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Case study: Waitakere College
Schools' professional development focus
The professional development activities at Waitakere High school focused on:
- identifying and implementing strategies to enhance Māori student retention and academic success
- equipping teachers with tools to improve classroom practice
- building a supportive whanau environment
- developing an inclusive school culture.
Background
Waitakere College is a decile four, co-educational state secondary school, with a roll exceeding 1500 students. Nineteen percent of the student population and ten percent of the teaching staff is Māori.
The initial target group of 60 students in the Te Kauhua Pilot was drawn from one core year 9 class of Māori students, ten year 10 students, and some additional Māori students from vertically grouped classes. Over the duration of the pilot, this target group expanded to 209 students, and included a full Māori class at each of years 9 and 10, four Māori home groups, and other Māori students within general classes taught by teachers involved in the Te Kauhua initiative.
Twelve teachers out of a staff of almost 100 participated in the professional development activities in the first year of the pilot. A further six teachers were involved in the latter 18 months. In addition to these teaching staff, a 0.6 full time equivalent facilitator coordinated the project.
The pilot was also supported by a resource teacher of learning and behaviour (RTLB), an academic adviser, and the school executive team. There was considerable staff attrition over the period of the project, with only one teacher from the initial stage remaining throughout.
Intended outcomes
The intended outcomes of the Te Kauhua initiative at Waitakere College were:
- to create a school climate that both supports and challenges teacher understandings, to enable improved and/or modified pedagogical practices
- to translate the school motto "Achievement by all" into culturally inclusive practice, thereby ensuring enhanced academic achievement for Māori students
- to enhance relationship building based on respect, amongst staff, amongst students, between staff and students, and between the school and whānau and the wider community.
The Te Kauhua professional development activities at Waitakere College primarily centred upon the realisation of these outcomes with the target group of teachers. There were also some wider staff professional development opportunities.
A range of data collection methods were used to evidence changes and outcomes from the project. These included school-wide academic achievement data, student attendance and retention data, school entry data, student surveys, teacher surveys, and classroom observations.
The Te Kauhua journey at Waitakere College involved four key focus areas:
- improving Māori student retention and academic success
- providing professional development to improve classroom practice
- building a supportive whanau environment
- creating an inclusive school culture that actively strives toward more successful achievement outcomes for Māori students.
Professional development activities at Waitakere College in the first year of the pilot centred on target teacher attendance at a range of conferences and seminars, and the use of RTLBs and a kaiawhina to support classroom teachers. These initial endeavours, which sought to improve Māori student retention and academic success, readily led to the realisation that relationship building is a key to improvement.
What was not recognised in the early stages of the project, however, was the extent to which modified classroom interactions and associated teaching and learning practice would support the pursuit of enhanced Māori student retention and success.
Whilst RTLBs were used to conduct observations of classroom practice, and provided supportive follow-up workshops on alternative pedagogies with staff, a clear focus on what type of professional development model would best support the achievement of the intended outcomes was not clear.
During year 2 of the pilot, Waitakere College invited the University of Waikato year 9 and 10 project team to facilitate a professional development training hui with the target staff. From this hui, staff identified the need to work toward a shift in the school culture to ensure:
- Māori students succeed in the mainstream as culturally located individuals
- a change in teaching practices to facilitate more successful learning outcomes for all students
- the development of an inclusive learning community for staff and students.
With a broadened understanding of the solutions needed to enhance Māori student achievement, staff received professional development support that was underpinned by a commitment to discursive, versus traditional, models of practice.
Staff began using an observation sheet that enabled detailed tracking of the effectiveness of teaching practices and beliefs. A colleague, who was usually a member of a co-construction group to which each participating staff member belonged, conducted classroom observations. Following an observation, a co-construction session was held to determine a way forward, in terms of using the understandings gained through the observations, to inform and enhance classroom practice, and ultimately, raise Māori student achievement.
Running parallel with the staff professional development programme was a student and academic enrichment, cultural, and pastoral support initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to heighten the profile of Māori by assigning recognition to te reo Māori and the successes of Māori within the school, thereby fostering the development of a culturally located and responsive school community.
In addition to staff professional development and student support, the third arm of the project at Waitakere College was the enhancement of relationships within the wider school community. Relationships with RTLBs, a Team Solutions Adviser, whānaungatanga with whānau in feeder schools, Māori community providers such as Wai Dental, Hapai te Hauora, and kapa haka leaders are now well established. Such groups are active within the school community and continue to contribute to a raised profile of Māori.
Key results
The data indicate positive outcomes from the Te Kauhua Pilot at Waitakere College, despite the delay in identifying a clear focus for the project. Key outcomes from the pilot include:
- an increased number of staff participating in the Te Kauhua initiative
- a shift from traditional to more discursive teaching practices, resulting in increased rates of Māori student engagement and retention, and a reduction in stand-downs and suspensions of Māori students in the Te Kauhua target group, particularly year 10 students
- positive student and staff perceptions of teacher effectiveness, with high levels of respect and behavioural and academic expectation apparent
- enhanced Māori student literacy skills. Seventy-one percent of the 2003 year 10 Māori core class showed an improvement in their reading ages from year 9 to year 10. This improvement was significant in comparison to results for all other classes except one, and in comparison to non-target Māori students in year 10.
- increased Māori student participation in te reo Māori and academic courses at year 11.
Lessons for ongoing practice
There are clear implications for teachers and school communities from this pilot research.
Firstly, the success of such an initiative rests upon the active involvement of a committed leadership team that is responsive to implementing and managing change where it is needed. Appropriating systems to build capacity for the sustainability of such a project is also a key responsibility of school leaders.
Secondly, ongoing professional development and support for the project facilitator from the school management team and from the Ministry of Education is necessary. Access to financial resourcing which enables teacher release is also vital.
Thirdly, teacher commitment to professional development is fundamental if any meaningful and sustainable change is to be achieved. The support of Māori and non-Māori staff to take professional responsibility for Māori achievement can only occur when teachers are committed to equity of achievement outcomes for Māori in mainstream classes.
Finally, the invaluable support, guidance, expertise, and participation of wider community personnel should not be underestimated. Broad community participation is imperative, if the potential of an initiative such as Te Kauhua is to be truly realised.
Conclusion
The Te Kauhua Pilot has afforded Waitakere College the opportunity to engage in significant community relationship building and staff professional development activities that are showing initial positive indications of improved outcomes for Māori students.
The process of identifying an effective professional model was somewhat protracted. Consequently, there remains much work to be done in terms of developing on the foundations laid and embedding the principles of Te Kauhua in wider school policies and procedures.
The ongoing challenges for Waitakere College are:
- further developing and articulating the professional development model
- addressing structural and personal Eurocentric attitudes, behaviours, and processes which impede progress
- effectively managing high staff attrition, diminished staff morale, and an accompanying resistance to change
- identifying effective data gathering tools and mechanisms for data analysis to evidence progress in terms of enhanced outcomes for Māori students.