as well as assessing their achievement, all participating students are asked questions in eight focus areas to allow for the comparison of responses over time. The eight focus areas are achievement trends, school context, structure and engagement, academic courses, student experiences, goals and aspirations, and external influences. There is a second component of the study that involves in-depth case study interviews with the students and schools and that focuses on a different set of themes each year. These annual focus areas include: transition issues, the use of ICT to support learning, future choices and their implications, and pathway choices. In this final year the focus is on the experiences of these students in their final year of secondary school. Social achievement is also considered in the evaluation, including issues of self-perception and the students’ feelings about school. Students’ goals are considered; while some students may have had the same goals since year 9, others are finding new opportunities. The study looks at reasons why these things change, for example, are they affected by culture, money, or personal and family responsibilities? Bronwyn says that the project has provided a wealth of information that will be used to inform policy and practice in schools and looks forward to the final report in early 2012.
School Profile Jo Smith, leader of learning at Hamilton’s Fraser High School International Centre, has been the coordinator for the project at her school. Jo was excited when she first heard about the project, as it fits with her longterm commitment to and concern for New Zealand’s students from refugee backgrounds. “I have seen that refugee students have different, and higher, needs than other students,” says Jo. “Many of them have had broken schooling and problems other than learning to deal with. One of the key areas that has concerned me is that there is such a focus on learning English as a second language and little recognition of the illiteracy in numeracy many of these students have. Many of them are also illiterate in their first language, so they are not just learning to read and write in English, they are learning to read and write for the first time.” Jo has seen that just participating in the project has had benefits for the students involved: “They have really enjoyed it and it has helped them to become really engaged in their experience at the school. They love catching up with Bronwyn from Cognition when she comes to do the interviews. They have enjoyed sharing part of themselves and their experience with people who are genuinely interested.” Jo instilled in the students early in the project an understanding “that they could really make a difference through this project that will help future generations of students like themselves. They have really responded to that idea.” Ultimately, Jo hopes that the project will create increased awareness for refugee students in New Zealand. “I hope that the data that’s collected will open the eyes of people that have the power to make changes to better cater for these students and their changing needs.”
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Focus Slug Here
Cognition’s Sally Smart greeting HE Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council
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Focus Education in the Gulf
building future education Middle East North Africa Cognition was a sponsor of the exhibition and conference which covered the management, reform, investment and operations of all educational institutions and programmes in the Middle East North Africa region.
I
n November 2010, Cognition Education played a major role in the Building Future Education MENA Conference in Abu Dhabi. Cognition board member and Auckland University professor John Hattie was asked to be the Chairman for the conference. John’s presence and status as one of the world’s foremost educational researchers caused a great deal of interest. John presented the opening address which was attended by H.H. General Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, the Minister of Education for the UAE, and HE Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Director General of ADEC. Many senior government education officials from a number of countries were also present. The Abu Dhabi Cognition team presented a very well attended workshop, sharing some of the key thinking, benefits and outcomes of our project work in schools. There was also a large contingent of Abu Dhabi-based Cognition managers and advisors available to field the many requests for assistance from a wide range of delegates. “Cognition was delighted that the conference gave us the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues facing educational leaders from many countries,” says Cognition’s Sally Smart. “The conference was another way for Cognition to express our long term commitment and support for educational reform in Abu Dhabi and the wider region.” From top:
“Cognition was delighted that the conference gave us the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues facing educational leaders from many countries. “
John Langley (left) greeting the UAE Minister of Education, HE Humaiad Mohammed Al Qatami (right), HE Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili (far right) Professor John Hattie chaired the conference The Abu Dhabi Cognition team presents a workshop
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Focus A hub approach to early childhood education
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Focus A hub approach to early childhood education
2011 | Cognition Education Magazine |
45
Focus A hub approach to early childhood education
The OECD has stated: ‘The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children — their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialisation, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which they were born.’
C
PHOTOS Roxanne de Bruyn
ognition Education was recently contracted by the New Zealand Ministry of Education to scope and deliver a report on the barriers to participation in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in a discrete geographic area. In New Zealand, generally 95% of all new entrants have had some ECE when they start school, but the figure is much lower for M ori and Pasifika children (91% and 85% respectively). In the inquiry area, the figures were even lower (65.7% and 83.8% respectively). As well as focusing on barriers to participation in ECE, the evaluation also looked for solutions to overcome these barriers and increase the participation of specific groups in ECE. It also identified best-practice delivery by ECE providers in the area, in particular those that engage and provide quality ECE experiences for M ori, Pasifika and vulnerable groups in the community. The project showed that we can look after our children best by taking a community hub approach. This approach is community and strengths-based, solution-focused and dependent on collective partnerships and continuous evidence based inquiry and improvement. Good relationships and face-to-face communication are what make the difference.
Images from an ECE centre celebrating Pasifika week with a kava ceremony
“The project showed that we can look after our children best by taking a community hub approach... good relationships and face to face communication are what make the difference.”
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Focus A hub approach to early childhood education
characteristics of effective ECE providers hub approach A variety of stakeholders, including parents, consistently identified a number of providers as being examples of best practice. These educational providers took a “hub” approach. They all:
Feedback from participants received in interviews and surveys indicated some common characteristics shared by the ECE providers that were perceived as providing an exemplary service. These centres showed:
Were solutions focussed — they identified the barriers to participation and put in place strategies and processes to overcome them. These centres provided new solutions to complex and seemingly intractable problems through a network of interdependent relationships at a variety of levels: child, family, extended family, community, school, education, special needs, health and social service agencies
––
a whole community approach and support
––
relationships between adults and students that were based on trust and acceptance
––
a significant amount of the communication between providers and families are face-to-face rather than written or emailed
––
the best interest of children are at the centre of all decisions
––
Were reflective — the ECE centre looked inward at their own culture and practices first and reflected on how they might be contributing to negative patterns and outcomes
––
––
Had a strong sense of moral purpose — they saw that their mission or purpose was to provide a strong learning environment for the whole community in an environment where the centre, families, community and support agencies were well connected
a committed partnership that bridged health, education and social services to ensure that the appropriate resources and support are delivered in a timely and responsive manner through a network of collaborative interdependence
––
practitioners who have the capacity and capability to fulfil the role of bridging social capital at all levels of the organisation
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investments in time and professional development resources for all participants
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seeking out what families and communities want for themselves, the ECE centre and others
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exploring the capacity of the community to undertake positive social change by thinking about how existing successes can be built upon and discovering the connectors and working alongside them
––
practitioners who embraced opportunities to actively promote and support the health, education and wellbeing of children and their families, as opposed to taking a passive “band aid” approach
––
a supportive infrastructure both within the ECE centre and externally from the provision of workforce, governing body to professional development and collegial support
––
they are open and responsive to feedback, unexpected results and opportunities from these changes.
––
––
––
––
Provided leadership — that bridged agencies and worked in partnership with families and the community. This was evident in leaders’ bold risktaking, providing many opportunities for face-toface contact, having clear and high expectations of themselves and others, and seeing connections between systems, agencies and organisations Utilised the strengths, successes and experience of those within the community. They actively sought to employ staff who were mature, experienced, empathetic and able to offer the mentoring and support many of the young families required Demonstrated actions and practices that showed that they were values based in their approach- the values they modelled included:
* organic growth (support that was responsive to families’ changing needs and circumstances)
* reciprocity (as people were helped, so too they became helpers)
* professionalism (collective responsibility for child and family wellbeing, permeable professional boundaries and shared understandings)
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Focus A lifetime in education
Robin and Barbara Morrison: combining teaching with a love of travel.
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Focus A lifetime in education
teaching travelling
and
In their roles as Cognition advisors, Robin and Barbara Morrison draw on their extensive international experience to support schools in Abu Dhabi.
I
n 1977, newly-weds Robin and Barbara Morrison packed their bags and headed for England, worked as teachers and travelled as much as they could before returning to New Zealand a year later. They settled back into their careers in Canterbury, began a family, and pledged that one day they would live and work overseas again. In 2003, with their children grown, the couple decided to make good on the promise they made 26 years earlier. They embarked on a journey that has taken them to schools in Lebanon, Qatar, Peru and now the United Arab Emirates, where they both worked as Cognition English advisors in Al Ain, Robin at Muawiah Boys’ School and Barbara at Al Hadarah Girls’ School. “We always promised ourselves we would travel again, but it didn’t happen until our youngest child was in her last year at university. We decided to do it while we were still able to enjoy the experience,” Barbara says. “The kids were keen for us to go, probably a bit concerned about our safety when we told them we were heading for Beirut, but said, ‘You have spent all these years with us, now it is time for you to do something for yourselves.’ They wished us well, and off we went.” The couple resigned from their jobs at Darfield High School, 40km west of Christchurch — Robin was assistant principal and Barbara was the head of international languages and a dean — sold the family home and flew to Beirut, where they had accepted jobs
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Focus A lifetime in education
working at the International School of Choueifat. Their stint in the Lebanese capital got off to a less than auspicious start when their car hit another vehicle in the airport tunnel, resulting in Robin requiring hospital treatment. “After the accident we didn’t think, ‘That’s it, we’re out of here,’ although we did reflect on the wisdom of that decision later as we became grandparents for the first time and realised just how far away we were from our family,” Barbara says. “But the year in Lebanon provided wonderful opportunities to experience the wealth of the country’s history, the generosity of its people, and the delights of the delicious food and the vibrant lifestyle.” By the time their contracts were coming to an end they had both been offered teaching positions in India, but India’s High Commissioner in Wellington refused to grant the couple visas, saying India had more than enough English teachers of its own. The couple reluctantly abandoned their India plans and within 24 hours both managed to find jobs at the Gulf English School in Qatar. Six days later they arrived in the capital, Doha. During the course
“Most of them aspired to get into American universities — and they did. The pupils were given huge opportunities to be leaders, and they loved it.” of their first year the school gained accreditation to offer the International Baccalaureate programme, and at the end of the year they spent a week at an IB training course in Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak Republic. Robin, who was head of English, was given the opportunity to teach both the inaugural IB Diploma class and, as a trial, a mixed class of top Grade 10 students who would complete the IGCSE English Language and Literature programmes a year early. Robin rates these two classes as the best he has ever taught in his teaching career. “I was just a facilitator. The students were so focused on learning, so mature and so confident. It was a dream job.” They finished the year off with a performance of Romeo and Juliet, which was the first drama production in the school’s history. During their three years in the Middle East, the couple travelled extensively — to Cyprus, Syria, the Sinai, England, Turkey, Slovakia and back to New Zealand. They also made the most of the free activities in Doha that were being offered as part of the build up to the Asian Games. But by 2006 the couple was ready for a new challenge and had Peru in their sights. Working in an elite private school was a new experience. “All my life I have been a supporter of state education and so we go to this elite private school and just loved it,” Robin says. “The students were fantastic. They came from the financial elite, but they believed that because they were
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so privileged they had a duty to give to the poor. The school had a lot of service programmes and, as an example, in the holidays the students would go to the Andes and work in rural communities improving village schools and other basic services. It was a good school in the best sense of the word. “Despite their wealth and privilege, the students were neither arrogant nor lacking in ambition. They and their parents believed that education was really important. Most of them aspired to get into American universities — and they did. The pupils were given huge opportunities to be leaders, and they loved it.” However, by now they had two grandchildren and they decided to move on again. “Our second grandchild was born while we were there and I was determined I was going to see her as a baby,” Barbara says. “It was very expensive to fly between New Zealand and Peru and very time-consuming. I was conscious of the fact that my mother was getting older and that it took two days to get home.” Cognition provided the perfect opportunity for new experience as educational advisors in schools. The couple arrived in Al Ain in 2008, and were immediately enamored of their new environment. Al Ain, they say, is a green city, there is a slower pace and it’s close to Dubai, where their son is now living. They say their experiences at their respective Al Ain schools have been quite different, despite the fact they both do the same job. “We started on the same footing, taking our individual schools along a new path in English, but the culture of the schools, the teachers, principals and their relationships, along with gender factors, means our journeys have been totally different,” Barbara says. Progress has, however, been steady at both schools. Student achievement at Robin’s school, as measured by EMSA exams, has risen from the bottom to well over the mean in English, maths and science. This academic year it merged with pupils from another school. “It has been an interesting experience to try and retain our gains while absorbing a new group of students that is slightly bigger than our existing school,” Robin says. “It’s been quite a complicated process and we’ve worked hard to make sure we don’t lose our traction.” One plus is the school’s dynamic new principal, Mr Mohammed Hamadi, who is a strong advocate of educational reform. Barbara also reports good progress in English. Students have moved out of the bottom bands and this year the emphasis is on moving more of them into the top ‘A’ band. “There’s a definite change in the school,” she says. “Students stop to chat and practise their English. The English department has moved way ahead in terms of teaching practice and we are able to share that with other departments. When you think about what the teachers have had to do, it’s amazing. ”This academic year the school moved into new premises and although this has been disruptive, we are still seeing some really good teaching and students being
Focus A lifetime in education
Robin Morrison: in action teaching
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PHOTOS Diane Crawford
Focus A lifetime in education
Good rapport: Robin Morrison with pupils from Muawiah Boys’ School in Al Ain
motivated. The teachers prepare all their own lessons, including student centred activities, learning intentions, success criteria and differentiation as a regular practice. They have come such a long way.” The couple have continued to travel widely since they have been in Al Ain. Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Austria, India and France have all been ticked off their to-do list. With their contract with Cognition finishing this July they have decided to take the rest of the year off, living for
the first time in the house they have bought in Queensland. They are both keen to be closer to family – and in particular grandchildren – and are looking forward to becoming part of their new community. But they say after a breather they will again look at joining the international educational community. Robin says he doesn’t intend to stop working for several years and is keen to explore new pastures, with schools in Asia on his radar.
”This academic year the school moved into new premises and although this has been disruptive, we are still seeing some really good teaching and students being motivated. The teachers prepare all their own lessons, including student centred activities, learning intentions, success criteria and differentiation as a regular practice. They have come such a long way.”
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Focus nEita nominations open
Kuranga “nominations are now open and you can acknowledge a great teacher you know by nominating them.”
Kuranga is the Māori word for schooling and Māori is the first language of our land, aotearoa — new Zealand. We have chosen this name for our magazine as schools and schooling are at the core of our organisation. The essence of what we do is to improve schooling for children in new Zealand and around the world. We build schooling systems and structures to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. It is through the impact our work has on schools that we enhance life for the students that attend them and therefore on the societies in which we operate.
Kuranga Issue 03 – 2011
Editor roxanne de Bruyn
Contributing Writers Diane Crawford roxanne de Bruyn sarah Ellich
design Transformer
Production Coordinator shalini Warusevitane
Subscriptions and Contact Kuranga Magazine Cognition Education Private Bag 92617 symonds st auckland 1150 Ph +64 638 4760 Fax +64 9 638 4751 Email publishing@cognition.co.nz Website www.cognition.co.nz Cover photo by Diane Crawford articles reflect personal opinions, not those of Cognition Education. no parts of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from Cognition Education. © Cognition Education 2011
teachers count
n
ext to parents, teachers have the most influence in a young person’s life. The National Excellence in Teaching and Leadership (NEiTA) Awards recognise exceptional teachers and school leaders in New Zealand. Nominations are now open and you can acknowledge great teachers you know by nominating them. You can nominate school leaders for a Cognition Education Excellence in Leadership Award or teachers for an ASG Excellence in Teaching Award. Nominees can come from schools or early childhood education and nominations can be made by parents, boards of trustees, management committees, secondary students and local community organisations. Nominations close on 31 August 2011. For more information or to make a nomination visit www.neita.co.nz
Kuranga
ISSUE 3 – 2011 NZ$8.95
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enhancing life through
education
marked increase in English results
Cognition Education is a leading education consultancy based in New Zealand that understands that great education means tapping into the curiosity and optimism of children. We work with governments, non-government organisations and schools to provide the full scope of consultancy services in a variety of national and international projects. Profits arising from our work are invested back into the education sector. We support the development and reform of education systems to achieve improved learning outcomes for students worldwide. We do this with the knowledge that education is one of the most powerful ways of improving the quality of life for children and young people. If you would like to know more about how Cognition Education can improve your education outcomes, contact us now.
INSpIrINg lEadErShIp www.cognition.co.nz +64 9 638 4760 0800 Cognition 0800 264 648
makINg lEarNINg vISIblE INSIdE thE aUcklaNd EdUcatIoN SUmmIt