5416 (2026). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister of Education

Written Question

Published date: 13 Mar 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	5416 (2026)
Question asked:	18 Feb 2026
Member asking:	Hon Willow-Jean Prime
Portfolio:	Minister of Education
Minister replying:	Hon Erica Stanford
Answer received:	08 Mar 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_05416_2026
Document guid:	4793cb5f-8121-4046-96e8-f2ba52527635

5416 (2026). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister of Education: What comparisons, if any, were done to compare the capabilities of the new SMART progress monitoring tool and Progressive Achievement Tests?

Hon Erica Stanford: No direct comparisons were done between the Student Monitoring, Reporting and Assessment Tool (SMART) and Progressive Achievement Tests (PATs). No formal comparison of the tools has been conducted. This is because PATs are a New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) product and not a Ministry product. SMART has been developed to align directly with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, which are being implemented nationally from 2026.