Educational Assessment in New Zealand Schools

Abstract

This profile describes the methods of assessing student learning used in New Zealand schools. It starts with contextual information about New Zealand, the structure of its education system and the organisation of schools and the curriculum. After introducing important assessment issues, it describes and discusses assessment in primary and intermediate schools, within-school assessment in secondary schools, assessment for qualifications in secondary schools and the monitoring of student performance nationally. While the focus is on a description of current practices, some historical information helps explain the evolution of these practices. Several changes that are in progress are also described, together with the reasons for these developments.