A#
Action Plan for Pacific Education (2020–2030)#
A 10-year strategy from the Ministry of Education to improve outcomes for Pacific learners and families.
Action Plan for Pacific Education
Ākonga#
Learner or student. It refers to a person engaged in learning, usually in an educational setting.
Attendance management plan (AMP)#
An AMP is required by all schools and focuses on improving student attendance.
Attendance codes#
Short codes schools use in their student management system (SMS) to record why a student is present or absent.
Attendance lead#
A role in the attendance service case management system for a school staff member responsible for attendance processes. This role can see all cases in the attendance service case management system for students at the school, add comments and documents to cases and see all comments and documents that the provider has chosen to share with the school.
Attendance service case management system (AS-CMS)#
Case management system used by attendance service providers and schools.
Attendance services case management system
Attendance service provider (ASP)#
A contracted agency providing attendance services on our behalf for a defined catchment area that includes several schools.
B–C#
Barriers#
Factors that affect a student's ability to attend school regularly. Examples include mental health challenges, whānau | family crisis, financial hardship, housing instability, bullying, cultural disconnect and transport issues. Identifying barriers helps providers and schools plan targeted support to re-engage students.
Case information#
Notes, referrals, assessments and communications collected during attendance support.
Case manager#
A role in the AS-CMS for attendance service provider kaimahi | staff who manage attendance cases, working with ākonga, whānau and schools.
Catchment#
The geographic area of schools an attendance service provider is contracted to serve. Providers work with schools and families within this area to support regular attendance.
Chronic absence#
Students with 70% or less of attendance in a term. The stepped attendance response (STAR) framework refers to ‘serious concern’ rather than chronic absence and is set at 15 days or more in a term.
Central Investigations Team (CIT)#
A Ministry of Education team that reviews non-enrolment notifications (NEN), supports information checks, such as the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Immigration New Zealand (INZ), and allocates NEN cases to attendance service providers.
Closed#
An attendance service case management system case status indicating all case actions are complete and the case is closed.
Community of practice#
Group of professionals sharing best practices and learning.
Continuation of service#
Makes sure there is ongoing support for students during transitions.
Cultural responsiveness#
Practices that respect and respond to diverse cultural needs.
D–E#
Data sovereignty#
Making sure data is managed in line with Māori rights and interests.
Delegated authoriser#
An Education Sector Logon (ESL) role that manages ESL accounts and access to education sector applications, including the attendance service case management system.
Education and Training Act 2020#
Act of Parliament that governs school attendance and related obligations.
Education and Training Act 2020
ENROL#
Our national enrolment database. ENROL records student enrolment details and supports processes like non-enrolment notifications.
ENROL: the school student enrolment register
Escalation#
Moving a case to a higher level of intervention when needed.
Escalating attendance letters#
Formal letters sent in support of attendance or enrolment. The school has templates available via the STAR framework and letters are available to attendance service providers.
Education Sector Logon (ESL)#
An identity management, authentication and authorisation solution used by schools and providers to access our systems such as ENROL and AS-CMS.
Exclusion and expulsion#
Exclusion applies only to ākonga under 16. The school board tells the ākonga they cannot stay at that school. We help find another school. The ākonga is still legally required to attend school.
Expulsion is like exclusion, but for ākonga 16 and over. They are removed from the school and do not have to enrol elsewhere.
Stand downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions
Exemption#
Exemption is a formal approval for ākonga not to attend school.
F–I#
Family group conference (FGC)#
A formal meeting led by Oranga Tamariki. It brings together families, the tamaiti | child or rangatahi | young person, and professionals to make a plan for safety and wellbeing.
Hard-to-locate students#
Students whose whereabouts are unknown. See also ‘missing student’ and ‘not located’.
Information check#
Information checks are used to try to confirm details about an student or family when they are hard to locate.
Innovative practice#
Approaches that go beyond standard methods to improve attendance. This includes creative strategies, proactive engagement with families and using community resources to address barriers to attendance.
In school provision (ISP)#
In-school provision funded by us to support students with attendance challenges.
K–M#
Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia#
Māori education strategy focused on success for Māori learners.
Kaitiakitanga#
Guardianship. In the context of Māori data, use must be treated as a taonga and protected.
Manaakitanga#
Care and respect. In the context of Māori data, must uphold mana and avoid harm.
Missing student#
A student whose whereabouts are unknown.
Māori data#
Information relating to Māori individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi or communities.
N–O#
Non-enrolment notification (NEN)#
A formal notification submitted in ENROL when a student is withdrawn from a school and is not enrolled elsewhere. NEN cases are referred to the attendance service to locate and re-engage the student.
Non-structural school move#
When students move between schools outside the usual transitions such as primary to intermediate or intermediate to secondary. These moves are not part of the standard schooling pathway.
Not in education, employment or training (NEET)#
NEET refers to young people who are not engaged in school, work, or vocational training. NEET status is often a risk factor for long-term disengagement and poor life outcomes.
Not located#
AS-CMS flag used when a student cannot be found.
Office support#
An AS-CMS role for a school staff member. This role can see all cases in the AS-CMS for students at the school but cannot access detailed content such as comments and documents added by others.
Official Information Act 1982#
The Official Information Act 1982 governs access to official information held by public agencies.
Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation
P#
Primary contact#
A role in the AS-CMS for a school staff member who is the point of contact case manager for a particular case.
Privacy#
Protecting personal information in attendance processes.
Privacy Act 2020#
Law that governs how personal information is collected, used and shared.
Privacy Act 2020 – Privacy Commissioner
Privacy principles#
Rules under the Privacy Act 2020 that guide safe handling of personal information. See above.
Projects and initiatives#
Specific programmes aimed at improving attendance.
Prosecution#
Legal action against parents for failing to make sure their child attends school.
Prosecution unit#
The Ministry team responsible for managing prosecutions under the Education and Training Act 2020.
R#
Rangatiratanga#
Authority and self-determination. In the context of Māori data, use must respect Māori decision-making.
Role-based access control (RBAC)#
In the AS-CMS for authorising user access, security and permissions.
Referral#
Process of requesting attendance service provider support for students. See also ‘Request for support’. Referral also applies to referring students for assistance to a service provider as part of their student plan.
Report of concern#
A report made to Oranga Tamariki when someone believes a child may be at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.
Make a report of concern – Oranga Tamariki
Request for support#
Process of requesting attendance service provider support for a student.
ROCKON initiative#
A multi-agency programme in some regions of New Zealand that tackles serious attendance issues. It brings schools, Police, Oranga Tamariki and other services together to support students and families. The focus is on engagement, not punishment. If attendance does not improve after school and provider steps, ROCKON can lead to a family group conference and a formal plan to get the student back into education.
S#
Section 19 Oranga Tamariki referral#
A formal referral under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 when a child may need care or protection. It starts a process that can lead to a family group conference or other support.
Student management system (SMS)#
A school-based system used to record and manage student information, including enrolment and attendance data. SMS connects with ENROL and other Ministry systems for accurate reporting.
Stand down#
Temporary removal of student from school for disciplinary reasons.
Stand downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions
Stepped attendance response (STAR)#
Framework guiding responses to attendance thresholds.
Stepped attendance response – STAR
Structural school move#
When a student moves between schools as part of the usual schooling pathway, such as from primary to intermediate or intermediate to secondary.
Student plan#
A plan created by the attendance service provider with the student, and often their family, to address barriers and improve attendance. It sets goals, actions, and support needed to help the student return to regular school attendance. The plan is reviewed and updated as progress is made.
Suspension#
A student is not allowed to attend school until a board decision.
Stand downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions
T–U#
Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura)#
Te Kura is New Zealand’s state distance education provider. It offers learning programmes for students who cannot attend a local school, such as those living in remote areas, with health issues, or needing flexible learning. Students enrol through us and remain connected to teachers online or by correspondence.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi#
Foundational document guiding partnership and equity in government.
Transition period#
The period after a student has returned to school, where the case may become active again if there is a concerning drop in attendance. The case is not formally closed until after a successful transition period.
Unmet basic needs fund#
Funding to help ākonga access essentials for attendance.
W#
Wellbeing#
Overall safety, health, and engagement of students in education.
Whanaungatanga#
Relationships and connection. In the context of Māori data, use must uphold trust and respect.
Whānau#
Family group, including parents, caregivers and extended family.
Whānau engagement#
Working with whānau to support student attendance.
Workflow lead#
A role in the AS-CMS for an attendance service provider. Can see all attendance records held by the provider. Responsible for assigning cases, can access all case details.
Workflow state#
Stage of a case in the case management process.
