Primary award recipients 2016
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Arnold, Gail
Springdale School
Research modern learning environments; visit schools to see examples of MLEs in action, and talk to principals and teachers to get an understanding of the pedagogy linked to MLEs.
Download: Full report (PDF 176 kB)
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Baker, Neil
Northcote School (Christchurch)
Carry out relevant study and research into the use of interactive video floor projection.
Download: Full report (PDF 277 kB)
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Barlow, Josephine
St James School (Aranui)
Investigate ways to support principals in network – in the roles of coaching, mentoring, and professional supervision.
Download: Full report (PDF 182 kB)
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Beattie, Gaylene
Springlands School
Investigate successful interventions, practices, and strategies that benefit achievement of Māori and Pasifika learners in meeting National Standards.
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Bioletti, Nigel
Birkenhead School
Resolve the surface feature difficulty for schools, whilst maintaining the drive for quality deep feature writing, with the aim of lifting student achievement in this area.
Download: Full report (PDF 358 kB)
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Bourke, Phil
Flemington School (Waipukurau)
Investigate the move toward creating innovative learning environments (ILE), the associated changes in teacher pedagogy required, and what effect this has on student agency.
Download: Full report (PDF 307 kB)
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Brell, Nicholas
Malfroy School
Review the relevance of the school’s vision and how it is reflected in the school.
Download: Full report (PDF 127 kB)
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Bruce, Lynette
Knapdale School
Investigate the pedagogy and practice of independent learning using differentiated learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
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Buckley, Rex
Kingsford School
Investigate next steps for e-learning – how other schools use N4Learning portal to enhance learning; hardware and how it is used to enhance the curriculum for priority learners; deepen understanding of professional leader and driver role.
Download: Full report (PDF 478 kB)
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Buutveld, Wilhelmus
Havelock School
Determine the efficacy of FIE in a NZ classroom; design and run an inquiry (research) alongside the Feuerstein Pilot running at Havelock School during 2015/16 and travel within and beyond NZ to study the work others have done with Prof Reuven Feuerstein's work over the last 60 years.
Download: Full report (PDF 2 MB)
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Caddie, Gordon
Waltham School
Inquiry into how to use collaborative teaching approaches to accelerate the progress of priority learners (particularly in literacy and numeracy) – focus on low decile learning communities and those that have a significant proportion of Māori, Pasifika, and students with high learning needs.
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Caldwell, Brent
Mornington School
Strengthening school curriculum and culture through the development of children's personal social and emotional skills using programmes of behaviour education and self-management.
Download: Full report (PDF 634 kB)
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Carey, Sonya
Newfield Park School
Investigate models of curriculum integration that foster student agency.
Download: Full report (PDF 198 kB)
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Cavanagh-Eyre, Jane
Epsom Normal School
Qualitative research on how inquiry research has shaped teachers at Epsom Normal and the impact on achievement levels of priority students; visit schools in two international contexts about professional development approaches that they believe have had a direct impact on student learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 579 kB)
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Chamley, Patrick
Flat Bush School
Visit and talk with all local preschools that service Flat Bush to gain a better understanding of the work they are doing (and to try to improve school/preschool relations); better develop new entrant programmes to enable children to succeed better when they begin school.
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Clark, Jan
Brunswick School
Visit schools where e-learning has been implemented to support learning across the curriculum – interview teachers and observe lessons; collect and analyse student data; examine methods used to determine what has created shifts in student achievement.
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Crockett, Stephen
Fairhall School
What it means to be a future focused school – looking at schools that are considered effectively "future focused" with a particular emphasis on managing roll growth, global citizenship, and MLP or pedagogy.
Download: Full report (PDF 818 kB)
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Cronin, Michelle
Huirangi School
Work towards completing Masters Degree in Educational Leadership.
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Cullen, Mark
Motupipi School
Research effective and successful methods of teaching children with dyslexia – staff interviews and observations within selected NZ and UK schools; attend workshop; carry out professional reading and discuss latest methodology with experts.
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Daines, Deborah
New Brighton Catholic School (ChCh)
Visit principals and leadership teams to survey ideas and best practice for school leaders supporting the health and well-being/hauora of their school community when disaster strikes.
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
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Devenport, Janine
Fernridge School
How primary schools can collaborate to provide high quality learning and professional development opportunities across clusters or communities.
Download: Full report (PDF 560 kB)
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Dillon-Roberts, Lisa
Merrin School
Explore how to best provide for new entrant learners entering school life.
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Dixon, Linette
Hokowhitu School
Explore pedagogies and practices that support effective personalised learning in both flexible learning spaces (MLE) and single cell classrooms.
Download: Full report (PDF 203 kB)
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Donnelly, Annette
Mt Carmel School (Meadowbank)
Research modern learning practice within a modern learning environment and how this pedagogy can be implemented successfully into the school.
Download: Full report (PDF 73 kB)
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Doyle, Louise
Oaklynn Special School
Investigate the use of coaching/mentoring processes to build professional capability in the special education sector and aid organisational improvement; produce a resource for other school leaders to use to develop a coaching culture.
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
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Drury, Kevin
Rukuhia School
Investigate the effect that variables – teacher relationships, attendance, whānau support and MLE – have on students well below and below achievement expectations, with emphasis on Māori students.
Download: Full report (PDF 523 kB)
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Eagles, Judith
Maungatapere School
Undertake research into learning disorders and disabilities (ASD, dyslexia) that are becoming more prevalent in our schools today, and gain knowledge of the teaching strategies that support these children in their learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 328 kB)
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Ellis, Rosemarie
Kaiwaka School
Learn how other mainstream schools present lessons, assess student achievement, and evaluate teaching and learning in te reo and tikanga when they are operating at the 4b level, to gain insight into best practice and effective learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 75 kB)
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Emerson, Joanne
Longburn School
Participate in the 2016 LEAP (Learning Educators Around the Planet) Programme – reciprocal arrangement, components include: shadow a principal in their school/professional environments (Northern Hemisphere); undertake action research project; visit schools; participate in international conference.
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Farrelly, Michael
Raumati Beach School
Investigate the transition of year 8 students into secondary schools with a particular emphasis on transition from larger schools.
Download: Full report (PDF 132 kB)
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Ford, Patrick
Balclutha School
Look at the impact on principals of the cluster model made possible through IES funding.
Download: Full report (PDF 332 kB)
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Franklin, Vaughan
Te Rapa School
To carefully consider the very critical role of personnel in positions of leadership and governance in New Zealand schools, and how they are directly responsible and accountable for influencing a school’s culture and effectiveness for the better, and how can we actively learn from positive examples of this, as well as any negative examples, to reduce the need for statutory intervention and / or commissioners in our schools.
Download: Full report (PDF 772 kB)
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Franks, Geoffrey; Franks, Raylene; Punler, Gary
Linton Camp School, Glen Oroua School, West End School (Palmerston North)
Acceleration, as opposed to remediation, is one strategy the government is using with schools to raise student achievement. This study looks at how school and teacher "acceleration" practices are enhancing children's progress and achievement and how teachers know these practices are making a difference.
Download: Full report (PDF 500 kB)
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Goodall, Callan
St Patrick's School (Invercargill)
Research current literature and visit other primary schools to investigate the direct impact of student engagement on achievement.
Download: Full report (PDF 323 kB)
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Green, Simon
North Loburn School
Investigate a cluster-wide approach to the implementation of Ka Hikitia school communities.
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Gunn, Elizabeth
Churchill Park School
Investigate how e-learning strategies support greater student ownership of, and engagement with, their learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 110 kB)
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Haggo, Craig
Pongakawa School
Impact of one-to-one personal device access on accelerating student learning (reading, writing, mathematics) when aligned to a modern learning environment.
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Hankins, Diane
Sommerville School
Making sense of aggregated progress and achievement data in a special school.
Download: Full report (PDF 3 MB)
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Harwood, Carol
Te Kohanga School
How to create a modern learning environment for primary students in a 100-year-old school with single classrooms; investigate how Māori student achievement can be nurtured through the adaptation of physical spaces, and the pedagogical environment required to grow confident, engaged learners.
Download: Full report (PDF 6 MB)
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Horsfall, Antony
Ohope Beach School
Investigate the changes in teacher pedagogy and collaboration required within modern learning environments and the effect this has on learning, with particular focus on priority learners.
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Howard, Moira
Levin North School
Explore personalised learning within innovative learning environments in order to reflect on and develop a framework and documentation for the revised Levin North School Curriculum.
Download: Full report (PDF 2 MB)
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Inder, Patricia
St Joseph's School (Queenstown)
Identify the necessary knowledge and skills to support teachers to identify and implement targeted strategies to meet specific learning needs of priority students.
Download: Full report (PDF 172 kB)
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Jenkins, Sandra
Freemans Bay School
Explore transition processes that would enable schools to realise their vision around learning as part of the design process of innovative learning environments.
Download: Full report (PDF 410 kB)
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Joblin, Kathleen
St Thomas More Catholic School
Perspectives and learnings from our experiences as a Community of Learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
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Johnson, Elizabeth
Fairfield Primary School
Gain a better understanding of the cultural background and schooling experiences of Tongan migrant children attending school in NZ by visiting schools in Tonga; research strategies and successful programmes operating in NZ schools that accelerate Pacific (predominantly Tongan) students' learning.
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Johnson, Kathryn
Halfmoon Bay School
Investigate how to better prepare students for the transition to secondary or boarding school by extending and adapting the ways e-learning is currently being used.
Download: Full report (PDF 203 kB)
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Johnston, Richard
Panmure Bridge School
Attend the 2016 ISTE (International Society For Technology in Education) Conference in Denver, Colorado; visit schools in the region that are leading examples of digital learning and have made significant shifts in learning through technology.
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Jones, Janet
Paeroa Central School
Visit other schools that have Rumaki classes, local kura kaupapa schools that have year 9–13 classes, and schools that have dual-medium/bilingual classes.
Download: Full report (PDF 103 kB)
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Keenan, Sandra
Burnham School
Investigate ways to fully engage parents of children in bilingual classrooms in their children's learning and find ways to increase the level of te reo spoken in their homes.
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King, Stephen
Remuera School
Undertake an action research project aimed at understanding how schools engage effectively with families from Asia and the Indian sub-continent.
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Laugesen, Sarah
Lynton Downs School
Investigate how schools are adapting their learning environments to enhance and engage boys in learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 195 kB)
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Leighton, Wayne
Royal Road School
A study undertaken with AUT in 2013 into play resulted in an overhaul of our approach to how we let children play, and is having a positive, ongoing effect on both playground behaviour and child wellbeing. I plan to investigate other innovations that are happening with a view to implement these and promote them to other schools.
Download: Full report (PDF 59 kB)
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Mackay, Kevin
Greytown School
Investigate and compare ways in which NZ primary schools are meeting the learning needs of priority learners.
Download: Full report (PDF 168 kB)
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Mansfield, John
Fitzroy School
Transform and develop current modern learning environment pedagogy and philosophy into a living teaching and learning environment at Fitzroy School.
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Marshall, Gail
Solway School
How families, schools, and community support services can come together in a collaborative way to meet the comprehensive needs of our children.
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McLachlan, Susan
Mountain View School
Investigate the impact of designing a modern "learning landscape" to optimise student achievement at Mountain View School, and to develop a resource which makes this learning accessible to other schools and communities.
Download: Full report (PDF 13 MB)
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Melrose, Peter
Hampstead School
Investigate effective crisis management – specifically schools' preparedness for a student death; explore the impact of increasingly diverse school cultural demographics, which requires appropriate cultural responsiveness.
Download: Full report (PDF 444 kB)
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Mercer, Greig
Boulcott School
Examine models of curriculum design and school development and interview principals about their current design process and frameworks and how these meet the needs of diverse learners.
Download: Full report (PDF 214 kB)
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Miller, Mary
Gore Main School
Research a multi-dimensional model to teaching gifted children, trial it school-wide to see what success occurs for all year levels, and gather feedback.
Download: Full report (PDF 107 kB)
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Moy-Low, Katherine
Waiheke Primary School
Gain a deeper understanding of the "School in the Cloud" and collaborative approaches of Sole classrooms around the world, based on research of their founder Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technologies at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University.
Download: Full report (PDF 138 kB)
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Murray, Fiona
Woodlands Full Primary School
Understand the most effective ways of transitioning students into and out of primary school.
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Naera, Cathryn
Ngongotaha School
Investigate best practice for akonga and their whānau when transitioning to a primary school from kohanga reo and early childhood education centres.
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Nicholls, Daniel
St Patrick's Catholic School (Taupo)
Deepen understanding of working with priority learners (Māori/Pasifika) – up skill knowledge and application of te reo/tikanga; develop a strategic plan that lifts engagement and achievement of priority learners at St Patrick's.
Download: Full report (PDF 428 kB)
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Nicoll, Judith
Makauri School
Build professional knowledge in leadership of modern learning environments – understand modern learning pedagogies and practices that underpin MLE; identify MLE practices that have the potential to enhance learning, engagement, and achievement for priority students.
Download: Full report (PDF 513 kB)
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O'Neill, Ruth
Cannons Creek School
How are school libraries changing to support inquiry learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 249 kB)
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Oliver, Charles and Shona
Wanganui Intermediate, Central Normal School
Research the difference that innovative learning pedagogy makes to the achievement of priority learners with a particular focus on the achievement of Māori learners.
Download: Full report (PDF 233 kB)
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Oliver, Gavin
Pukete School
Research the anxiety and anger issues that children exhibit, with a particular focus on priority learners – causation and treatment of anger and anxiety with the aim of enhancing children's engagement and learning.
Download: Full report (PDF 622 kB)
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Pettit, Michael
Cambridge School
Develop a kete that will provide improved knowledge, skills, understanding and effective practices to successfully engage Māori and Pasifika parents and wider whānau.
Download: Full report (PDF 137 kB)
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Rayner, Rhonda-Maree
Cargill Open Plan School
How can schools best manage their ICT in relation to iPads, Chromebooks, Hapara and Google Apps – programme content and curriculum delivery, logistics and systems for managing programmes and devices.
Download: Full report (PDF 93 kB)
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Richardson, Glen
Waituna West School
Initiatives to sustain and improve rural school rolls with an emphasis on community engagement.
Download: Full report (PDF 609 kB)
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Richmond, Tracy
Omakau School
Investigate programmes to support oral language development for children starting school with oral language deficits.
Download: Full report (PDF 236 kB)
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Ryan, Nicola
Weston School
Understand how our school can work effectively with families of priority learners – what procedures and systems do successful schools use to ensure respectful relationships that support the learning success of priority learners?
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Sandilands, Collette
Grantlea Downs
How can schools support and develop student wellbeing to optimise their success?
Download: Full report (PDF 431 kB)
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Saunders, Vicki
Te Kauwhata Primary School
Investigate successful models of coaching and mentoring in primary schools and other learning environments; continued study towards Masters in Educational Leadership.
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Scouse, Sharron
Mangatawhiri School
Investigate innovative learning spaces, teacher pedagogy, and school management in relation to best practice examples of raising student achievement in a NZ and overseas context, then relate this to implementing change within our rural school context.
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Sedcole, Alexander
Mangonui School
To review and strengthen the Mangonui School curriculum.
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Shannahan, Louise
Fairlie School
Increase professional understanding of and capability in further leading collaborative teaching and learning in flexible teaching/learning environments; learn how schools have implemented flexible teaching/learning environments with limited physical changes being made.
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Simpson, Jacinta
Hataitai School
Investigate the learning needs of boys aged 5–6, with regard to the transition from early childhood providers to school; and how their readiness for school impacts on learning success during their first year and their achievement.
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Sincock, Brendon
Carisbrook School
Visit NZ schools that have developed MLEs and are using a collaborative approach effectively to enhance student achievement, with a particular focus on the achievement of Māori and Pasifika students.
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Smith, Angela
Mauku School
Develop a "writing together" resource to support the Reading Together Programme (developed by Jeanne Biddulph), which is widely used to help transition children into school and provide parents with knowledge of the reading process and their role to support this at home.
Download: Full report (PDF 400 kB)
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Smith, Carolyn
Pukenui School (Kaitaia)
Investigate the place of year 7 and 8 students in the primary education system and what influences their parents/carers to make schooling choices for this group.
Download: Full report (PDF 296 kB)
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Smith, Deborah
Musselburgh School
Investigate the impact that mental health and wellbeing has on engagement of and learning for traumatised and vulnerable students; explore effective strategies and techniques that will help these students to thrive, achieve, and belong.
Download: Full report (PDF 326 kB)
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Stewart, Marama
Waiouru School
Visit schools and early childhood centres to look at effective transition strategies for four and five year olds; conduct research with local ECE around preparing both caregivers and children for school.
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Stockton, Matthew
Whatawhata School
Revisit Masters of Educational Leadership research (completed in 2009), which involved working with small rural schools to examine their contextual curriculum implementation, its opportunities, and its challenges.
Download: Full report (PDF 226 kB)
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Sweeney, Gary
Pukekohe Intermediate
Visit schools and meet with SENCOs working at the senior end of primary and lower secondary schools; undertake a study based on the work undertaken by these SENCOs.
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Tait-Jamieson, Mary
Tauranga Waldorf School
Investigate post-heroic, social justice leadership practices and their application in supporting positive community school partnerships.
Download: Full report (PDF 454 kB)
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Towersey, Neil
Te Puna School
Research elements of best practice in dual medium governance, leadership, curriculum design and delivery; develop a programme of self-review and strategic planning to bring about necessary changes or improvements at Te Puna.
Download: Full report (PDF 42 kB)
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Tyson, Ross
Cambridge Middle School
How are successful schools using data to formulate OTJs and how are they moderating? Is moderating being carried out collaboratively across school communities or just within schools?
Download: Full report (PDF 336 kB)
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Vidulich, Craig
Te Horo School (Otaki)
Investigate and learn from schools/classes/parents/businesses who teach growth mindset practices – can teaching growth mindset language and processes accelerate learning for children?
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
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Waikato, Debbie
Lincoln Heights School
Investigate effective strategies for simplifying the work while meeting expected targets and/or rates of acceleration – undertake professional readings; visit schools within the Auckland area; administer a survey across Auckland primary schools.
Download: Full report (PDF 469 kB)
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Ward, Lynley
Makarora Primary School
Explore and implement best practice for developing online collaborative learning opportunities for students in rural schools – study online and collaborative learning theory and practice; visit schools to view current good practice; set up online collaborative learning relationships and opportunities.
Download: Full report (PDF 88 kB)
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Wilkinson, Sally
Blomfield Special School and Resource CT
Uncover common characteristics of effective leadership models in special education internationally and consider how these characteristics can be identified and strengthened within leadership in New Zealand.
Download: Full report (PDF 560 kB)
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Windleborn, John
Paparore School
Investigate how to develop productive, positive home-school whānau partnerships that focus on learning, therefore improving outcomes for students – strengthen current school processes; gather information about best practice; engage in reflective models; interview key stakeholders.
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Wright, Brendan
Hanmer Springs School
Research strategies being used to create confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners – look specifically at self-regulated learning, how it is being implemented and its effect on student progress and achievement.
Download: Full report (PDF 268 kB)
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Wright, Paul
Clayton Park School
Review research literature concerning the effectiveness of models of collaboration between schools and subsequent impact on learning outcomes.
Download: Full report (PDF 1 MB)
