Complementary Evaluation: The Development of a Conceptual Framework to Integrate External and Internal Evaluation in the New Zealand School Context

Abstract

One of the themes of current school evaluation research and debate is the extent to which it is possible to integrate internal and external evaluation and accountability and improvement. In this article, the author outlines how New Zealand has attempted to reconcile these differing perspectives and aims. New Zealand has a national system of school evaluation which has been in place since the education reforms of the 1980s. The Education Review Office (ERO) evaluates the quality of education in all pre-tertiary educational institutions and services. The ERO has adapted its approach over the years as it has been subject to external review, as government priorities have changed and as the process has become embedded in regular school planning and evaluation cycles. The ERO's current strategic focus is on building schools' confidence and competence in conducting self-evaluation as part of an ongoing focus on continuous improvement. This article reports on the iterative development of the Building Capacity in Evaluation (BCiE) project, with particular reference to developing the underpinning conceptual framework – complementary evaluation. The framework aims to bring together the strengths of internal and external evaluation and the ERO's focus on school accountability and improvement in a complementary manner.