Internal Evaluation Exemplar – Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

This downloadable PDF is an Internal Evaluation Exemplar that provides a complete real-world example of an internal evaluation focused on strengthening culturally responsive teaching practice within an ECE setting.

Developed in response to common ERO improvement actions, this exemplar demonstrates how a service can move beyond surface-level cultural celebrations toward more intentional, relational, and culturally responsive practice.

The exemplar also demonstrates how internal evaluation and teachers’ professional growth can be meaningfully aligned, helping services create more connected, purposeful improvement processes rather than treating them as separate pieces of work.

The exemplar follows the full internal evaluation process from:

• noticing and identifying the issue,
• gathering evidence and reviewing research,
• implementing actions and changes,
• monitoring progress over time,
• through to evaluating learner outcomes.

The write-up includes:

• examples of team reflection and discussion,
• links to Te Whāriki and culturally responsive pedagogy,
• practical examples of changes to teaching practice,
• examples of learner outcomes,
• and specific examples of how children’s cultures, languages, and identities were incorporated into curriculum documentation and the physical environment.

This resource is ideal for:

• Centre Managers
• Educational Leaders
• Kaiako leading internal evaluation
• Professional Growth Cycle discussions
• Teams preparing for ERO

Rather than starting from scratch, this exemplar helps teams see what a strong, reflective, evidence-based internal evaluation can look like in practice.