A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning

The revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) was introduced in 2007 and seen as an opportunity for schools and communities to work together to provide a curriculum that reflected local needs. The NZC identifies learning areas which provide students with the foundation on which they can develop and la...

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Main Authors: Anthony Fisher, Bill Ussher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tuwhera Open Access Publisher 2015-08-01
Series:New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/71
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author Anthony Fisher
Bill Ussher
author_facet Anthony Fisher
Bill Ussher
author_sort Anthony Fisher
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description The revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) was introduced in 2007 and seen as an opportunity for schools and communities to work together to provide a curriculum that reflected local needs. The NZC identifies learning areas which provide students with the foundation on which they can develop and later specialise. It would be expected that this broad base would be reflected in schools’ Charters and Strategic or Annual Plans. A small scale initial investigation reviewing documentation for 2012 of 16 schools was undertaken. The resulting review identified that the schools’ plans focussed primarily on National Standards. There was limited identification of specific Learning Areas other than Literacy and Numeracy in regards to school targets, professional development, budget or school priorities. This review raises the concern that predictions that the impact of the National Standards being implemented within New Zealand schools would narrow the school curriculum is becoming a reality.
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spelling doaj-art-68b18560195a487a8ca19cb93c510c132025-08-20T02:32:11ZengTuwhera Open Access PublisherNew Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work1176-66622015-08-0111210.24135/teacherswork.v11i2.71A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planningAnthony Fisher0Bill Ussher1University of WaikatoUniversity of Waikato The revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) was introduced in 2007 and seen as an opportunity for schools and communities to work together to provide a curriculum that reflected local needs. The NZC identifies learning areas which provide students with the foundation on which they can develop and later specialise. It would be expected that this broad base would be reflected in schools’ Charters and Strategic or Annual Plans. A small scale initial investigation reviewing documentation for 2012 of 16 schools was undertaken. The resulting review identified that the schools’ plans focussed primarily on National Standards. There was limited identification of specific Learning Areas other than Literacy and Numeracy in regards to school targets, professional development, budget or school priorities. This review raises the concern that predictions that the impact of the National Standards being implemented within New Zealand schools would narrow the school curriculum is becoming a reality. https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/71New Zealand Curriculumstrategic reviewChartersAnnual PlansLearning Areas
spellingShingle Anthony Fisher
Bill Ussher
A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work
New Zealand Curriculum
strategic review
Charters
Annual Plans
Learning Areas
title A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
title_full A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
title_fullStr A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
title_full_unstemmed A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
title_short A Cautionary Tale: What are the signs telling us? Curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
title_sort cautionary tale what are the signs telling us curriculum versus standards reflected in schools planning
topic New Zealand Curriculum
strategic review
Charters
Annual Plans
Learning Areas
url https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/71
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AT billussher acautionarytalewhatarethesignstellinguscurriculumversusstandardsreflectedinschoolsplanning
AT anthonyfisher cautionarytalewhatarethesignstellinguscurriculumversusstandardsreflectedinschoolsplanning
AT billussher cautionarytalewhatarethesignstellinguscurriculumversusstandardsreflectedinschoolsplanning