Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11051. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka)to theMinister of Education: Does she stand by all of the answers she gave to Oral Questions yesterday?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):Yes.Chris Hipkins: Does she stand by her assertion that the Ministry of Education did not change the results of individual student’s assessments in writing using the e-asTTle tool; if so how does she explain the notice that was posted on the e-asTTle website advising teachers that “changes to the levels” had been made and that there had been “changes to students’ e-asTTle scale scores.”?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I stand by my response from yesterday. I am advised by the Ministry of Education that it does not has not and will not adjust the assessment data provided to it by schools. The assessment data that teachers have put into the e-asTTle writing tool has not been touched. What has been changed is the alignment of the scores to the curriculum levels. I reiterate to the member that e-asTTle is just one of the assessment tools available to teachers to inform their overall judgments. As the member has himself said: “e-asTTle is only a tool and the results it produces need to be weighed up against a number of other things including teachers observations interviews and a child’s written work.” Schools were informed of the changes through both the system itself and the ministry’s website. This is a standard practice. In April 2010 e-asTTle reading was aligned. In September 2010 e-asTTle maths—Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Earlier without any intervention you stood Mr Peters down for a question that was a fraction of the length of the answer we have already heard and I think one of the reasons why we sometimes have disorder in this House is that that is the sort of thing we find a little inconsistent.Mr SPEAKER: I acknowledge the point the member is making. It was a long answer and I fully accept that but there were quite a lot of questions around thisyesterday. The House was relatively silent which I interpreted as the fact that they were actually appreciative of the answer. I note members behind the Hon David Parker acknowledging that. The answer has now finished and the member has further supplementary questions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand your ruling to be that you interpreted that the House was appreciative of the length of that question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not what I said.Rt Hon Winston Peters: The length of the answer.Mr SPEAKER: Yes—certainly the answer; not the question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Righto. I apologise that you thought it was that the House appreciated the length of that answer. What led you to suggest that the House was not appreciative of the length of my question on a very serious matter?Mr SPEAKER: Because I could certainly tell by the angst and noise and unrest that was coming as the question went on.Chris Hipkins: How many standardised assessment tools for writing are available to schools and teachers? [Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: Would the member please repeat the question. It was not heard by the Minister.Chris Hipkins: How many standardised assessment tools for writing are available to schools and teachers?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do not have that level of detail.Chris Hipkins: Given that only one standardised assessment tool for writing is available to schools and teachers—that being e-asTTle—and the Ministry of Education is altering the results it has produced without telling the schools on what basis are teachers expected to form their judgments about where an individual student is at with regard to the standards?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I gave quite a substantive response because I was dealing with the member’s assertion that the ministry has altered them and the ministry has not. I have explained what that process was. As to the point about the tools available to teachers they are observations in the classroom discussion with other teachers and an overall teacher judgment. We have chosen an approach that relies on the collective body of professional judgments and that is why we have not chosen a national test.