• To ease planning pressure for schools and workload pressures for learners, it is recommended that NZQA and the Ministry meet with Iho Pūmanawa, representatives from mini pilot schools, and peak bodies to plan key submission dates for external assessment and verification of internal assessment.

• Facilitating this hui before the conclusion of 2022 provides the potential for a pilot calendar release in mid-January. This will allow greater opportunity for schools to comprehensively plan and resource for the school year.

• Support the development of identified resources.

• Review and update achievement standards where identified.

• Review and update assessments where identified.

• Continue to provide ongoing resourcing of Iho Pūmanawa, cluster hui and manaaki day support.

• The provision of onboarding wānanga to all schools new to Te Ao Haka 2023.

• Support the development of identified resources.

• Add statements to support narratives about te reo, mātauranga Māori, wairua and performance to the Te Ao Haka website.

• Investigate whether NZQA marking could be organised to take place at Kapa Haka Nationals.

• Provide professional development that gives kaiako time to unpack online resources.

• Receiving timely, accurate information is a key enabler to schools’ success within mini pilots. Timely organisation and team liaison will allow schools to calendar items effectively.

• Iho Pūmanawa are cultivating effective relationships with schools and kaiako. Keeping them up to date with planning and other communication, will improve communication.

• Bespoke PLD to consolidate and strengthen programme implementation is required.

• Modes of support and communication need to be fit for purpose and culturally responsive. Kanohi ki te kanohi is the preferred mode of communication.

• Investigate moving the national (onboarding) hui to a week earlier.

• Delivering assessment requires responsive and open lines of communication from agencies involved with assessment. Schools require:

• a consistent contact person at NZQA for schools

• NZQA be “ready with answers,” this will involve building capacity at NZQA to support the pilot.

• NZQA consolidate and refine their communication.

• Schools need real time response during critical external assessment time.

• Provide additional help desk support during digital assessment.

• Experts need to be available that have digital interface skills.

• Increased transparency from NZQA about what has not worked well for them.

• Significantly simplify access to Te Aka, if this continues to be the main source of information.

• User experience testing should be undertaken alongside ongoing support for schools and kaiako users, and Principal’s Nominees provided by NZQA.

• Resources need to be added including exemplars of student achievement.

• Timely, culturally appropriate, and relevant PLD be provided by NZQA to ensure that Principal’s Nominees have the information and training they need to fulfil their obligations.

• Prioritise organised professional development rather than emails and workbooks from NZQA.

• Consider onboarding workshops specifically for Principal’s Nominees for clarity over deadlines and processes.

• Ongoing, timely, regular, Zoom based PLD that Principal’s Nominees can opt into is recommended.

• Current Iho Pūmanawa be retained.

• Additional Iho Pūmanawa are appointed within TMoA and Te Reo Māori mini pilots.

• Replicate the Te Ao Haka group model across other NCEA pilots.

• Consider appointing additional Iho Pūmanawa who are currently involved in the teaching of the mini pilots. This will accelerate both the provision of resources and within school understanding of achievement standards, assessment materials and assessment delivery.

• Widening the Iho Pūmanawa group to widen the skills base of experts.

• Consider appointing Iho Pūmanawa as full-time contracts or change the funding model to schools who have Iho Pūmanawa on staff.

• The Ministry and NZQA continue to support Iho Pūmanawa, refining processes to ensure all communication and appointments are timely.

Continue to resource manaaki days.

• Continue to support kaiako through face-to-face cluster hui that proactively prepare kaiako for the implementation of standards and are responsive to kaiako needs.

• Calendar cluster hui at the beginning of the year.

• Cohesively plan for PLD and information to prevent repeating the same information to schools who are multiple pilot participants.

• The Ministry and NZQA representatives be present at cluster hui.

• Enable simple processes to print practice assessments and in their entirety or keep as a PDF.

• Content and external information needs to be sent well in advance so kaiako are prepared for required unit and assessment content.

• Ensure practice assessments are received in sufficient time to use them to effectively prepare learners for the assessment.

• Develop processes to return work submitted by learners in an externally assessed Common Assessment Activity (CAA).

• Clearly communicate derived grade processes for Common Assessment Activities and other pilot externals.

• Significantly simplify upload of material for external assessments.

• Paper copies of external assessments be made available to schools as infrastructure is put in place.

• A readiness profile be complete with secondary schools to obtain an accurate picture of technology infrastructure and strategic planning take place alongside schools to ensure schools are ready.

• Provide PLD with a focus on mātauranga Māori TMoA and Kaupapa Ako Māori subjects.

• Continue to provide opportunities for kaiako to observe or participate in the development of course materials and verification process.

• Exemplars of achievement be available at each achievement level.

• Simplify the upload of student work for internal verification for video submission.

Identify and work alongside schools who are developing programmes using TMoA pilots across marau and use as examples of best practice.

• The supports put in place are not yet meeting Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori objectives for resourcing. Investigate payment to kaiako and/or using contracts to significantly enhance the resources available.

• The Ministry and NZQA work alongside peak bodies, to actively provide solutions to ensure that future pilot processes, compliment kaupapa Māori principles.

Several recommendations have been made through this report that focus on improving supports and processes for schools participating in the pilots in 2023. These need to be considered and implemented in a timely fashion to ensure improved wellbeing outcomes in 2023.