Contents. From the Minister of Education 1. Introduction 2. An overview of Schools Plus 3. How to give us your input into Schools Plus 4

Transcription

1 Discussion Document

2 Contents From the Minister of Education 1 Introduction 2 An overview of Schools Plus 3 How to give us your input into Schools Plus 4 Why the government is introducing Schools Plus 5 What Schools Plus will look like 9 Supporting participation 12 Young people s outcomes 13 Full list of questions 16 References 17

3 From the Minister of Education Young people who stay in school, complete their qualifications, and move into further education and training, have the best chance of accessing the full range of opportunities life has to offer. They are more likely to be able to care for themselves and their families, and achieve future economic independence and security. The challenge is urgent. Each year about 14,000 young people (around 25 percent of school leavers) are leaving schools without a Level 1 qualification, and many are not going on to any further study or training. Schools Plus articulates the goal of every young person being in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, until the age of 18. It is about building on the strengths of our current education system, aligning a range of services across government, and ensuring strong partnerships among all the parties involved. Achieving this goal will mean transforming secondary schooling to encourage young people to stay and complete qualifications, and strengthening partnerships between schools, tertiary education organisations, employers, industry training organisations and non-government organisations to extend the learning opportunities available to students, and to connect young people to their next steps beyond school. Delivering this change is not something that the government can achieve on its own. Young people, parents, families, whānau, the education sector, iwi, the wider community, tertiary education organisations and employers are all critical in achieving the outcomes we want for all our young people. Your engagement and input to these proposals are vital to success. 1 Hon Chris Carter Minister of Education

4 Introduction Schools Plus is the policy being developed to achieve the government s goal that: All young people are in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, until the age of 18. Education, skills, or structured learning can be in a school, with tertiary education organisations, or in the workplace. To achieve this goal, the government is committed to completing major reforms in secondary schooling, and doing more to open up the pathways beyond school, by the end of While the Ministry of Education is leading this work, the contributions of many other government agencies (such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Department of Labour, the Tertiary Education Commission, and Te Puni Kōkiri) will be vital to its success. Schools, tertiary education organisations, business, families and whānau, iwi and communities, and government agencies will all be involved in making this goal a reality for every student. We have plenty to build on. New Zealand has excellent educational structures and systems. Schools, employers, tertiary education organisations, and non-government agencies are working together to support young people in gaining the qualifications, skills, competencies and attributes they need to access opportunities in life, and secure good jobs and careers. 2 But much more needs to be done. Achieving the Schools Plus goal for all students will require a strong, co-ordinated programme of work to make sure that all the necessary players are working well together. The government has asked the Ministry of Education to produce this discussion document so it can: discuss with New Zealanders what we need to do to achieve the Schools Plus goal. This document includes an overview of Schools Plus, why it is being introduced, and the results government wants to achieve. It then outlines the roles of the different groups involved, and concludes each section with questions for your input.

5 An overview of Schools Plus To achieve the Schools Plus goal, the government wishes to see: All young people assisted in developing a personal education plan when they enter secondary school, and continuing to refine the plan to map their next steps. Students able to connect what they re doing at school to what they want to do as a career. They will know about the options available to them, and some may choose to combine workplace or tertiary learning with their schooling. All students who leave school before the age of 18 connected to high-quality training and education that suits their needs and abilities. All under 18-year-olds in full-time work participating in further training or education. Non-government organisations, families, whānau, iwi and communities providing a range of services that support young people to achieve well in education or training. Guiding principles The government has established the following guiding principles. All young people should be actively and willingly engaged in education, skills or other structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, at least until the age of 18; Schools are the first point of responsibility for ensuring students are engaged in an appropriate programme of learning; Strong partnerships with employers, tertiary education organisations, parents, families, whānau, iwi and communities will be essential to the success of Schools Plus. All students will have an education plan. This will be developed when they enter secondary schooling, continue to be refined and map the pathways to their next destination; Flexibility in education pathways and support services should be available for all students, reflecting the concept of personalising learning; As students near the age of 18, they will have increasing flexibility and say in decisions about how and where they learn; To the extent that students are required to participate in education and training, they will have a range of options available in line with their needs and circumstances. 3

6 How to give us your input into Schools Plus The government is seeking to learn two key things from schools, employers, tertiary education organisations, families and whānau, and iwi and communities: What will work on the ground to make Schools Plus a success for every student, and What areas government most needs to focus on in designing the implementation of Schools Plus. While this discussion document is mostly focused on the role of schools, it includes information and questions that will engage young people, families, whānau, iwi and communities, tertiary education organisations and employers, and non-government organisations. We hope it will be used as a vehicle for wide discussion. 4 Giving your feedback Engagement hui and workshops will be held around New Zealand during April and May Note-takers will record your feedback on this document and its questions, and a summary of the feedback will be put on the Schools Plus website from June. You can also your feedback to schools.plus@minedu.govt.nz, or post it to: Schools Plus Ministry of Education PO Box 1666 Wellington May is the closing date for written feedback. You will also find this discussion document online at Encourage your friends, colleagues, and family to read the document and have their say. The Ministry of Youth Development is engaging with young people, through its website, publications, and youth networks, to hear young people s views on how Schools Plus might work for them. This will ensure that we target the most important group of people in the most effective way. Results of that engagement will be available on both the Ministry of Youth Development and Ministry of Education websites.

7 Why the government is introducing Schools Plus Our education system serves most young New Zealanders very well, and it s important to recognise that a lot of work underway is already successfully achieving the Schools Plus aims for many students. The government wants to lift achievement for all students, and support all young people to achieve to their potential. Fundamental and far-reaching changes are needed, both within schools and in their partnerships with employers and tertiary education organisations, so we can achieve the Schools Plus goal for all students. We need to do more to support the aspirations of all young people, and their parents, families and whānau. We need to see many more students staying at school, remaining engaged with education and training, and getting better qualifications. We also need to build the skill levels in our society, from numeracy and literacy right through to the high-level skills necessary for the 21st century. This will enable employers to get staff with the skills they need, and will contribute to a genuine and sustainable boost to New Zealand s economic growth. Here are the key issues we must address: Too many students leave school early with low or no qualifications. Currently, almost 30% of New Zealand students leave school before their 17th birthday. Around 40% leave with less than a Level 2 NCEA qualification. Level 2 NCEA is the minimum entry requirement for a Modern Apprenticeship, is a part pre-requisite for entrance to university, and provides access to many other career pathways. Overall, New Zealand s year olds have a low participation rate in education compared to other OECD countries. In a time of high employment, this is partly because too many young people are leaving school for the first available job, rather than getting higher qualifications and planning for careers that will serve them well over the longer term. In 2005, only 56% of New Zealand s 18-year-olds were engaged in some form of education. Too many young New Zealanders are leaving school with low literacy and numeracy skills and are unaware of the opportunities that exist to improve these skills once they are in the workplace. Around 20, year olds are estimated to be inactive (not in work, training, or education). If this leads to prolonged inactivity, these young people and their future families are at risk of long-term disadvantage. There is a very wide spread of achievement across schools in New Zealand. Schools with similar characteristics such as size and decile can have very different results in areas such as truancy, school leaving age, and achievement. All schools need to be accountable for their results in these areas. There is also a wide spread of achievement among groups of students. Despite ever-increasing success, results for Māori students are frequently lower than for other groups. Schools Plus will reinforce the approach, goals, and actions of Ka Hikitia. A similar picture emerges for Pasifika students and the Pasifika Education Strategy will improve the system performance for them. 5

8 6 1 See the websites for PISA research/pisa_research, and for PIRLS research/pirls What we can build on In recent years, the education system has made good progress towards supporting all students to achieve to their potential. New Zealand secondary students average performance is among the best in the world, and our secondary students achieve results comparable to the top-performing countries in reading, mathematics, science, and problem solving. 1 Significant and system-wide improvements have taken place in recent years, and these provide us with the platform to achieve much more: The progressive introduction of NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) from 2002 has given students access to a flexible assessment system that provides a genuine record of their progress and achievement. Since the introduction of NCEA, the proportion of students leaving secondary school with qualifications at all levels has steadily increased. New, learner-focused assessment tools like asttle (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning) are giving students and their teachers a much clearer sense of what students know and what they need to do next. The launch of the new New Zealand Curriculum and its draft partner document Te Marautanga o Aotearoa in 2007 have given all schools a framework to provide a truly 21st century education to all our young people. The introduction of ENROL and the National Student Number (NSN) has led to valuable improvements in how we track and monitor both students circumstances and needs. This monitoring will be key to achieving the Schools Plus goal. Sitting underneath these system-wide improvements, a range of cross-government initiatives aim to lift system performance for specific groups of young New Zealanders. Ka Hikitia Managing for Success: the Māori Education Strategy , will transform education for young Māori and other students. The Pasifika Education Strategy is already making a positive difference for participation and achievement among Pasifika students. The proportion of school leavers moving straight into tertiary education has steadily increased since 1998, and the number of people entering workplace learning and industry training (including Modern Apprenticeships) has also increased. The Unified Skills Strategy will focus on improving support for young people who are in, or moving into, employment or tertiary education to help them build their skills. A number of non-government organisations support young people to take part in education and training, through programmes such as Youth Transitions Services, Social Workers in Schools, and teen parent co-ordinators. Programmes like Creating Pathways and Building Lives (CPaBL) are enabling students to plan for future careers. Gateway and the Secondary-Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) provide students with opportunities to experience other learning environments. The Youth Apprenticeships scheme will be available in all schools from 2011, providing students with learning experiences that provide the link between secondary school, industry training and Modern Apprenticeships.

9 Many employers and industries are investing in young employees, through Modern Apprenticeships, cadetships, and industry training. The Tertiary Education Strategy aims to have more young people getting tertiary qualifications of Level 4 and above before they reach 25 years of age. Innovative schools are delivering learning personalised to students interests and needs, involving families and whānau, and building on partnerships with employers, training providers, and iwi and community groups. Many schools today are: Offering a broader curriculum to students, in partnership with tertiary education organisations, industries and employers Encouraging students to get a taste of career and vocational options as early as Year 10, through work experience placements with local business and industry Running careers guidance and planning programmes that start as early as Year 7 Incorporating literacy and numeracy skills into vocational courses like construction and hospitality Providing professional development that challenges teachers to address their own thinking and attitudes, lifting their aspirations for all students Providing flexible timetabling so senior students can do workplace and tertiary learning while enrolled at school. The call to action Government is committed to: Reducing the number of young New Zealanders who disengage from education and training without the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This can lead to a range of long-term problems that include poor health, poverty, longterm unemployment, and crime. It puts the brakes on our economy, and it is simply a waste of human potential. We cannot continue to allow young people to leave school with low or no qualifications, and seek low-skilled jobs with little future prospect. In a time of high employment, people with no qualifications can still find work, but they will be vulnerable when jobs are harder to come by. New Zealand must invest in a higher skills base to sustain economic growth and improvements in living standards, consistent with what is happening internationally. Ensuring the education system provides flexibility and a wider range of opportunities for all young New Zealanders, to encourage young people to remain in school, and to build on their qualifications beyond school. This will improve the lives of individuals and families, contribute to safer and healthier communities, and set up future generations for higher aspirations and more opportunities. It will add value to employees, better meet the needs of employers, boost our economic growth, and lift living standards. 7

10 8 The results we expect The government is introducing Schools Plus so New Zealand has a highly skilled and motivated youth workforce. This will stimulate economic growth and lift living standards and productivity. Future generations will have a more positive perspective on the possibilities and the opportunities available for all young people through education. This would lead to a corresponding reduction in core social problems such as crime, poor health, and intergenerational unemployment and poverty and far less cost to New Zealand in these areas. Schools, students, families and whānau, and iwi and communities will all be willing and engaged partners in transforming secondary schools to places where all young people want to be, thanks to the opportunities and experiences available. This will be a sustainable and lasting change to our secondary schooling system. Through Schools Plus, we expect to see an ongoing reduction in truancy, suspensions, and exclusions. This will show us that what we re doing to identify and support at-risk young people as early as possible is working. We expect to see more students staying at school longer and getting higher-level qualifications. The heart of Schools Plus is improving retention and achievement at school, leading to much better options afterwards. Beyond school, we expect to see improvements in achievement at all levels, with many more young people gaining higher-level qualifications. We expect to see more young people getting industry-based qualifications after they leave school. We anticipate a dramatic reduction in youth inactivity, meaning those young people who are not in employment, education or training. Increasing participation in education will reduce the social problems that can result from leaving school early, such as teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, long-term unemployment, poverty, and crime. These problems can be both a consequence of early school leaving and a contributor to it. We expect to see schools responding quickly when young people show signs of difficulty, as this can often point to deeper issues that may require assistance from a range of agencies. The partnerships developed and strengthened through Schools Plus will further our work in this area.

11 What Schools Plus will look like For many students, families and whānau, Schools Plus will support the intentions they already have it will support them to stay at school, get the qualifications they need, and go on to a tertiary provider for further training or education. It will also support young people seeking to take up an apprenticeship, or enter an industry where they can get further training and add to their qualifications. Schools Plus will provide more flexibility and options, and it will use a more personalised approach so that all students have the chance to explore their interests. In particular, Schools Plus will benefit young people whose needs are not currently met in the schooling system: Those who would have left school with low or no qualifications, and who would be at high risk of prolonged inactivity and long-term benefit dependence, and Those who would have left school with low or no qualifications to take up a low-skilled, low-paid job with limited opportunities to learn skills or undertake training. Schools Plus has been developed because the system needs to do much more to support young people to stay at school, get good qualifications, and participate in training, education, and employment that sets them up for a positive future. Below we set out the government s vision of how Schools Plus will change schools, and affect employers, tertiary education organisations, and families, whānau, iwi and communities. Each section finishes with some questions, and these are repeated on a single feedback sheet at the end of this document. Within schools Schools Plus will reinforce the primary responsibility that schools have for the educational achievement of young people. Secondary schools will connect senior students to the learning opportunities available for them beyond school. It s important to recognise that many secondary schools already do this but others may need to rethink and reshape the way they work with their senior students. Schools Plus will mean: The school environment and the opportunities on offer will motivate all students to stay at school and get the best qualification they can. A strong and consistent emphasis on literacy and numeracy, from primary school onwards, will ensure that all students have the foundation skills they need for further education and training. Schools will have systems that identify and support students experiencing difficulty as early as possible. Schools will work with students and their families and whānau to develop a personalised education plan when the student starts secondary schooling. Students will continue to develop their education plan during their secondary schooling, and all students who leave school before they reach 18 will have an active education plan for their further education, skills, or structured learning. The Youth Apprenticeships Scheme will be available in all secondary schools from

12 Schools will be supported to meet the needs of all their students. This will require strong leadership from boards and principals, good initial teacher education and ongoing professional development. Other supportive structures will be developed. Schools will explore innovations like flexible timetabling and dual enrolment to enable students to take school and tertiary courses, or combine schooling with workplace training. Questions 1. What key factors have the greatest impact on students participation, engagement and achievement in school? 2. To ensure students develop a stake in their own learning, what should be included in an education plan? 3. How can the school system be made more responsive to Māori students and increase participation and achievement? 4. How can the sector increase engagement and achievement for Pasifika students? 5. From a school s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with students, families, whānau, other schools, tertiary education organisations, business, and community organisations? 10 In the workplace All organisations benefit from having a skilled, trained and efficient workforce. Studies show that workplace learning is associated with lower staff turnover and increased staff retention, increased productivity, and enhanced motivation and commitment to the company and employer. Many employers and industries recognise the benefits of workplace learning and are already investing in their young employees. Both Schools Plus and the Unified Skills Strategy will enhance the significant contribution that employers are already making to young people s education and training. Schools Plus will mean: Supporting young employees to engage in new learning opportunities through work, which will benefit employers by developing the capabilities of young employees. Ensuring young employees, under 18, can access ongoing education, skills, or structured learning - through on-the-job learning or through flexible work hours that allow the employee to attend offsite learning opportunities. Supporting employers to continue investing in their young employees through existing programmes like Modern Apprenticeships, cadetships, and industry training. Questions 6. What do employers see as the key barriers to providing ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees? 7. From a business perspective, what is the best way to deliver ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees?

13 8. What is the role of employers in ensuring a young employee s education plan is acted on? 9. From the employer s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whānau, tertiary education organisations and community organisations? In tertiary education or training The Tertiary Education Strategy and the tertiary reforms both encourage tertiary education organisations to build stronger connections with their communities. These stronger connections should help improve the quality and relevance of post-school education and training, and support economic and social progress. Schools Plus is about tertiary education organisations partnering with schools to provide a wider range of learning opportunities for students. School leavers aged under 18 will be connected to high-quality, relevant tertiary training or education. Schools will need to ensure young people get monitoring and support as needed. Senior secondary students may also take part in tertiary training or education along with school courses. Tertiary education organisations will work with schools and with iwi and communities to ensure they are offering high-quality, relevant education and training that meets the needs of their student base and their community. Tertiary education organisations will partner with schools to help senior students take up a wider range of learning opportunities and transition smoothly into further education and training. 11 Questions 10. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together to offer high-quality and relevant learning opportunities for senior secondary students? 11. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together and best support young people in making good decisions about their options in education? How will they jointly monitor student outcomes? 12. From the tertiary perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whānau and community organisations? Families, whānau, iwi and communities The support and engagement of families, whānau, iwi and communities is critical to the success of Schools Plus. The people who are closest to a young person can offer vital encouragement and support. They are also often the first to see the first signs of a young person disengaging from education, and in the best position to do something about it. Families, whānau, iwi and communities will encourage their young people to have high expectations of their education, to have the confidence and ability to work for their goals, and to make the most of their opportunities.

14 Families and whānau will be encouraged to be more involved with their young people s education. Just as parental expectations need to rise, schools also need to raise their expectations of the young people who have historically not fulfilled their potential. Families and whānau will be involved in working with schools to develop Education Plans for students as they enter and progress through the secondary schooling system. Schools will ensure that families and whānau know about the options available for young people, and understand the pathways available to them. Questions 13. How can families, whānau, iwi and communities best support young people to participate and achieve in education? 14. What types of social services do young people need to overcome barriers to participation in education? 15. What services and assistance would help families, whānau, iwi and communities support their young people to continue in education and training? 12 Supporting participation Achieving the goal of every young person being in education, skills, or structured learning, relevant to their abilities and needs, until the age of 18, will have a significant impact through our education system, in the workplace and across our communities. There will be increased demand for financial advice and assistance that supports young people to take part in education, skills and further learning. Agencies will need to make sure that they are providing the right support to young people with complex needs who sometimes face multiple barriers to success in education. Lifting participation and achievement in education may reduce the need for a range of social services, but additional targeted assistance may be needed to support young people experiencing barriers to participation in education and training. To ensure the success of Schools Plus, agencies will need to examine their accountability and regulatory requirements. They will need to ensure their programmes complement, reinforce and support each other. Questions 16. Which students are likely to need additional support to remain in education, skills or structured learning? What support should they get, and from whom? 17. What are some good examples of schools and non-government organisations working together for young people? 18. The government wants Schools Plus to meet the needs of all students of all abilities. How much flexibility should Schools Plus provide? Who should decide?

15 Young people s outcomes While our education system provides the majority of young people with the platform they need to progress in education and training, against international comparisons New Zealand is demonstrating poor overall progress in ensuring school retention and ongoing engagement with education. 2 Ministry of Education data on students staying at school, estimated percentages for govt.nz/ data/assets/file/0018/7056/ data_table-simu20.xls Staying in school Staying in secondary school to age 16 years: 2 The estimated national retention rate at school to age 16 was 90.8% in 2006; In 2006, the proportion of Māori students remaining at school to age 16 (80.6%) was considerably lower than for NZ European students (92.0%) and Pasifika students (93.8%); Staying in secondary school to age 17 years: The estimated national retention rate at school to age 17 was 71.1% in 2006; In 2006, the proportion of Māori students remaining at school to age 17 (53.4%) was significantly lower than for NZ European students (72.2%) and Pasifika students (75.4%); Estimated percentage of domestic students staying on at school, by age and ethnic group (2006) Ethnic Group Age at leaving school 16 years-old and above 17 years-old and above 18 years-old and above Māori Pasifika Asian European/Pākehā New Zealand Total Notes: 1. NZAID students (foreign students sponsored by the New Zealand Agency for International Development - a branch of MFAT), and foreign fee paying students are excluded. 2. These measures were calculated using the proportions of school leavers aged 16 or above, 17 or above, and 18 or above from a file of disaggregated school leaver records. As the data included just over 90% of school leavers all figures are estimates. New Zealand rated poorly in a 2005 OECD comparison of enrolments in education for 15 to 19 year olds; OECD measure of enrolment in education (both secondary and tertiary) Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2007

16 While tighter controls are now significantly reducing exits from school through early leaving exemptions, in 2006, nearly 4,000 students left before the compulsory age of 16 years through this mechanism. 14 Achievement While many young people are achieving at the highest levels, nearly 25% of students leave school without achieving a Level 1 qualification, and around 40% leave without achieving a Level 2 qualification. High proportions of Māori students leave school with low qualifications; while Pasifika students perform a little better, they remain well below the national average; girls out perform boys in school qualifications by a greater margin than in most other countries; and the difference in average achievement between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds is greater in New Zealand than in most OECD countries. Young New Zealanders gaining school qualifications: New Zealand has demonstrated an increasing trend in the proportion of school leavers gaining qualifications; Of the 25% leaving with less than a Level 1 qualification, in 2006, 6,328 young people (11.1%) left school with little or no formal attainment, and 7,718 young people (13.6%) left school with some formal attainment but not enough to achieve a Level 1 NCEA; In 2006, 42,849 young people (75.3%) of school leavers gained a Level 1 NCEA or higher; In 2006, 34,246 young people (60.2%) of school leavers gained a Level 2 NCEA or higher; In 2006, 18,548 young people (32.6%) of school leavers gained a Level 3 NCEA or higher. Qualification attainment of school leavers (2006) Source: Ministry of Education Data NZ

17 Engagement in learning beyond school Young New Zealanders gaining qualifications beyond school: Between 1999 and 2005, the growth in tertiary participation for young people aged 18 to 24 has been mostly in Level 1 to 4 certificates with participation rates at higher levels steady or declining; The Tertiary Education Strategy ( ) identifies young people gaining qualifications at Level 4 and above by age 25, as a priority outcome; Level 4 or higher includes, Level 4 certificates, Level 5 to 7 diplomas, Level 7 bachelors, and Level 8 to 10 postgraduate (honours, masters and doctoral programmes). Percent of year olds in formal tertiary education in 2005 by qualification level and ethnic group Source: Ministry of Education Data NZ Many young people under 18 who are studying are also in the workforce. Around 70% of year olds in work are combining work with study either school or tertiary education their employment is heavily concentrated in food retailing. Around 30% of year olds in work (around 17,000 young people) are not studying. This group are spread across a wider range of industries food retailing is still the top employment area, but industries related to construction, motor vehicles, and agriculture also have large shares of this group. 15 Employment by industry for youth aged who are not studying Industry Employment of those not studying Supermarket and Grocery Stores 1, % Cafes and Restaurants 1, % Specialised Food Retailing % Building Construction % Motor Vehicle Services % Dairy Cattle Farming % Other Business Services % Services to Agriculture % Building Completion Services % Meat and Meat Product Manufacturing % Other 9, % Total 17,715 Source: Statistics New Zealand, 2006 Census

18 Full list of questions We are seeking your input as we work towards reaching the Schools Plus goal. Answers to the following questions will help us identify the most effective ways of lifting young people s participation and achievement in education and training. 1. What key factors have the greatest impact on students participation, engagement and achievement in school? 2. To ensure students develop a stake in their own learning, what should be included in an education plan? 3. How can the school system be made more responsive to Māori students and increase participation and achievement? 4. How can the sector increase engagement and achievement for Pasifika students? 5. From a school s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with students, families, whānau, other schools, tertiary education organisations, business, and community organisations? What do employers see as the key barriers to providing ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees? 7. From a business perspective, what is the best way to deliver ongoing learning and training opportunities to young employees? 8. What is the role of employers in ensuring a young employee s education plan is acted on? 9. From the employer s perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whānau, schools, tertiary education organisations and community organisations? 10. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together to offer highquality and relevant learning opportunities for senior secondary students? 11. How can tertiary education organisations and schools work together and best support young people in making good decisions about their options in education? How will they jointly monitor student outcomes? 12. From the tertiary perspective, what are the critical factors in establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, families, whānau and community organisations? 13. How can families, whānau, iwi and communities best support young people to participate and achieve in education? 14. What types of social services do young people need to overcome barriers to participation in education? 15. What services and assistance would help families, whānau, iwi and communities support their young people to continue in education and training? 16. Which students are likely to need additional support to remain in education, skills or structured learning? What support should they get, and from whom? 17. What are some good examples of schools and non-government organisations working together for young people? 18. The government wants Schools Plus to meet the needs of all students of all abilities. How much flexibility should Schools Plus provide? Who should decide? These questions are also available online at

19 References The following websites and publications will give you more information on the data and the strategies discussed in this document. Related websites Ka Hikitia Curriculum PISA PIRLS ALL

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