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Case study: Greerton Village School

Sections

• Background
• Intended outcomes
• Key results
• Lessons for ongoing practice
• Conclusion

Schools' professional development focus

Background

Greerton Village and Te Akau ki Papamoa Schools were clustered together for the Te Kauhua Pilot, although each school travelled quite distinct professional development journeys. Because of these different approaches to the pilot, a separate case study overview has been written for each school.

Greerton Village is a decile three, urban, state primary school in Tauranga, with a roll of approximately 419 students – 42 percent Māori and 58 percent non-Māori. The school has a high number of transient students with a 40 percent turnover of students in the period 1 March 2002 to 20 May 2003.

The full teaching staff complement at Greerton Village School was involved in the project. This included 17 teachers – one Māori and 16 non-Māori plus one kaiawhina. Also involved was a Māori cultural advisor, Māori parent representatives, Māori tutors, the three principals, and parents and whānau. An experienced teacher facilitated the project, supported by another experienced teacher. An educational consultant served in a facilitation and overseeing role for both schools in the cluster.

Greerton Village School experienced a relatively high staff turn over in the two years of the Te Kauhua project. Only six of the original 17 teachers involved in the project, plus the two deputy principals, remain. There were three changes in principal over the duration of the pilot.

The following data collection methods were used to evidence shifts in Māori student behaviour, attitudes, and/or achievement:

• teacher reflective journals
• bi-cultural continuums used as a self assessment tool by teachers to measure their progress in terms of te reo pronunciation
• use of Māori greetings and instructions in their daily classroom practice
• teaching of Māori legends and art
• integration of Māori language and tikanga in their programme planning
• enhanced knowledge of local Māori community and customs
• STAR (Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource) results
• running records of reading.

Intended outcomes

The intended outcomes of the project at Greerton Village School were:

• the introduction of innovative approaches to literacy/oral language
• the development and trialing of activities that specifically address Māori student engagement and achievement
• teacher participation in the implementation and evaluation of an action research approach to monitor the effectiveness of literacy initiatives
• increased teacher knowledge of Māori tikanga, waiata, te reo, and art
• improved cooperative relationships with the Māori community/whānau
• development of a pre-school to encourage more Māori children and families into the school, and to develop school readiness skills in pre-schoolers.

The initial strategic plan focused on enhancing literacy outcomes for Māori students through using information and communication technology in the literacy programme. Changes in principalship precluded this from being a realistic outcome and so by mid-2001 the strategic plan was amended to include the introduction of innovation in oral language activities across the school.

The Te Kauhua professional development journey at Greerton Village School primarily focused on four broad initiatives. These included:

• an innovative literacy programme
• increased tikanga and te reo Māori throughout the school
• development of teachers' repertoire of innovative pedagogical strategies
• strengthening of home-school relationships.

The literacy programme was initiated with a professional development session for all staff with a literacy consultant who shared innovative strategies for extending oral language in the classroom.

A hikoi (journey) of several staff to the Auckland Strengthen Education in Mangere and Otara (SEMO) Schools further enabled staff to explore innovative strategies for working with Māori students. Professional development readings were used to raise staff awareness of a variety of pedagogical approaches that would improve Māori student achievement.

The pre-school initiative sought to expose pre-schoolers not attending education centres to new literacy and social skills including waiata, poi, and te reo Māori. Growing numbers of children attended the pre-school classes until its closure due to positive roll growth and the need for classroom space.

The Hei Awhiawhi Tamariki ki te Panui Pukapuka (HPP) and Pause Prompt Praise (PPP) literacy programmes achieved extremely positive results with most Māori students increasing their levels by six months.

The school kaiawhina was extremely supportive in raising the profile of Māori culture and language school-wide through visual arts, music, and icons. This initiative involved raising the profile of kapa haka, becoming involved in ra whakangahau festivals, erecting te reo Māori signage throughout the school, introducing games such as hipi toi toi and hei tama tu tama in classes, staff development in te reo Māori, mihimihi, and other aspects of tikanga, and the development of bi-lingual resources.

The development of teachers' repertoire of innovative pedagogical strategies was achieved through professional development sessions with guest facilitators who shared strategies, and through peer mentoring. This initiative was also supported by the professional development reading programme.

The catalyst to the strengthening of the home-school relationships was the whānau whakaruruhau group that served as a starting point for growing this initiative. The establishment of school links with a local marae, and a kuia who provided guidance and support for the evolving school kawa, further supported this endeavour. The voluntary involvement of Māori tutors in the HPP and PPP reading programmes also enhanced home-school relationship building.

Key results

The data indicate some positive initial outcomes from the Te Kauhua pilot at Greerton Village School, despite the lack of continuity of leadership over the duration of the pilot. Key outcomes from the project include:

• positive growth in teacher knowledge and attitude
• an increased number of teachers making more effort to pronounce Māori names correctly and use te reo as part of their classroom programme
• a heightened awareness amongst staff of Māori culture and subsequent support of kapa haka, waiata, karakia, and powhiri
• enhanced understanding of a range of learning styles and the subsequent need for a varied approach to teaching delivery
• increased teacher awareness of the importance of relationship building as foundational to Māori student achievement
• the establishment of professional readings as part of the school culture
• improved Māori student results in STAR tests
• improved Māori student reading levels
• increased community involvement in school activities. For example, throughout 2001, ten tutors worked with 30 children on the HPP programme. Thirty percent of these tutors identified themselves as Māori
• increased whānau involvement, particularly in school–related meetings from three parents at meetings in 2001 to over 40 parents attending meetings at the end of 2003.

Lessons for ongoing practice

There are clear implications for teachers and school communities from this pilot research.

First, the success of such an initiative rests upon the unqualified support and involvement of the principal. Further, regular communication between the principal and facilitator/s is pivotal to the success of such a project. Changes in leadership result in hindered continuity of such a project, thereby impacting upon the degree of success realised.

Second, full staff understanding, receptivity, and acceptance of the aims of the project from the outset and consultation as it progresses, is essential to the achievement of outcomes and to the principles of such a project becoming embedded in the school culture. Staffing stability is an added bonus.

Finally, resourcing at an appropriate level and for an adequate time frame is necessary if meaningful and sustainable results are to be achieved. This enables expert facilitators to share with staff and also enables staff to visit other school environments with successful programmes for Māori students.

Conclusion

The Te Kauhua Pilot has enabled Greerton Village School to facilitate a number of professional development initiatives with a focus on raising literacy outcomes for Māori students and strengthening home-school relationships.

The limited data to date suggest that teachers have an enhanced understanding of innovative pedagogical approaches, the crucial role of relationships to Māori achievement and a deeper commitment to the inclusion of tikanga and te reo Māori in their classroom practices.

There is evidence of:

• raised literacy achievement amongst Māori students
• innovative approaches to oral language development
• a commitment to Māori culture through the visual arts and music, and
• the development of effective relationship building strategies and enhanced teaching practices as a result of the new knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired by staff through professional development activities.

The ongoing challenges for Greerton Village School are the continued measurement and evaluation of changes in teacher strategy to assess the ongoing impact of pedagogical and other interventions being employed in classroom programmes. Further, the identification of additional effective data gathering tools and mechanisms for data analysis to evidence progress in terms of enhanced outcomes for Māori students will be beneficial.