Latest Curriculum Insights study results released
18 May 2026
The 2025 Curriculum Insights and Progress Study results for mathematics, reading and writing are now available, providing the strongest national picture to date of how students are progressing in English-medium settings at Years 3, 6, and 8.
Decades of national and international monitoring have shown persistent challenges in lifting achievement, with studies such as PISA indicating consistent declines over time. The latest Curriculum Insights results show that achievement across reading, writing, and mathematics has now stabilised, with no evidence of further decline.
For the first time, this stability is being accompanied by statistically significant improvements in mathematics and writing at Year 6. These shifts interrupt the longstanding pattern of declining achievement between Year 4 and Year 8 and indicate early signs of progress within the system.
The results reflect positive early progress alongside ongoing curriculum and assessment changes being embedded in classrooms across the country. Change at a system level is expected to build over time through steady, incremental improvements.
What the 2025 results show
There were two statistically significant improvements in Year 6 student achievement:
In writing, the proportion of students meeting curriculum expectations increased from 33 percent to 38 percent.
In mathematics, the proportion of students meeting expectations increased from 30 percent to 36 percent.
Reading achievement remained stable across all year levels, consistent with long-term national and international patterns.
Curriculum Insights is the key indicator for tracking progress toward the target of 80 percent of Year 8 students achieving at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by December 2030. The study now provides three years of consistent national data, offering an increasingly robust picture of student achievement and where further focus is needed.
Supporting ongoing improvement
Curriculum Insights plays a key role in identifying where need is greatest and informing investment decisions across the system. Previous results have contributed to targeted initiatives such as Make it Count (mathematics) and Make it Write (writing).
The Ministry continues to strengthen early identification and intervention through tools and supports including Phonics Checks, SMART assessments, an early mathematics check, and targeted structured literacy and mathematics support. Together, these approaches are designed to ensure learning needs are identified early and addressed quickly.
As schools continue to embed a knowledge-rich curriculum, alongside professional learning and strengthened assessment practices, further improvements in student progress and achievement are expected over time.
About the study
The Curriculum Insights and Progress Study is carried out by the University of Otago and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). It provides annual insights into how Year 3, 6 and 8 students in English-medium state and state-integrated schools are achieving.
A parallel study for Māori-medium pathways, Te Tīrewa Mātai, is in its first year of reporting, with results expected mid-year. Together, these studies will provide a yearly national picture of student progress across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Find out more
The Study Team will present the results on Wednesday 20 May at 3.30pm. Registration details are available on the Curriculum Insights website.
The full report, and summary of results are available on Education Counts and the Curriculum Insights website.