Ministry-funded Assessment PLD
Strengthen assessment capability through fully funded professional learning.
Why assessment capability matters for your school
High-quality assessment is central to effective teaching and learning. When assessment is clear, dependable, and purposeful, it helps teachers and leaders make confident decisions that improve outcomes for learners.
Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga is an approved Ministry of Education PLD provider, with 29 experienced facilitators ready to work alongside schools nationwide. Each facilitator is an accredited educator with deep knowledge of assessment pedagogy, leadership, and data use.
Through this Ministry-funded Professional Learning and Development (PLD), you can strengthen your school’s assessment practices, data literacy, and leadership capability. The aim is simple: build sustainable assessment systems that make learning visible, equitable, and measurable across your school.
Assessment, when well understood and well used, creates clarity about what matters most in learning. It allows teachers and leaders to identify where learners are, plan next steps, and evaluate the impact of their teaching.
What's funded?
This fully funded PLD runs across one school year. It provides:
six full days of in-school professional learning, facilitated on site with your staff
eight community of practice sessions, connecting your school with others across the region to share strategies, tools, and progress.
The PLD is not workshop based. Your facilitator will work directly with you in your school—alongside your leadership team and teachers—to build assessment capability where it matters most: in practice.
How we'll work with you
Your facilitator will work with you to:
establish shared understanding of effective assessment principles, practices, and pedagogies
strengthen data literacy and confidence in interpreting assessment information
implement assessment tools with purpose and clarity
develop dependable moderation processes and evaluation systems
connect assessment, curriculum, and pedagogy to improve teaching and learning across your school.
Every school’s plan is designed around its specific goals, evidence, and context. Your facilitator will use the Ministry’s assessment rubrics and the Best Practice Assessment Guide to co-design a focused approach that reflects your school’s priorities.
What you can expect
We start where you are. Each facilitator works collaboratively with your leadership team to understand your current strengths and challenges, then design PLD that fits your needs and timeframe.
Together, we:
use the Ministry’s assessment rubrics to identify current capability and next steps
co-develop a focused plan aligned to your strategic goals
agree clear measures of progress and track them throughout the year
review impact regularly and adapt the PLD as new insights emerge.
Our delivery combines in-class modelling, coaching, professional learning sessions, and leadership hui. It is flexible, responsive, and sustainable—designed to strengthen assessment capability so that improvement continues long after the formal PLD ends.
Why schools choose us
Assessment has been at the heart of our organisation for more than 25 years. We’ve led national initiatives such as Assess to Learn, Leadership and Assessment, e-asTTle support, and large-scale assessment for learning PLD.
Across this work, we’ve seen clear, measurable improvement in both teaching practice and student outcomes:
85% of schools we’ve supported made accelerated progress for learners in reading, writing, and mathematics
75% of teachers routinely demonstrated assessment for learning capabilities in their classrooms
55% of students consistently led their own learning
teacher feedback on our facilitation averages 4.75 to 5.0 out of 5 across all projects
national evaluations show increased confidence in moderation, data interpretation, and evidence-informed planning.
These outcomes are achieved through deliberate, sustained PLD that builds capability at every level of the school, for leaders, teachers, and students. They’re underpinned by strong relationships, clear goals, and the practical application of dependable assessment processes that lead to lasting improvement.
Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga is a trusted provider of Ministry-funded PLD and a national leader in assessment.
Our 29 Ministry-approved facilitators are experienced educators who bring deep knowledge of assessment pedagogy, leadership, and data use. Each facilitator is supported by our national curriculum and assessment team, ensuring consistency and quality across all work.
For more than two decades, we’ve partnered with schools and the Ministry to build assessment capability that improves outcomes and reduces disparity — ensuring that every learner benefits from teaching and leadership grounded in high-quality assessment practice.
How to apply for Ministry-funded PLD
Schools can apply for assessment PLD through the Ministry of Education’s standard PLD application process.
Once your application is approved, select Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga as your preferred provider. We’ll work with you to co-design a plan that matches your needs and builds lasting capability.
(Link to Ministry PLD application page to be added once available.)
If you’re interested in discussing how we can support your school or would like to register your interest in working with one of our facilitators, we’d love to hear from you.
