Q: I am a digital technology teacher and need some advice. My Year 11 course offers AS 91053, 91045, 91044, 91073, 91047 and 91072 (24 credits). The context is “teach us about” and the issue requires students to plan, design and create an xhmtl-compliant website that must successfully teach potential users about something. I am thinking about dropping AS 91044: Undertake brief development to address a need or opportunity, mainly because of 2011 moderation commentary as follows: “To achieve this standard, students must explore a given issue. An issue could be a problem that requires resolution or it could be something more general (as in my case). The issue must allow for needs and/or opportunities to be determined by the student (website purpose, content and design). This task requires students to design and make a specified product rather than address an issue. The ability of students to explore the context and issue is very limited when the issue does not pose a problem to be solved.” Does this mean that teachers who are directing students to plan, design and create a specific digital media prototype or conceptual design cannot offer AS 91044? Should I drop the standard in 2013 or continue offering it? What is your understanding of this standard for digital technology teachers?

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A: If you are offering 91044 then students must develop their own brief from a starting point of a teacher given issue. The brief that students develop for 91044 can then become the starting point for 91073 where they have to produce a specified digital media outcome. The specifications for the digital media outcome to be produced for 91073 can either be provided by the teacher or developed by the student. If the teacher is providing the specifications for the digital media outcome to be produced then 91044 would not be a suitable standard to use. However it would be possible to start with a teacher given issue such as ‘There is a lack of interactive tutorial material on the Internet that appeals to teenagers’. Students would explore that issue and identify a need or opportunity. They would then develop a brief for a digital media outcome that would address their own identified need or opportunity. Their brief development work could be assessed using 91044. Then students could use that brief and develop the specified digital media outcome. The way they implement the basic procedures to produce that outcome would be assessed using 91073. Another point worth noting is that you say you are offering 24 credits. There is a trend to offering fewer credits in a course so you certainly have scope to drop one of the standards you are using for assessment.

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Question answered by Malcolm Howard, Regional Technology Facilitator, Central North Region, The University of Auckland on 2012/06/19

Q: Will students need to construct/include a curve for DVC AS91339 "Produce instrumental perspective projection drawings to communicate design ideas" in order to get "Achieved" for this standard? Are curves a factor at all?

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A: Curves could be included but are not specified criteria, however they do show advanced skills. To get an Achieved, the students need to be able to show that they can "do" perspective drawings and apply the appropriate conventions; in other words a basic drawing, not necessarily neat, showing things such as the plans and elevations that the drawings are projected from, use of conventions such as picture planes, correct establishment of vanishing points, station points, et al. To get a Merit students need to evidence, accuracy (neat line work, accurate measurements and projections) and detail. "Detail of design features may include but is not limited to the features of such things as: windows, door handles, fasteners, reliefs, and fittings", all aspects of the design that make the drawing look real and communicates the design features of the drawing. Using curves is a complexity however, I would not like to force a student using Modernism as an inspiration, with is rectilinear shapes to include a curve. To get an Excellence you need to be aware of the viewpoint, "selecting a view point that enables the detail of the design features to be shown, and, selecting and accurately using perspective drawing techniques to show the detail of the design features." Students should consider viewpoints that communicate the features of their design. A teacher may need to encourage students to use two different views of a building (drawn on the same page or separately). One could be a view that a viewer at ground level might see, and the other a view from above with the roof removed so viewers can see the room layout and fit-out of the building. This approach would show that the student is aware of "viewpoints". The interior detail could then communicate design detail that would be relevant to the specialist knowledge that an architect would be expected to use and it links well to the internal spatial design standard.

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Question answered by Ron Ron Van Musscher Ron.VanMusscher and Lesley Pearce on 2012/06/12

Q: HELP! I am needing clarification of the following Modelling ideas. Or more importantly; how I could explain practical and functional reasoning as seen in a students own practice. Q1: Functional reasoning focuses on “how to make it happen” and “how it is happening?”. What would examples of this be in a Digital Technology context? Say a kid is developing a wire frame for a website, which would then be implemented in HTML .... or a kid is developing a database model before implementing a physical database in MS Access. Q2: Practical reasoning focuses on “should we make it happen” and “should it be happening?” Again, Say a kid is developing a wire frame for a website, which would then be implemented in HTML .... or a kid is developing a database model before implementing a physical database in MS Access.

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A: Firstly, to the specifics in your question… The two types of reasoning that you refer to in your question (functional reasoning and practical reasoning) are to ensure that a holistic evaluation of a technological outcome’s potential and actual ‘impact on the world’ is made during the technological modelling. Functional reasoning provides a basis for exploring the technical feasibility of the design concept and the outcome. Examples of this in a website context could be the ease of navigation around the site, the legibility and readability of text on the web pages, the speed that images or other content loads, how the website behaves across browsers and across platforms. Examples in the database context could be the actual structure of the database, the required fields, field formatting considerations, the layout of forms and reports, the behaviour of data validation rules, and the output produced in reports. So the functional reasoning is around decisions as to ‘could it happen’ (how to make it happen) in functional modelling and ‘how is it happening’ in prototyping. The practical reasoning aspect introduces another dimension by providing a basis to explore the acceptability of the design concept and the outcome itself. This relates to such things as moral, ethical, social, political, economic, and environmental dimensions. Not all of these will necessarily apply in any particular case. Examples of this in the website context could be around the age appropriateness of material (text, images, other media content), privacy considerations (such as not using images of people without appropriate permission or not giving out personal details), copyright considerations, or cultural considerations such as conations of particular colours or combinations of colours. In the database context the issues around privacy would be significant here such as adherence with the principles in the Privacy Act in the way information is collected, stored etc. So the practical reasoning is around decisions as to ‘should it happen’ in functional modelling and ‘should it be happening’ in prototyping. Secondly, some general comments about technological modelling that are not specifically referred to in your question but are worth reiterating here… There is support material available on Techlink for technological modelling. See the explanatory paper on modelling at /curriculum-support/papers/knowledge/tech-model/index.htm The indicators of progression contains the achievement objectives, teacher guidance, and indicators and that is available at /curriculum-support/indicators/index.htm Remember technological modelling covers both functional modelling and prototyping. These two types of reasoning (functional reasoning and practical reasoning) are both involved at both the concept stage when functional modelling is used to explore the feasibility of the design concept and at the prototype stage when the feasibility of the finished outcome is explored. The standards at level one and two for technological modelling are about students understanding about modelling as opposed to students ‘doing modelling’. Whilst students do learn by doing the standards are not asking for a diary of practice showing their own modelling but rather a report that shows their understanding about modelling. At level one the report should demonstrate understanding of how technological modelling supports decision-making. At level two the report should demonstrate understanding of how technological modelling supports risk management.

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Question answered by Malcolm Howard Regional Technology Facilitator Central North region The University of Auckland on 2012/06/11

Q: I have an urgent query re the titles of Level 1 and 2 AS 91096 and 910350 In the titles of both Make basic adaptations and make advanced adaptations the word adaptations has an s on it .Does that mean the students have to make more than one adaptation. There is nothing in the NZQA specifications about the number of adaptations required but with the s on the word adaptation I’m left wondering.

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A: The requirement at level one for AS91096 /AS1.26, is to make basic pattern adaptations. This standards intent is to make basic pattern alterations to ensure the design to fit the person or item So it is about measuring to ensure fit and adapting the pattern to ensure correct fit, interpreting the pattern symbols and guide sheet, developing construction plan and creation of a toile or mockup to test the design or pattern and adjust where necessary. The standard requires a pattern of three pieces and can be given by the teacher or chosen by the student depending on the nature of the learning programme and timing of the activity. Basic adaptations include such things as lengthening, shortening, widening and simple shape changes. Remember to keep it basic at this level! Of course a toile is a functional model so this modeling can be used to support the student to write a report about technological modeling for external assessment. The achieved to merit to excellence step up is about making the alterations (achieved), making the alterations skillfully that requires independence and accuracy (merit) and to achieve excellence the student must be skillful and efficient; efficiency is gauged by economies of time, scale and resources and use of correct techniques. Therefore the evidence is cumulative within the student work and evidenced by annotations photographs and teacher observations. At level 2 for AS91350.AS2.26 the step up from level 1 is from basic to advanced adaptations ( again more than one is implied by the plural) The standard requires the student to select an appropriate pattern , undertake advanced adaptations, i.e. making changes to pattern pieces to include structural and / or style features into an existing design- these could include such things as manipulating darts, sleeves, gores, yokes, facings and collars, changing fastenings and construction and testing of a toile. The pattern must be 3 pieces or more and as at level 1 the step up is making the adaptations, then skillfully and efficiently in the development of the pattern and the construction of the toile. When I think about perhaps changing or adding a collar shape then I will automatically be changing adapting more than once by adjusting the collar shaper and the facing the neckline, or when adjusting for dart placement, gathering or pleating. When lengthening widening or shortening then there are consequential but often minor changes made to accommodate this. The standards are not quantifiable in terms of number but the nature of the adjustments and adaptations are the important factor. Remember you will more than likely also make minor adjustments at the toile stage not just when dealing with a flat pattern.

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Question answered by Cheryl Pym,National Coordinator on 2012/06/01

Q: Hi. I was at the cluster meeting in Tauranga with Malcolm on Tuesday and we couldn't figure out an obvious difference between the words 'justify' and 'substantiating' which occurs in the explanatory notes for excellence in A.S. 2.3. Can you clarify if there is one or did someone just decide to make "justified" more fancy? Thanks.

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A: The stem of the criteria for excellence is to develop a justified conceptual design for an outcome. Remember a conceptual design is a detailed description of how the outcome will look and function. So at excellence this involves substantiating the outcomes potential fitness for purpose. Substantiating means to prove, validate or authenticate, in this case using evidence from the modelling, including on-going stakeholder feedback. To do this the student must use functional modelling to explore, evaluate and develop initial design ideas and the conceptual design chosen, in order to gather the evidence of the potential outcomes technical feasibility and social acceptability. This standard requires students to work from the brief using the attributes to filter the possibilities to select probable attributes which will meet the brief and further evaluate these on developing the conceptual design. The key to success is the use of functional modelling and using the evidence to objectively evaluating to justify the potential fitness for purpose i.e. the likelihood of the outcome proposed to address the brief.

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Question answered by Cheryl Pym and Lesley Pearce, National Coordinators on 2012/05/21

Q: Hello, I am teaching 91340 - Use the characteristics of a design movement or era to inform own design ideas. In the Internal Assessment resource i downloaded from NZQA it lists a few suggestions of appropriate design movements or eras. My question is - what is 'NEW LOOK' architecture? I have hunted and asked many people and have yet to get an answer :) Thank you

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A: I could not locate which NZQA resource you were referring to. All documents I looked at which are currently on the web do not list New Look architecture. My understanding is that the title relates only to fashion. New Look was a Fashion Era initiated by Christian Dior. New Look was a name that characterised fashion during the postwar period, after the austerity and restrictions of WW2. It was a look that was feminine and tailored that emerged from the studio of French designer Christian Dior. A below-mid-calf length, billowing skirts, pointed bust, small waist, and rounded shoulder line characterized his signature shape. The dresses were lined with expensive and luxurious fabrics such as cambric or taffeta and were beautifully detailed. It was look that became very fashionable and influenced other designers. It was added to the "eras and movements" list for Fashion and Textiles teachers to access.

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Question answered by Lesley Pearce Technology National Coordinator on 2012/05/16

Q: I am a second year teacher struggling away with the new Level 2 standards for Textiles. We are working with AS 91357 at the moment but I can't seem to get my students to grasp what is being asked of them. Are there any expansive resources available yet for Level 2 Textiles tech?

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A:

A good place to start with developing a prototype is the Internal Assessment resource for this standard to get an idea of the nature of teaching and learning required for developing an outcome:

These resources are found on TKI NCEA resource pages ncea.tki.org.nz/Resources-for-aligned-standards/Technology/Level-2-Technology

Internal Assessment Resource
Technology Level 2
Achievement Standard 91357

Undertake effective development to make and trial a prototype

Resource title: A Good Fit? ( 2.4A)

Because the range of garments that may be constructed within the context of this  learning when using this assessment tool there is no single reference that contains all the answers. Some useful texts to use with the students when they are researching their prototype garment, materials and techniques are:

• Illustrated Guide to Sewing: Garment Construction: A Complete Course on Designing and Making Clothing for Fit and Fashion Paperback, 2011 Peg Couch
• Textiles for Modern Living: Middle Paperback, 1993 L. Vilensky and J. Gohl
• Vogue Sewing Revised Edition : The Vogue Knotting Company
• Fashion by Design: Carmel Spooner
• Fashion Design Manual: Pamela Streckler
• Textiles: Sara J. Kadolph ( properties of textiles, their production and sustainability )
• Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys: Kate Fletcher
• Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the Way We Make and Use Clothes; Alison Gwilt (Editor), Timo Rissanen (Editor)

Another essential source of information is the Technology Curriculum Support Document (download from Techlink @  www.techlink.org.nz/curriculum-support/pdfs/technology-curriculum-support-oct-10.pdf )
The sections dealing with Outcome development and Functional modelling will help with understanding what prototyping is used for in the development of an outcome:

• www.techlink.org.nz/curriculum-support/pdfs/tp-ep-outcome-dev.pdf
• www.techlink.org.nz/curriculum-support/pdfs/tk-ep-tech-modelling.pdf

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Question answered by Cheryl Pym (National Coordinator Technology Education) on 2012/04/27

Q: Are there any exemplars of AS90735?

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A: Graphics Level 3. AS90735 (3.2) Plan a presentation to communicate design ideas. External 3 credits. Student evidence of merit and excellence can be found on: https://technologynz.wikispaces.com/Graphic+Resources. On this wiki there is a booklet that can be downloaded for student guidelines.

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Question answered by Lesley Pearce on 2012/04/12

Q: I am teaching 91070AS in Digital Technology. I am having trouble clearly explaining Applications Key Features. Do you have a teaching tool for this?

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A: One strategy is to combine the collection of evidence for an externally assessed standard such as 91070 with internally assessed standards such as 91071. In this way evidence can be collected within a specific context.

So rather than trying to address key features of application software in a generic or abstract way students can talk about specific features of a given application that they are using for a particular task.

For example if students are using a spreadsheet application they can describe the key feature of that spreadsheet application in terms of features of the application that help them do the particular task. A key feature may be that it is easy to turn tables of data into visually appealing charts.

Further teacher guidance is contained in the learning objectives on techlink at www.techlink.org.nz/curriculum-support/indicators.

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Question answered by Malcolm Howard (Regional Technology Facilitator, Central North Region) on 2012/03/30

Q: I am a new teacher this year, teaching soft materials at a school where I am the only Fashion and Textiles teacher - and have a few questions about a new NCEA Level 2 standard.

In AS91345 - Implement advanced procedures using textile materials to make a specified product with special features.

The explanatory notes state that special features are those that rely on the application of advance skills.

I am teaching screen printing and dying and was hoping this was an option for a special feature for this standard.

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A: Application of advanced skills.

Special features are features that require the use of advanced skills. They include (but are not limited to):

• style features, such as set-in sleeve, fly front, tailored collars and cuffs, and welt pockets
• decorative features such as pin-tucking, embroidery and shirring
• structural features such as 3D felting and combining different fibres in felting and different materials to create a specific type of felt e.g. nuno felting.

The issue which has to be addressed is whether screen printing and dying can be considered to be a style feature, or decorative or structural feature.

We consider that the application of screen printing, if it is done with screen and registration of print colours and designs, fits into the advanced category as a design feature.

This standard is about advanced procedures using textiles materials, so the assumption is that the dying or screen printing would be part of the process of making a textile product – for example a pin-tucked shirt.

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Question answered by Lesley Pearce and Cheryl Pym (Joint National Coordinators – Technology Education) on 2012/03/23

Q: Could you tell me where the latest Level 2 Technology matrix can be found?

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A: The matrix, along with the latest drafts of yet to be registered achievement standards (levels 2 and 3), and assessment resources can be found at: NCEA standards alignment – Technology.

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Question answered by Cliff Harwood on 2011/11/12

Q: What are the Market Requirements for Potatoes, and what is the reason for these Attributes/Requirements?

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A: I think your question relates to the internal assessment resource for Processing Technologies 2.61 - Resource title: Know processing potatoes. If so then the focus for the teaching and learning is on the comparison of commercial processing techniques in this case the potatoes (chips, hash browns etc) to classroom production of the same food product. The student is to identify/describe, explain/discuss the processing operations, testing and regulations, health and safety requirements of the processes. A processing sequence is a combination of processing operations and tests in the correct order to undertake a safe process. Testing could include but is not limited to viscosity, sensory attributes, brix, moisture content, nutrition content using tables, presence (or absence) of microbial activity, degree of fermentation, and colour stability. HACCP is the main aspect of regulations you may want to explore but other legislation like labelling could be a part of the teaching and learning.

The requirements of the standard is below:

• Demonstrate understanding of advanced concepts used in processing involves:
  • describing processing operations and identifying the impact of these on resulting outcomes
  • describing the nature of specific tests used in processing operations
  • explaining visually how processing operations and tests can be combined in a processing sequence
  • explaining the differences between processing in the classroom and processing in industry
  • explaining the differences between health and safety regulations in the classroom and industry.
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding of advanced concepts used in processing involves:
  • explaining processing operations and how these achieve required outcomes
  • explaining why specific tests are used in processing operations.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of advanced concepts used in processing involves:
  • comparing and contrasting processing operations and tests, and their suitability for different materials and/or purposes
  • discussing the implications of testing outcomes on processing decisions.

Processing operations for this achievement standard include:

• one or more of: measuring/shaping/forming eg automated filling, cell counting, aggregating, rotational moulding
• one or more of: contamination prevention/disposal eg chemical cleaning, waste water treatment, solid waste disposal, environmentally sustainable practices, protective clothing and industrial hygiene
• one or more of: mixing/extracting/separating/growing eg emulsifying, enrobing, dehydrating, filtering, crystallising, chemical peeling, centrifuging, adsorption, gravity settling, leaching, solvent extraction, plant tissue culturing
• one or more of: heating/cooling/reacting eg melting, coagulating, gelling, gelatinising, denaturing, evaporating, fermenting, controlling non-enzymatic browning, plate and blast freezing
• one or more of: materials transfer eg pumping, piping, air conveying.

If you are combining this unit with the assessment tool for 2.62 then the marketing and labelling requirements are the focus and you would need a copy or access to a copy of the food labelling legislation ( some of this is on line) See note 7 below and this would be a focus on packaging and preservation

1. Demonstrate understanding of advanced concepts used in preservation and packaging for product storage involves:
   • describing the links between preservation and packaging techniques and types of decay
   • describing legal and marketing requirements for labelling in a national environment
   • describing how a specific product could be effectively preserved, packaged and stored to maintain product integrity in a national environment.
   
   Demonstrate in-depth understanding of advanced concepts used in preservation and packaging for product storage involves:
   • explaining the links between preservation and packaging techniques and the types of decay
   • explaining why a particular combination of preservation and packaging techniques was chosen for storage in a national environment.
   
   Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of advanced concepts used in preservation and packaging for product storage involves:
   • comparing and contrasting preservation and packaging techniques for a product in a national environment
discussing why labelling is legally required and how labelling for marketing is used in a national environment.
2. Preservation techniques may include but are not limited to: freeze drying, heat sterilisation, decreasing water activity, ultra violet irradiation, vacuum packing, and fermenting.
3. Packaging techniques may include but are not limited to: coextruded barrier films, gable-top cartons, PET bottles, bag in box, cans and retort pouches, cardboard cartons, pallets, bulk packaging, and intermediate bulk containers.
4. Types of decay include but are not limited: microbiological growth, separation, loss of colour, loss or gain of moisture, loss of viability, loss of nutritional content, quality loss due to enzymatic action, vibration, and shock and crushing during transport and handling.
5. National environments refer to a sequence of locations and transport modes within a country. For example, a carton of biscuits that moves through a supply chain from factory through retail outlet to end user.
6. Legal labelling requirements may include but are not limited to the standards required to meet national regulations eg Australian and New Zealand Food Standards.
7. Marketing requirements for packaging and labelling may include but are not limited to: product recognition, brand name and communication of product values and image, and promotion of product claims and point of difference (eg eco, heart tick).

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Question answered by Cheryl Pym on 2011/10/07

Q: Still confused about key attributes! I hear about 'functional attributes' and 'physical attributes'. I used to think that 'performance specifications' took care of everything. I think that it is difficult for some students to grasp these concepts. Please explain these in terms which I will be able to put across to my student, using 3D examples.

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A: 'Functional attributes' refers to those characteristics that describe what a product (technological outcome) ‘does’ or ‘how it is to function’. Examples of functional attributes for a potato peeler could include attributes such as: able to peel a potato, able to be washed in a dishwasher, blade swivels.

‘Physical attributes’ describe what the product ‘looks like’, feels like, smells like etc. For example in the case of a potato peeler physical attributes could include: shaped to look like a potato, handle soft and spongy.

Each of these (functional attributes and physical attributes) can be refined into specifications that define the physical and/or functional requirements of the outcome in terms that allow them to be measured (i.e. enable a technological outcome’s ‘fitness for purpose’ to be determined). In the case of a potato peeler specifications focused on function could be: peel thickness removed from the potato to be between 1.2 -1.5mm; blade to swivel 90 degrees. Examples of specifications that describe the physical requirements of a potato peeler could be: handle made from sky blue or lime green PVC; blade made from T304 stainless steel.

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Question answered by Cliff Harwood on 2011/09/12

Q: What are the fundamental differences between the following standards at level 1 - 1.60 basic procedures and 1.61 basic concepts?

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A: AS1.60 is focused on assessing a student’s competency in ‘using’ basic procedures (see EN5 for explanation) to implement a processing operation that enables a specified product to be produced.

EN1.61 on the other hand assesses student understandings of the basic concepts that enable processing to occur.

Examples of assessment resources for each of these standards can be found at: http://legacy.tki.org.nz/e/community/ncea/tech-lvl1.php.

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Question answered by Cliff Harwood on 2011/09/12

Q: Can the Technology Level 2 standards be released in early November once the seniors have left school so that teachers can use this time to plan assessments for next year?

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A: The Ministry will be publishing Final Draft versions of the Level 2 standards on the TKI website by 30 September 2011. This is to allow schools to plan their courses with confidence that the standards will not be significantly changed after this date. As with all processes, until the standards are finally registered, they must be published as drafts.

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Question answered by Nigel Hill (Team Leader, Secondary Outcomes CTL Design - Ministry of Education) on 2011/09/05