NZQA impressed with TPP performance

NZQA impressed with TPP performance

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority's latest review of Tai Poutini Polytechnic has found the polytechnic’s overall educational performance is continuing to rise along with the rate of students successfully completing courses and qualifications above national averages.

The NZQA External Evaluation and Review (EER) also noted a culture shift at TPP since the last EER in 2011 with more focus on improving student achievement and significant progress in implementing self-assessment strategies.

The review involved four NZQA evaluators spending six days at TPP campuses throughout the country talking to management, tutors, students and industry.   It noted that over the past four to five years TPP’s overall education performance had risen with the polytechnic’s 2012 course completion rate 81% compared to 75% in 2009 and qualification completion rate 67% compared to 48% in 2009. 

TPP's Director of Academic and Quality Annabel Schuler says TPP is very pleased with the positive EER report which was the result of a strong team effort.

“We are particularly pleased with the feedback the evaluators received from industry and the people who employ our graduates, and from the graduates themselves who said TPP was training them in the best possible way so they could be confident of jobs when they moved on from their studies,” she says.

The report found that in 2012 100% of students graduating from the Outdoor Education and Ski Patrol programmes gained employment.   The evaluation team also commented that changes to TPP’s self-assessment strategies over the past 18 months have resulted in all personnel having an improved understanding of how well they are meeting the needs of their students, stakeholders and those of the wider community which is resulting in improvements in student achievement.

“The EER process has definitely strengthened the way in which TPP handles tertiary teaching and learning in partnership with its students and industry.  Over the next four years TPP will build on the progress it has made and will be constantly looking for improvements for an even better result in 2017,” says Mrs Schuler.

The 2013 EER report concluded it was confident in TPP’s educational performance and capability for self-assessment.  For the full report go to http://www.tpp.ac.nz/pdf/info/2013%20EER%20Tai%20Poutini%20Polytechnic.pdf

ENDS

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