Year nine and 10 students are falling into something of a black hole in terms of assessing their achievement levels, an Education Review Office (ERO) report says.
The study of literacy and numeracy in 68 schools at year nine and 10, once known as form three and four, found the schools were gathering limited information about the students' performances.
What information was being gathered wasn't being well used to help their progress, making them "forgotten years", ERO chief review officer Dr Graham Stoop says.
"Very few schools were actually setting improvement targets for these students, with boards of trustees typically in the dark about the achievement of this group of students," Dr Stoop said.
"These are the foundation years for secondary schooling and it's vital that schools get it right for these students."
Many year nine and 10 students were taught a predetermined curriculum in literacy and mathematics which took no account of their individual strengths and needs, Dr Stoop said.
Just 7 percent of schools had what ERO felt were highly effective processes for knowing about students' achievement and progress in years nine and 10.
It said 57 percent had partially effective processes, and 36 percent had minimally effective or ineffective processes.
Schools needed to use achievement information better, plan to improve outcomes for priority students, and build learning partnerships with students.
The report also recommends the Ministry of Education clarifies the expectations on schools for monitoring student progress at years nine and 10, and provides professional development and resources to help teachers in this area.
NZN