Jann Marshall, Deputy Chief Executive, Assessment at NZQA, speaks about the role of NZQA during a time of change for assessment in New Zealand. She says it is important that we maintain a focus on ensuring that NCEA remains robust and credible during the transition to a new qualification.
“We know that NCEA is being replaced by a new qualification and assessment system designed specifically for New Zealand, with many details of this still to be finalised. We are travelling in a time of uncertainty and must be led by our values to ensure that we have qualifications and credentials that are recognised, respected and meet the needs of our learners in the changing world.
There are exciting opportunities to take advantage of the affordances of technology as we create an assessment system that is future focused and puts our learners at the centre.”
Jann Marshall’s career spans secondary teaching, national assessment, and senior leadership across New Zealand’s education system. Beginning as a secondary teacher involved in assessment and moderation, she developed strong insight into qualification standards in practice. She then joined NZQA, where she played a significant role in strengthening assessment quality and was deeply involved in the design and implementation of NCEA, gaining extensive expertise in national qualification frameworks and system‑level assessment. After senior roles at the Ministry of Education, Jann returned to NZQA as Deputy Chief Executive, Assessment. She remains committed to high‑quality pathways that help all young people thrive.
Find Jann’s presentation slides here:
Jann Marshall – Assessment in a time of change
