Dr Jacqui Patuawa
Ko Tutamoe te maunga
Ko Kaihu te awa
Ko Ripiroa te moana
Ko Mahuhu-ki-te-Rangi te waka
Ko Ngati Whatua te iwi
Ko Te Roroa te hapu
Ko Kerepe Wiremu Patuawa toku tane kua mate
Kei Pāpāmoa e noho ana inaianei
Ko Jacqui Patuawa toku ingoa
Dr Jacqui Patuawa is National Manager - Leadership Development Services.
Jacqui has an extensive background in education. She is first and foremost a teacher. While her class has changed, her vision to raise achievement and reduce inequity for all learners has been a constant in her career. Jacqui had 11 years as a classroom teacher, four years as a deputy principal, and 13 years as a principal in three different primary schools. During her principalship, she was given and took opportunities to contribute to growing leadership. She was a highly valued mentor in the FTPP, a leadership adviser, and a facilitator/trainer at the Principals’ Development and Planning Centre. In 2010, Jacqui was presented a NEITA award for Excellence in Leadership.
Jacqui Patuawa joined Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga after working for 10 years at The University of Auckland Centre for Educational Leadership (UACEL). Her previous roles included Programme Manager Leadership, Associate Director UACEL, and Director of the First-time Principals’ Programme (FTPP).
Her work focus includes the following:
lead facilitator of Leading by Learning (previously known as Open-to-learning™ Leadership). This involved supporting the ongoing development of the programme and its resources alongside Distinguished Professor Emeritus Viviane Robinson and colleagues from EA. It also involved the training of facilitators and the ongoing support of the growing facilitator community in New Zealand, Australia and Scandinavia.
co designing and leading alongside Professor Emeritus Viviane Robinson and other EA colleagues the Collaborative Complex Problem-Solving Program. This is a methodology for school improvement that significantly increases school leaders’ likelihood of achieving their priority improvement goals
codesigning alongside EA colleagues the Leading Edge programme focused on middle leader development.
co-designing and leading induction programmes for beginning and early career principals in New Zealand (First-time Principals’ Programme 2010-2016) and in Australia (EVOLVE in Victoria and The Extended Principal Induction Program in New South Wales).
being an Expert Partner – delivering support to five Communities of Learning across New Zealand
delivering school improvement-based consultancies through MoE PLD contracts
mentoring and coaching school leaders, both nationally and internationally
Jacqui is passionate about supporting school leaders to help their schools achieve the best possible outcomes for all students. She firmly believes that school improvement in the absence of quality leadership is impossible.
Jacqui graduated with a PhD from the University of Auckland in 2023. She intervened with middle leaders to improve their leadership of collaborative complex problem solving. Her goal was to accelerate reading achievement for students yet to reach age-related standards. Her highly successful intervention realised significant improvement in leadership capability and approximately two years reading progress for 33 included students. Jacqui contributes to a paucity in empirical studies, linking middle leadership and collaborative problem-solving to improved student outcomes.
In her other life, Jacqui is incredibly proud of and loves spending time with her children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren. She also enjoys reading, travelling and walking.
Below are articles and blog posts Jacqui has written to share her thinking with the education sector:
Meyer, F., Robinson, V.M.J., & Patuawa, J. (2016). Keeping the plates spinning: Novice principals in small school contexts. International Journal of Leadership in Education
Meyer, F., Robinson, V.M.J., Patuawa, J. & Sinnema, C. (unpublished manuscript). Working towards school improvement: Goals and goal achievement of newly appointed principals. School Leadership and Management.Meyer, F., Robinson, V.M.J., Sinnema, C., & Patuawa, J. (2016). Practices of and challenges for novice principals in setting goals for school improvement. Paper to be presented at the AERA annual meeting, Washington D.C., US.
Meyer, F., Robinson, V.M.J., Patuawa, J. & Sinnema, C. (2015). Working towards school improvement: Goals and goal achievement of newly appointed principals. Paper presented at ISATT, Auckland, NZ.
Patuawa J., Robinson, V., Sinnema, C. & Tzu. T (2020). Addressing Inequity and Underachievement: Middle Leaders Effectiveness in problem-solving. Leading and Managing, 27(1), 51-78.
Patuawa J., Sinnema, C., Robinson, V., & Tzu. T., (2022) Intervening to improve middle leaders’ effectiveness in collaborative problem-solving. Journal of Educational Change.
Patuawa J., Sinnema, C., Robinson, V., & Tzu. T., (2023). Leadership professional learning for accelerating student achievement: the role of a collaborative problem-solving intervention, Professional Development in Education.
Robinson, V. & Patuawa, J. (2022). Coaching fron the fourth quadrant: Integrating facilitative and directive approaches. Australian Educational Leader, 44(4)
The complexity of the middle leader’s role is not to be underestimated. To mediate the tensions within the dichotomous nature of their role, middle leaders must be proficient in collaboratively solving achievement problems that impact teaching and learning.
Although leaders advocate for high-quality conversations, research shows that despite their best intentions, their approach to conversations may be undermining their quest to improve student achievement.
The story of Evaluation Associates