Latest news with #TamateaIntermediate
Scoop
7 days ago
- Science
- Scoop
AI-Driven Structured Literacy Programme Delivers Impressive Results In NZ Schools
While the past five years in education have been defined by declining literacy rates, increasing truancy, and teacher burnout, NZ schools using a homegrown AI literacy programme are reporting a different story—one of student and teacher engagement, confidence, and strong academic outcomes. The release of the new Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) has highlighted persistent inequalities in our education system. When the literacy CAA was trialled in 2022, less than 3 per cent of decile one students passed the writing assessment, while today many high schools report students struggling to pass the base writing task. Yet, these statistics have been reversed considerably in schools using NZ High Teach Award-winning literacy programme Writer's Toolbox. The ground-breaking educational programme, using a locally-built AI, has been engineered to teach literacy (rather than give answers) and works to deepen a student's metacognitive capacity, along with their reasoning and writing skills. As deeper thinking skills are developed, student confidence, self-efficacy, and engagement all lift. For classes using the AI writing programme in Tawhiti School (Taranaki), the incidence of incomplete sentences among boys was halved across years, from 21% in 2023 to 10% in 2024. Boys also showed exceptional drops in the percentage of struggling writers, decreasing by 74%. In 2024, Tamatea Intermediate (Napier) ran four focus classes for their intermediate students. Over the course of a year, three out of the four focus classes saw a lift in student writing results (one class achieving a 23% increase year-on-year). Early adopters of the Writer's Toolbox platform, St Peter Chanel Catholic School in the Waikato, saw significant progress in the writing abilities of their year 8 students. At mid-year 2022, 50% were writing at or above the expected standard, but by mid-year 2023, this had increased to 83.33%. At Moanataiari School in Thames, the total year 3 students writing at or above the expected standard in Term 1 of 2022 was 0. After using Writer's Toolbox, this had climbed to 56% in Term 3 – an outstanding achievement in just a matter of months. Irene Ogden, Principal at Henderson North School in Auckland explains the impact Writer's Toolbox has had on their young learners. 'Students love writing now. They have a better understanding of expectations and are more self-managing when given writing tasks. All ability levels have benefited from the structured approach and have experienced success.' Simultaneously this is having a profound effect on teachers' competency and confidence in teaching writing. Tikorangi School Principal, Kerry Nancarrow, says, 'The biggest impact has been increased confidence in the teachers. They know where they are going with teaching writing and have a clearer picture. Teachers have the ability to convey the skills of writing to the students and this is empowering for teachers and students alike.' Improving outcomes for Māori students During this time, there has been discussion in education and policy circles about how to lift reading and writing levels for Māori students. In 2023, 28.3% of Māori school leavers did not achieve NCEA Level 1 (versus 14% of Pākehā students), and only 63.6% of Māori youth remained in school until age 17 (versus 79% of non-Māori). After using Writer's Toolbox, Thornton School in the Bay of Plenty found that incomplete sentence usage had decreased for all year levels, with Māori decreasing the most: from 47% to just 4%. While all year levels had an excellent decrease in struggling writers, notably Māori students dropped from 50% to 0. It highlights the need for innovative interventions like these to achieve cultural and educational equity for Māori students, with the impact reaching far beyond the classroom. Taking a structured approach to teaching writing New Zealand technology company Writer's Toolbox, was founded by academic and educator Dr Ian Hunter in 2012. Its unique and structured approach to teaching writing and thinking has seen it adopted in six different curriculum systems across ten countries. More than 4.7 billion words a year of student writing are assessed by the company's AI engines, and that number is growing at the rate of 66 million words a week. Dr Hunter says, 'Literacy is too important to be left to chance. Writing, like other skills, can be explicitly taught in a structured, scientific way. And when we do, we empower the development of the whole person. 'Research shows that writing skills are integral to an effective knowledge economy and have powerful impacts on a student's confidence, creativity, resilience, creativity, and the future adaptability of our societies. The reason is simple: When we write we think: and in that process, our thinking is deepened and amplified,' adds Dr Hunter. Education Minister Erica Stanford recently affirmed the importance of structured literacy in raising achievement and closing equity gaps in New Zealand schools. Writer's Toolbox echoes this urgency and highlights how this change is not only possible but already happening. Says Hunter, 'At a time when educators are stretched and national results are under the microscope, it's exciting to see real, sustained improvement. No one should be held back in their life aspirations by an inability to write well. The solution is within our grasp.'
Techday NZ
7 days ago
- Techday NZ
AI-powered writing tool boosts literacy in New Zealand schools
Several New Zealand schools are reporting improved literacy outcomes among students following the adoption of an AI-based structured literacy programme developed locally. The release of new Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) has highlighted ongoing disparities in educational achievement, with trial data in 2022 showing less than 3 per cent of decile one students passing the writing assessment. Recent results across high schools continue to indicate widespread challenges, with many students struggling to meet baseline writing requirements. Schools utilising the Writer's Toolbox platform, an AI-driven literacy programme recognised with the NZ Hi Tech Award, are seeing marked reversals in these trends. The programme, built in New Zealand, focuses on teaching the principles of writing, supporting the development of metacognitive, reasoning, and writing skills among students. According to its proponents, enhanced thinking skills through the programme are linked to increased student confidence, self-efficacy, and engagement. At Tawhiti School in Taranaki, boys using the AI writing programme demonstrated a significant reduction in incomplete sentences across all years, falling from 21 per cent in 2023 to 10 per cent in 2024. The proportion of boys classified as struggling writers decreased by 74 per cent during the same period. Tamatea Intermediate in Napier conducted a year-long trial involving four focus classes of intermediate students. Of these, three classes exhibited improvements in writing results, with one class achieving a 23 per cent increase in year-on-year performance. St Peter Chanel Catholic School in the Waikato, an early adopter of Writer's Toolbox, also noted substantial gains. In mid-2022, 50 per cent of Year 8 students were writing at or above the expected standard, and by mid-2023, this figure had risen to 83.33 per cent. Moanataiari School in Thames reported that, among its Year 3 students, none met the expected writing standard in Term 1 of 2022. By Term 3, following the introduction of Writer's Toolbox, 56 per cent of students were writing at or above the expected level. Irene Ogden, Principal at Henderson North School in Auckland, described the effect of Writer's Toolbox on pupils. "Students love writing now. They have a better understanding of expectations and are more self-managing when given writing tasks. All ability levels have benefited from the structured approach and have experienced success." Teacher competence and confidence in delivering writing instruction have also improved, according to feedback from schools involved in the programme. Kerry Nancarrow, Principal at Tikorangi School, said, "The biggest impact has been increased confidence in the teachers. They know where they are going with teaching writing and have a clearer picture. Teachers have the ability to convey the skills of writing to the students and this is empowering for teachers and students alike." Attention has also turned to outcomes for Māori students, who, according to national statistics, have historically faced lower writing attainment rates. In 2023, 28.3 per cent of Māori school leavers had not achieved NCEA Level 1, compared to 14 per cent of Pākehā students. School retention rates also differed, with 63.6 per cent of Māori youth remaining in education until age 17, against 79 per cent for non-Māori. Thornton School in Bay of Plenty reported that, after implementing Writer's Toolbox, incomplete sentence usage fell across all year groups, with the reduction being most pronounced among Māori students, dropping from 47 per cent to 4 per cent. The proportion of Māori students identified as struggling writers decreased from 50 per cent to zero. The impact of these results underscores, according to school leaders, the potential for such interventions to support cultural and educational equity, extending benefits beyond classroom achievement. Writer's Toolbox was founded in 2012 by academic and educator Dr Ian Hunter. The programme has since been adopted in six curriculum systems across ten countries and is now assessing more than 4.7 billion words of student writing annually, with growth estimated at 66 million words each week. Dr Hunter said, "Literacy is too important to be left to chance. Writing, like other skills, can be explicitly taught in a structured, scientific way. And when we do, we empower the development of the whole person." He continued, "Research shows that writing skills are integral to an effective knowledge economy and have powerful impacts on a student's confidence, creativity, resilience, creativity, and the future adaptability of our societies. The reason is simple: When we write we think: and in that process, our thinking is deepened and amplified." Education Minister Erica Stanford has stated that structured literacy approaches are important for raising achievement and narrowing equity gaps in New Zealand schools. Writer's Toolbox representatives maintain that such changes are attainable and already evident in practice. Dr Hunter said, "At a time when educators are stretched and national results are under the microscope, it's exciting to see real, sustained improvement. No one should be held back in their life aspirations by an inability to write well. The solution is within our grasp."
NZ Herald
13-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Tributes flow for young Napier rugby star Kaea Karauria as homicide probe continues
Kaea was a student at Napier Boys' High School. Detective Inspector Martin James said, in an update on Tuesday, that police were continuing to appeal for information from the public, including any relevant footage. 'We have received a steady flow of information through the anonymous portal and Crime Stoppers, which is being analysed by the investigation team. 'We urge those who saw what occurred to come forward and speak to police. 'The scene examination will conclude today [Tuesday], and a post-mortem will also be conducted. 'No arrests have been made at this stage.' He earlier said a team of 20 investigators were on the case. 'We understand the fact someone so young has been killed is very unsettling for the community.' Kaea was a rising rugby star and played junior rugby for Napier Pirate, represented the Napier Ross Shield team during 2021 and 2022 (the latter of which the team won), and most recently was a cornerstone of the Napier Boys' High School U15 rugby team, playing at lock or flanker. His former Ross Shield coach, Willie Tran, who is the current Napier Boys' High 1st XV coach, said he was more than just a talented athlete. 'He was the heart and soul of every team he was a part of. 'His presence lifted others. His actions inspired. 'And his loyalty bound us together in ways that only those who played beside him can truly understand. 'Whether it was on the field or off, Kaea led with quiet strength, fierce determination, and an unwavering love for those around him.' He said he was incredibly privileged to have coached him in the Napier Ross Shield team, and to have been involved with him at Napier Boys' High. 'What drew me most to Kaea wasn't just his skill or his bravery in the trenches of the game, though those were undeniable. 'It was his deep, authentic care for his teammates. 'He played not for accolades, but for the brothers beside him.' He said Kaea was 'a warrior in every sense of the word' and 'we are all better for having known you'. 'Your impact will ripple through our hearts and our teams forever. 'You will be deeply missed — and always remembered." His former club, Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports Club, shared a tribute to Kaea on social media. 'Kaea was a proud Pirate, a key part of our junior club, and his presence left a lasting impression on all who knew him. 'His father, Ren, also wore the black jersey for our senior club — a true Pirates family. 'As a club, we are in mourning alongside Kaea's whānau and friends. 'Our heartfelt and sincere sympathy – our arohanui – goes out to all who grieve the loss of this precious young man.' Kaea was also a Hawke's Bay Unicorn rugby league age group representative. His former schools, Porritt Primary and Tamatea Intermediate, remembered him as having 'immense talent' and having a 'kindness and regard for others'. Kaea was also formerly a leading student of arts, music and culture at Tamatea Intermediate. A family member, Jennifer Hatton, posted a message on social media on behalf of the whānau. 'We wish to thank you all again for the outpouring of love shown for our son and brother Kaea Karauria. 'Our son, brother, moko, nephew, cousin and friend to many, will return home to us today [Tuesday].' A second injured teenager was also located on Cottrell Crescent, another nearby street, early on Sunday morning. That teen was taken to hospital but was discharged soon after. Anyone with information is asked to make a report online at 105, or by calling 105, and people are asked to quote the reference number 250511/1317.
