The Education (National Standards) Amendment Act 2008 sets in place the New Zealand government’s ten-step Crusade for Literacy and Numeracy (Hon. John Key, 13 October, 2008). As part of that crusade: (i) national standards will be set in literacy and numeracy; (ii) every primary and intermediate student will be assessed regularly against the national standards; and (iii) every primary and intermediate school will report to parents in plain English about how their child is doing compared to national standards and compared to other children their age.

The introduction of national standards in education, and in particular, the assessment and reporting of student and school-level data to parents and the Ministry of Education, constitutes a major break from current practice in New Zealand, although the practice is widespread internationally. Large-scale assessment practices in England and the USA have had particularly negative consequences on the learning experiences of children.

New Zealand is uniquely placed to respond in ways that are beneficial to the crusade to improve the literacy and numeracy achievement of students; while at the same time to continue to value a broad balanced curriculum; recognise and support the professional expertise and work of teachers as our primary educators, and schools as professional organizations; and provide evidence of (improving) literacy and numeracy achievement for all the nation’s children in ways that enhance educational experiences and outcomes.

This paper proposes eight key principles that should underlie the design and implementation of national standards in literacy and numeracy, and identifies key elements for assessing, monitoring and reporting students’ achievements in relation to these standards in ways that will enhance positive consequences and minimize negative consequences.