Rate My Professor Jane White

Jane White serves as Senior Professional Practice Fellow in the College of Education at the University of Otago, based in the Educational Assessment Research Unit (EARU). She holds a Bachelor of Education (BEd) from the University of Otago, a Diploma of Teaching (DipTchg) from Dunedin College of Education, and Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music London (L.T.C.L.) in Speech and Drama. As a qualified primary education teacher, White contributes significantly to national educational assessment initiatives. Her current role centers on the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study, a collaborative project between the University of Otago and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, contracted by the Ministry of Education. This large-scale study monitors trends in student achievement in English-medium state and state-integrated schools, building on predecessors such as the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, 2011-2022) and the National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP, 1995-2010).

In her position as Task Programme Coordinator for Curriculum Insights, White develops assessment tasks to evaluate Year 3, Year 6, and Year 8 students' achievement across various curriculum areas. She trains teachers throughout New Zealand to administer these tasks in schools and instructs markers to ensure consistent and accurate scoring. White has co-authored several NMSSA reports in 2023, including Mathematics and Statistics 2022: Achievement Findings (Report 30) and Contextual Findings (Report 31), Health and Physical Education 2022: Achievement Findings (Report 28) and Contextual Findings (Report 29), and Exemplars for Teachers: The Arts (Report 25-EX), all published by the Educational Assessment Research Unit and New Zealand Council for Educational Research. These reports provide detailed insights into student performance and contextual factors influencing achievement. Additionally, she has presented verbally at the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA), demonstrating her engagement in the field of educational assessment. Her work supports evidence-based improvements in primary education practices nationwide.