A National Assessment of the Arts: The New Zealand Approach

• In Event: Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Issues in Assessment Development and Practice in Public School Classrooms

Abstract

The National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA) is a sample-based, government-funded study of achievement for New Zealand students in Year 4 and Year 8. In 2015 NMSSA assessed achievement in the arts. To ensure that performance and creative skills were assessed, four frameworks were developed that allowed teachers to make systematic judgments of their students’ achievement levels. The frameworks complemented a group-administered assessment called the Nature of the Arts Assessment (NoTA). Results on NoTA showed strong growth between Year 4 and Year 8. Less growth however, was indicated on assessments made using the frameworks. Overall, girls achieved more highly than boys on both types of assessments. Teachers expressed high confidence in the judgments they made using the frameworks.

Author

• Charles William Darr, New Zealand Council for Educational Research