Episode 27: ERO reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government’s external education evaluation agency, and normally reviews schools over a three year cycle. As tumuaki, you’ll be involved in preparing for a review. Today we’re going to talk about what to expect during an ERO review.

 

My guests are:

• Shane Morrow, Manager Review and Improvement Services, ERO
• Sharee Hemingway, Director Ākonga Māori, ERO
• Stephen Lethbridge, principal of Point Chevalier School Rangi-mata-rau
• Nick Leith, tumuaki of Te Raekura Redcliffs School.

 

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

 

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

 

Show notes

Episode themes:

• The traditional event-based three-yearly ERO reviews have changed, and now schools have an evaluation partner who works with the school across a three-year cycle looking at what the school is working on, the impact of that work on their young people, the priorities that they're setting, and helping them measure or figure out how well they're doing to get there. The idea is to help build evaluation capacity with the school so that they really have an understanding of the impact of the work that they're doing.
• The hauhake phase of the review cycle (the six months leading up to the report) is the intense phase of ERO working with the school.
• Outline of the ERO process for English-medium schools.
• Outline of the process for Māori-medium kura.
• The Te Pou Reo team and how it works in rumaki and bilingual kura.
• What evaluation partners are looking for when they visit a kura.
• ERO reviews are different than when you experience them as a kaiako or member of senior leadership team when you become tumuaki. ERO reviews are useful for new tumuaki to help them learn about their school and the way it works.

 

Additional information

ERO website www.ero.govt.nz 

School Improvement Framework (SIF) https://ero.govt.nz/how-ero-reviews/how-ero-reviews-schoolskura-english-medium/te-ara-huarau-the-new-approach-to-evaluation/school-improvement-framework

 

Questions

1:16 [Shane] What is the purpose of an ERO review and why are they important? 

 

2:44 [Shane] The approach for reviews has changed quite a bit in recent years. Can you tell me about the new approach?

 

4:35 [Shane] In terms of the amount of time that an evaluation partner would spend with a tumuaki or the board, how much time are we talking over a cycle?

 

6:46 [Shane] How does the process work now?

 

10:26 [Sharee] The process is slightly different for Maōri medium rumaki and bilingual reviews?

 

11:28 [Sharee] For a new tumuaki coming in going through that process, what does that look like?

 

12:35 [Sharee] Can you tell me about Te Pou Reo and how that team works, please?

 

13:25 [Shane and Sharee] What are evaluation partners and Toki Ao Mārama looking for when they go into a kura?

 

16:45 [Stephen and Nick] You will have both experienced ERO visits maybe when you were a kaiako or a member of senior leadership. How does it differ now that you're tumuaki?