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Case study: Waitara Schools Cluster

• Background
• Intended outcomes
• Key results: Waitara
• Key results: St Josephs
• Lessons for ongoing practice
• Conclusion

Schools' professional development focus

Background

Two decile one schools formed the Waitara cluster: St Josephs and Waitara Central School. St Josephs is a full primary, Catholic school, with a roll of 105 students, 38 per cent Māori. All staff are of non-Māori origin. Waitara Central is a state primary school with a roll of 240 students, of which approximately 60 percent are Māori. There are 11 staff members and four of these are Māori.

All teachers and some support staff at both schools were involved in the Te Kauhua professional development initiative for the duration of the project. In addition, all parents and caregivers, specifically whānau, were invited to participate in shaping the initiative and to increase their involvement in school life. All students in both schools participated in the Te Kauhua initiative. A facilitator was employed to coordinate the project over the pilot period. A consultant was also utilised periodically.

Intended outcomes

The intended outcomes of the Te Kauhua initiative at both St Josephs and Waitara Central Schools were:

• an improvement in literacy outcomes for Māori students
• increased whanau involvement in the schools as a mechanism for improving Māori student outcomes
• incorporating effective use of information and communication technologies
• teacher professional development in te reo Māori and kapa haka.

St Josephs School focused on the literacy, te reo Māori, and kapa haka initiatives throughout the duration of the Te Kauhua project. Whilst these aspects were also important at Waitara Central, the key focus at Waitara Central shifted to developing whole-school alignment around a shared set of teaching beliefs and practices. Community consultation was critical component of this development.

A number of data collection methods were used to evidence shifts in teacher and/or student behaviour, attitudes, and achievement. These included interviews, surveys, observations, and standardised tests.

Key results: Waitara

The Te Kauhua Pilot at Waitara Central School was guided by an action research approach in which teachers were supported to become researchers in and on their practice. The context utilised for implementing the action research cycle was a school re-culturing process that resulted in increased collegiality amongst staff, as they moved away from the institutional practice of autonomous teachers, toward a shared, collaborative learning community.

Six agreed philosophical teacher practice "koru" underpin the whole school re-culturing strategy:

• foundation learning in place
• students as strategic learners
• teachers as coaches
• powerful learning experiences
• clear class management
• celebratory room environments and expectations of student success.

To ensure congruence between the agreed philosophy and teacher practice, the six koru became embedded in school appraisal policy. Key outcomes resulting from the whole school re-culturing initiative include:

• Classroom and physical environments across the school have been enhanced.
• A culture of positive, collaborative, student participation and academic success has been "normalised".
• Emphasis is now on developing independent, engaged learners, versus a focus on negative behaviour management and control.
• An increased repertoire of student centred, interactional teaching, and assessment strategies are used.
• Improved communication mechanisms resulting in enhanced professional collegiality and collaborative practice amongst staff, for example, a teacher buddy system has developed and voluntary peer coaching to share teacher strengths is in place.
• A willingness and sense of urgency amongst staff, to actively engage in a variety of professional development activities including action research, reflective practice, professional readings, gathering of formative assessment data, and the use of digital data collection systems.
• Increased respect for student and whānau voice.
• Integrated studies are now the norm across the school.
• There is a growing focus on using a range of local physical and human resources, as well as accessing information technologies and outside agencies.
• There is an increased parent/whānau presence and assistance in school activities and increased home–school interactions.

Community consultation has had a significant impact on relationships at Waitara Central School, particularly in terms of the parent–school interface.

Enhanced community consultation has resulted in:

• increased understanding and positive responsiveness to parent concerns and suggestions
• more regular home–school communication
• increased face-to-face (kanohi ki te kanohi) interaction versus written communication
• greater formalised involvement of parents in classroom activities
• a more welcoming culture in the school – both toward parents and community members
• increased local content in learning and teaching programmes.

Key results: St. Josephs

The implementation of the Hei Awhiawhi Tamariki ki te Panui Pukapuka (HPP) programme resulted in significant increases in junior students' literacy achievement. A modified HPP programme was used with year 5 to 8 students and standardised test results indicate significant improvements for the student sample involved.

Teachers also reported student improvement in the following areas:

• observation skills
• use of a wider and richer range of vocabulary in written language
• greater student interest in books
• increased participation in oral language activities and increased use of rich oral language
• greater interest and enjoyment of poetry and oral language activities.

Further outcomes achieved at both Waitara Central and St Josephs Schools include increased teacher confidence and use of te reo Māori. School-wide kapa haka participation has impacted positively upon Māori awareness and pride, and powhiri are now an integral part of St Joseph School's tikanga.

The HPP literacy programme introduced in both schools, involving 72 students and 16 parent/grandparent tutors, resulted in exceptional academic gains for all students involved.

Lessons for ongoing practice

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

Firstly, the success of any initiative to enhance Māori student achievement rests upon the unqualified support and leadership of the principal, senior staff, and board of trustees.

Secondly, full staff involvement and commitment is critical and staffing stability is advantageous.

Thirdly, an acknowledgement by staff that change is necessary, that it takes time, and a financial commitment to professional development that is regularly monitored and evaluated, is necessary if interventions are to inform the change process.

Fourthly, the embedding of agreed change into formal school documentation is fundamental to the development of a school culture that embraces the underpinning principles of Te Kauhua.

Fifthly, facilitator/s with the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities are pivotal to the success of this kind of initiative.

Finally, ongoing consultation with key stakeholders is crucial to the successful implementation of any school wide initiative.

Conclusion

The Te Kauhua Pilot has afforded Waitara Central and St Josephs School the opportunity to engage in significant professional development, with a focus on re-evaluating school practices and beliefs and aligning these to teaching and learning practices that will improve the achievement outcomes of Māori students.

To date, the qualitative data convincingly suggest that the Te Kauhua initiative has contributed toward significant improvements in Māori student achievement. The scope and timeframe of the pilot precluded strong supporting quantitative data being gathered.

This remains the ongoing challenge in the post pilot-phase for the Waitara Schools cluster.