Scaling-up education reform: addressing the politics of disparity 2020-2023

Impact summary

Scaling-up education reform: addressing the politics of disparity was informed by, and contributed to the further development of the Te Kotahitanga research and school teacher professional development programme. In its periodic reviews of all New Zealand schools and early childhood centres, the Education Review Office (school inspectorate) uses an 'evaluation indicators framework' which it references to the book's underlying concepts (See 'School Evaluation Indicators' published on the Office's current website under 'How ERO Reviews).

Research and engagement activities leading to impact

The manuscript was prepared as part of the Te Kotahitanga research and teacher professional development projct.

Research outputs associated with the impact

Bishop, O'Sullivan and Berryman (2010). Scaling-up education reform: addressing the politics of disparity. Wellington. NZCER Press.
https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/scaling-education-reform-addressing-politics-disparity

Researcher involvement

I wrote the first draft of the manuscript and assisted with its revision which was led by Professor Bishop.

Outcomes of research leading to impact

These were extensive but occurred prior to the current RPI reference period. The ongoing impact is the book's foundational conceptual contribution to the reviews of all schools and early childhood centres.

Beneficiaries of the impact

The Education Review Office, whose public reports on all schools and early childhood centres are intended to assure the minister and public of school quality and effectiveness. In its most recent Annual Report the Office indicates that its work is for the benefit of 780,000 people enrolled in schools and 22,900 licensed early childhood places. Most schools and centres are reviewed every three years.

Details of the impact achieved

The Education Review Office uses its School Evaluation Indicators as the basis of its reviews. The Office references the following to my book to show its conceptual contribution to this work. 'The evaluation indicators framework gives prominence to the concepts of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, ako and mahi tahi because they collectively provide the foundation for an approach to education that is culturally responsive and challenges educationally limiting deficit theorising. These concepts provide a lens through which we can examine how effectively our current school processes, practices and activities are promoting equitable outcomes for all students.' (ERO, 2016, p. 14). The Office also referenced the following to my book 'By observing
effective teachers of Mäori students, initiatives such as Te Kotahitanga ... have been able to identify the dimensions of practice that create a culturally responsive classroom or school' (ERO, 2016, p. 30). The book described and analysed these observations of effective teaching, and it is these analyses that the Office continues to use each year.

Impact date	2020 → 2023
Category of impact	Public policy Impact
Impact level	International