Mātauranga Māori an NZPF Initiative Adapted by Liz Hawes, Editor, from a paper entitled ‘NZPF Māori Achievement Collaboratives’ by Peter Witana
For the past two years the New Zealand Principals’ Executive assistance and advice of colleagues. The model is relationship has been deliberating on the issue of Māori achievement and based and supports the available research which tells us clearly how to increase the proportion of Māori students succeeding what works with Māori students in educational settings’. (Bishop, in education. With over ninety per cent of all Māori students R. & Glynn,T., 2003; Smith, G.,1995) receiving their schooling in mainstream schools, it is the The role of the Federation is to lead the programme which mainstream that has become the focus of debate. was launched by NZPF President, Philip Harding, at the It’s not that there aren’t some very good publications already NZPF conference held in Hamilton in July 2013. NZPF offers available to schools such as Ka Hikitia, Tu Rangatira and leadership and links to the sector to encourage participation Tātaiako. These publications are filled with good ideas about and involvement. It will work to select champion facilitators, how to connect Māori kids with each other within the school and to provide the objectives, the guidance and the professional and how to help them form relationships with their own iwi support to ensure success. The challenge was laid down to all and extended whānau groups outside of the school. Experts in NZPF colleagues attending conference, where principals were Māori education all agree that establishing relationships is the invited to register their interest in the programme. We thank key to Māori children succeeding as Māori. The problem is that all those principals who have now registered and you will all principals need more be contacted again shortly. NZPF guidance before they can The MACs will be led by is now working to identify suitable successfully implement candidates to serve as champions. the very good ideas in “champions”. These will be carefully NZPF is proud to lead this initiative these documents. The and to work in collaboration with selected principals with lack of professional other key stakeholders in the development for both integrity and expertise, who education sector including those from school leaders and the Ministry of Education, iwi groups classroom teachers has have the insight, and facilitation skills and the New Zealand School Trustees’ stalled progress in the Association. The initiative will be to lead networks, and ask questions. education of Māori for discussed with different iwi groups so years. that they have a full understanding of A subcommittee of the NZPF executive, led by its Māori the intentions and goals of the programme and recognise the members Peter Witana, Keri Milne-Ihimaera and Whetu important part they play for Māori children seeking to identify Cormick approached the Ministry of Education to share ideas with their own iwi. about how to create a framework to progress Māori education A lead facilitator will be appointed to ensure that the project in our schools. runs smoothly, that key stakeholders are involved and that The vision for this work is to create principal networks of five appropriate milestones and reports are achieved. The facilitator to six principals, who meet twice a term to strengthen schools’ is likely to be a principal who has had success in lifting Māori cultural responsiveness to their Māori students, thus creating a achievement and would be seconded to the role for a period of learning environment and a school culture where Māori children time. feel valued, respected, and able to succeed as Māori. These The MACs will be led by “champions”. These will be carefully networks will be known as Māori Achievement Collaboratives selected principals with integrity and expertise, who have the (MACs) insight, and facilitation skills to lead networks, and ask questions This is a process, not a product driven solution. Rather than to that challenge and guide principals in their school’s pathway. simply provide answers, the goal of MACs is to grow principal These selected ‘champion principals/facilitators’ will be able to capability ensuring on-going development that permeates and offer guidance, advice and challenge to the principal cluster. builds the school culture. Champion facilitators will take part in initial training where This kaupapa acknowledges that every school’s context is the scope of the project is chartered and the learning process special and unique, and every principal’s confidence and skills outlined. Philosophical approaches, key tasks, expected are different. The model aims to assist school principals to plan outcomes, timeframes and milestone reporting will all be shaped their priorities based on self-reflection and review, with the and discussed.
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Self reflection will be the method used to give principals a starting point for their action planning. Past achievements and areas for future development will be recorded. The process will be private to the school and will not be shared except with agreement and planning by the principal. Leading this work would form the basis of the experienced principal portfolio. The initiative is needs-based and will look different for each cluster group and each principal. There is no ‘one way’ pathway that all clusters will be encouraged to simply move through. Cluster champions will be selected to best meet the needs of the individual clusters. The model for delivering the MACs will be the ‘Learning and Change Networks’ (LCNs) which the Ministry of Education has developed as a best practice model for collaborative practice and schooling improvement. Currently 400 schools are participating in LCNs across the country, and there is potential funding for a further 300 schools. Facilitators are trained by staff from Auckland University, and may be recruited by them, or from the sector. The LCN programme requires schools to develop their own action plan, and offers a package of resources and support to schools. The model is well designed to deliver MACs using Ka Hikitia, Tātaiako, and Tu Rangitira. These resources, which offer important insights into the Māori achievement challenges for schools, have so far not been well implemented. The Ka Hikitia Measurable Gains Framework will be used to monitor success. The Ministry supports cultural responsiveness as a worthy focus for LCNs, and NZPF acknowledges that, in time, there will be scope to stretch into other areas that might also support Māori
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achievement. Te Kotahitanga, a programme designed to improve outcomes for Māori students at secondary school level, built its strength from having a singular focus. NZPF is quite clear that the MACs project also needs to be relentless in having a singular focus aimed at making a difference for Māori students, in order to drive the kaupapa, particularly in its early stages. NZPF believes that the MACs project will have a high probability of success provided that it continues to be led by the profession and importantly, is seen to be led by the profession. Despite the production of some excellent resources by Ministry of Education researchers, there has been little uptake of the ideas these documents generate and very few schools have implemented either the Tātaiako cultural competencies or any other suggestions for improving cultural relationships in schools. To increase the interest and engagement of schools, it is important that leadership comes from the profession. Promoting the MACs project will be the responsibility of NZPF at both a national level through national conference, national publications, including the weekly electronic newsletter and annual Moot and through utilising the regional network of association and cluster leaders who are located in all New Zealand provinces. NZPF is committed to establishing clear accountability systems for the MACs project. Clusters will be asked to document what success will look like and to identify ways of measuring that success. They will be expected to define their baseline position coming into the project and to identify steps of success or achievement milestones that they expect to reach over time. Both the process of achieving these milestones, a timeframe and the change effects of reaching these milestones will form the basis of written reports which would be submitted within an agreed timeframe. Some of the success indicators that cluster participants might identify could include defining what is meant by Māori achieving as Māori, the levels of Māori parental involvement with the project, changes to the levels of Māori parents’ attendance at parent/teacher interviews, school attendance statistics for Māori children, action research on cultural competencies within the school, changes in Māori children’s achievement, the ways in which local iwi are engaged with the school. The MACs project has the potential to make a huge difference for Māori children and their educational success. Just as Te Kotahitanga has impacted positively for Māori students at the secondary level, so also can MACs impact at the primary level. The key to increasing the probability of success is keeping the project firmly in the hands of the professionals. References 1 Bishop, R. & Glynn, T. (2003). Culture counts: changing power relations in education. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press Ltd. 2 Smith, G. (1995). Whakaoho whānau: new formations of whānau as an innovative intervention into Māori culture and educational crises. He Pukenga Korero: A Journal of Māori Studies 1 (1), 18–35