Assessment and Aromatawai PLD: How Coactive Education Builds Schoolwide Capability That Accelerates Learner Progress

Assessment and aromatawai should do more than record results. It should strengthen teaching, clarify next steps, and help schools and kura track real progress for every learner.

At Coactive Education, our Assessment and Aromatawai PLD is designed to build strong, consistent, evidence-informed assessment practice across an entire school or kura. We work alongside leaders, tumuaki, teachers and kaiako to grow assessment literacy, strengthen data-informed decision-making, and embed sustainable systems that improve learning outcomes over time.

This is practical, high-impact professional learning that is grounded in what works. It’s informed by Assessment for Learning, the Science of Learning, and current system priorities including Te Mātaiaho and the refreshed learning areas.

Why Assessment and Aromatawai Matters More Than Ever

Across Aotearoa, schools are facing increased expectations around consistency, reliability, and clarity in assessment practice. At the same time, leaders are asking important questions:

• How do we know what learners have actually learned?

• How do we track progress without overwhelming teachers?

• How do we ensure assessment is fair, inclusive, and culturally responsive?

• How do we move from data collection to real impact?

The answer is not “more testing.”

The answer is building schoolwide capability so assessment becomes meaningful, manageable, and embedded in everyday practice. In Coactive Education’s Assessment and Aromatawai PLD, we support schools to strengthen assessment practice that:

• informs teaching and learning

• supports explicit teaching and checking for understanding

• includes everyday formative assessment practices

• leads to clear tracking and reporting of progress

• embeds culturally responsive practice and honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• strengthens evaluative thinking and self review

A Co-Constructed Approach That Starts With Your Context

No two schools are the same, and assessment practice cannot improve through a one-size-fits-all model.

That’s why Coactive Education’s approach is built on co-construction. We begin every partnership by gathering baseline evidence including:

• your achievement and progress data

• student, teacher, and leader voice

• teacher and school capability information using structured rubrics

From there, we develop a co-constructed Theory of Change and action plan that reflects your priorities, your learners, your curriculum design, and your school systems.

This means we don’t just look at the numbers. We interpret what the data means in context, and we consider what the evidence is saying about real tamariki, real kaiako, and the day-to-day teaching and learning happening in classrooms.

What Schools and Kura Build Through the Programme

Coactive Education’s Assessment and Aromatawai PLD supports schools to strengthen assessment practice across four key areas: capability, consistency, quality evidence, and impact.

1. Schoolwide consistency in assessment and aromatawai practice

Many schools have strong teachers doing great things, but lack a consistent approach across learning areas or teams.

Our PLD supports leaders and teachers to build shared expectations and consistent routines for assessment that reduce variability and strengthen coherence across the school.

2. Stronger assessment literacy and data literacy

Assessment capability is not just knowing tools, it is knowing what good evidence looks like and how to use it to improve teaching.

Our PLD builds confidence and capability in:

• collecting and storing quality evidence

• interpreting patterns and progress

• using evidence to track impact

• strengthening evidence-centred professional dialogue

3. Multiple sources of quality evidence

High-quality assessment uses more than formal testing. Across the programme, teachers develop confidence in drawing from a balanced range of evidence such as:

• observations, conversations, tasks and tools

• moderation and triangulation of Overall Teacher Judgements

• valid and reliable curriculum-aligned tools

This supports schools to understand learners more deeply and plan teaching that responds to actual learning needs.

4. Measurable outcomes and visible impact

A key focus of Coactive Education’s Assessment and Aromatawai PLD is helping schools move beyond reporting to improvement. Teachers and leaders strengthen their ability to measure progress and achievement in ways that show whether teaching is making a difference.

What the PLD Looks Like in Practice

High-impact assessment capability does not come from a single workshop. It comes through repeated application, feedback, inquiry, and implementation support.

Coactive Education’s PLD approach includes:

• baseline evidence gathering (data, voice, capability rubrics)

• co-constructed Theory of Change and action plan

• implementation led by senior leaders and team leaders

• collaborative teacher inquiries and Professional Growth Cycle (Spiral of Inquiry)

• practical PLD sessions and modelling

• staff and team meetings, Teacher Only Days

• one-to-one and small group coaching

• regular classroom walkthroughs and feedback

• post-PLD evidence gathering and sustainability planning

This structure ensures the work is embedded and sustained, not dependent on one person or one initiative.

Case Studies: Evidence-Informed Practice That Supports Teachers and Learners

Coactive Education brings deep experience across assessment and improvement-focused work with schools.

In one example, Coactive supported an intermediate in the Waikato through a multi-year partnership using baseline evidence gathering, co-constructed Theory of Change, explicit teaching inquiries, team leader coaching, walkthroughs, and strengthened school systems.

In another case study, Coactive worked with an Auckland School through Assessment PLD that included school capability rubrics, Assessment for Learning practices, deliberate acts of leadership, and student voice.

We also support schools to connect assessment practices across curriculum areas. For

example, another Auckland Intermediate School strengthened writing and assessment practices through explicit teaching, co-construction of success criteria, writing moderation, and use of pre/post assessments to measure teaching impact.

The Coactive Assessment and Aromatawai Facilitation Team

Credible, High-Impact Facilitation Nationwide

School leaders deserve facilitation that is credible, consistent, and grounded in evidence.

Coactive Education’s Assessment PLD team includes experienced facilitators and an Evaluation Partner, ensuring the work is both practical and measurable.

Our facilitators invest in collaborative practice models, plan for consistent delivery across the team, and stay current with research and developments through ongoing professional learning and conference engagement.

Our team’s learning includes Science of Learning courses and training such as:

• Nathaniel Swain, Science of Learning in Action

• La Trobe University Science of Learning courses

• Rollins Center of Language and Literacy (Cox Campus)

• DIBELS training

• The Writing Revolution

• and engagement with the New Zealand Assessment Institute

This learning is supported by a strong research base spanning Assessment for Learning, explicit instruction, cognitive load theory, feedback, and evidence-based decision making.

Preparing Schools for Tools Like SMART and Ongoing System Shifts

Assessment practice is evolving. Schools need support to respond to new tools and expectations with confidence.

Coactive Education has expertise in supporting the implementation of commonly used assessment and reporting tools and resources, including consistent administration and use of standardised tools, strong moderation, and effective use of school systems.

We also support schools to be ready for system shifts and new tools as they are released.

Q&A: Coactive Education’s Assessment and Aromatawai PLD

What is the focus of the Assessment and Aromatawai PLD?

The focus is building schoolwide capability in assessment and aromatawai so that teachers and leaders can use quality evidence to improve teaching and learning, strengthen consistency, and track progress over time.

Who is the PLD designed for?

It is designed for school leaders, tumuaki, teachers and kaiako. It supports whole-school implementation, not just individual practice.

Is this programme relevant for schools working with Te Mātaiaho?

Yes. Coactive Education strongly advocates for Te Mātaiaho and alignment with refreshed learning areas, and supports schools to integrate these changes into assessment practice and school systems.

How does Coactive Education make assessment feel manageable for teachers?

We focus on building consistent, practical routines and strengthening the selection and use of quality evidence. We also support systems for collection, analysis, and sharing of evidence, so teachers are not working in isolation with disconnected spreadsheets or personal systems.

What makes Coactive Education’s approach different?

We co-construct the work based on your context. We start with baseline evidence gathering and use rubrics to clarify capability and next steps. The programme includes practical sessions, modelling, coaching, and walkthroughs that embed practice and support sustainable implementation.

How do you measure impact?

We support schools to gather baseline evidence and follow-up evidence, including progress data and voice, so that leaders and teachers can identify what has shifted, what has improved, and what needs strengthening next.

Do you support standardised tools and moderation?

Yes. We support effective use of commonly used tools and practices such as triangulation, moderation of Overall Teacher Judgements, and consistent use of standardised assessment tools.

Can this PLD support equitable and inclusive assessment?

Yes. The rubrics explicitly include inclusive assessment practices, ensuring assessment approaches are adaptive, fair, and responsive for learners with additional needs, neurodiverse learners, and learners requiring differentiated approaches.

Ready to Strengthen Assessment and Aromatawai Practice Across Your School?

If you are ready to move beyond compliance and into meaningful, consistent, evidence-informed practice that accelerates learning, Coactive Education’s Assessment and Aromatawai PLD can support your next steps.

Our work is grounded in strong evidence, delivered by a credible facilitation team nationwide, and designed to create sustainable improvement across the schooling pathway.