Welcome to the current edition of the newsletter from TKI Assessment Online. These regular newsletters will keep you up-to-date about changes and additions to the site. Assessment Online is a key source of information for teachers and school leaders on all matters relating to assessment, including up-to-date information and resources on National Standards

The new TKI is on its way.

TKI is being rejuvenated and redesigned - including a new improved search – to provide educators with a range of new services. Coming soon!
The new TKI will look fresher and work better. It will provide fast, easy navigation in both English and te reo Māori and a new smart, simple improved search facility that works across all communities. You will have ready access to the many and diverse collections within TKI. TKI will have a brand new home page that can be customised to match your own particular interests and needs. This means that you can choose to have assessment pages and news available on your own personalised home pages. News feeds will present fresh news and information at a glance and a new single sign-on system will let you save searches and bookmarks. The same sign-on will also provide access to Digistore.

National Standards – not one test, not one day, not one classroom This new paper, recently published by Brenda Weal and Selena Hinchco, discusses the use of evidence from student work in technology to inform overall teacher judgements for National Standards. This article is particularly important in highlighting the interconnectedness of the New Zealand Curriculum and the National Standards and the cross-curricular nature of the reading, writing and mathematics standards.

‘Just as it is not enough to use only one assessment tool, it is also not enough to just look for evidence within only the specific teaching sessions of reading, writing, and mathematics. How students use reading, writing and mathematics in other learning areas can and should provide evidence towards making an overall teacher judgment.’

NCEA level 1 literacy and numeracy requirements from 2011

The requirements for literacy and numeracy achievement in NCEA level 1 are changing. There will be a transitional year in 2011, and the changes will come fully into effect in 2012. Literacy and numeracy credits will be able to be gained in two ways: either through specific literacy or numeracy Unit Standards, or through a range of cross-curricular Achievement Standards. So, for example, a student will be able to gain credits towards the literacy qualification through a history Achievement Standard, or towards the numeracy qualification through a chemistry Achievement Standard. This new requirement is consistent with the New Zealand Curriculum and the new National Standards for primary schools, which emphasise learning, assessment and achievement across the curriculum. For more information on the new literacy and numeracy requirements, link to the NZQA website.

Update on ultra-fast broadband in schools

Ninety seven percent of schools will be provided with access to fibre over the next six years as part of the government’s ultra-fast broadband and rural broadband initiatives. The Ministry of Education is holding free seminars in August and September 2010 to update schools on what’s happening and when – and how this affects them. Register your interest on a fax back form available here.