NZI 2019 Staff JOEL HERNANDEZ 05

Joel Hernandez

Policy Analyst

Policy Analyst Joel joined The New Zealand Initiative after completing his Master’s in Economics at Victoria University where his work focused on productivity, labour economics and game theory. Before this, he completed a Bachelor of Science from the University of Otago, majoring in Microbiology.

Currently, Joel is working on education research using data from Statistic’s New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI).

Links to latest reports:

Research note: To graduation and beyond (2021)
Research Note: Educational Performance and Funding in New Zealand: Are our children getting the education they deserve?
(2021)
Research Note: The State of Schooling (2020)
Insights and Excellence: School success in New Zealand (2020)
In Fairness to our Schools: Better measures for better outcomes (2019)
Research Note: Tomorrow’s Schools: Data and evidence (2019)

Scroll down to read the rest of Joel's work.

Phone: +64 4 499 0790

Email: joel.hernandez@nzinitiative.org.nz

Recent Work

private school

The State of Schooling

Every parent wants to give their child the best start in life – but when it comes to schooling, does money buy success? In the latest New Zealand Initiative report, we show state-integrated schools may be the best value for money, at least when it comes to University Entrance (UE) attainment. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Insights Newsletter
14 August, 2020
School performance

State-integrated schools offer best value for money

State-integrated schools offer best value for money compared to their private and public counterparts and on average students at state-integrated schools are likely to gain university entry qualifications. While the average student at a state school has a 30.5% chance of gaining UE, those at state-integrated schools had a 38.8% chance. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Morning Report - Radio NZ
10 August, 2020
cover2

Research Note: The State of Schooling

This research note takes a closer look at school effectiveness across state, state-integrated, and private schools, otherwise defined as school authority (or type) using the Initiative's school performance tool. In a New Zealand first, we estimate each school’s contribution to student achievement across the three school authorities after separating out the contribution of the family socioeconomic background using data from Statistics New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). Read more

Joel Hernandez
Research Note
10 August, 2020
Australia brick4

Australia’s new normal

This year has created a “new normal,” at least outside of Fortress New Zealand. Handshakes are likely a thing of the past; hugging is no longer kosher; masks are now mandatory in many places; and concerts, conferences or café catch-ups could become a distant memory. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Insights Newsletter
17 July, 2020
Research Note Lessons from East Asias Covid 19 Containment 1

Research Note: Lessons from East Asia's Covid-19 Containment

Since the first cases of the Covid-19 virus emerged in the Chinese province of Wuhan, several East Asian countries including Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have successfully 'flattened the curve' of infection rates. The three countries used common public policies in the first 50 days since each registered their 100th case. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Research Note
25 May, 2020
Research Note Lessons from Abroad Taiwans Covid 19 Containment Model 1

Research Note: Lessons from Abroad: Taiwan's Covid-19 Containment Model

Alongside South Korea, Taiwan is one of the few countries to “flatten the curve” of Covid-19 without a national lockdown due to its prior experience with the SARS epidemic of 2003. New Zealand’s pathway is similar to Taiwan’s and there are lessons to be learned as New Zealand moves into Alert Level 2. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Research Note
12 May, 2020
Lessons from abroad South Koreas Covid 19 Containment Model 1

Research Note: Lessons from abroad: South Korea's Covid-19 Containment Model

As the world struggles to contain Covid-19, many countries are at different stages of containment and mitigation since registering their first 100 cases. Some, like South Korea, are more than a month further ahead compared with New Zealand and could offer a good example of what might be expected as New Zealand transitions out of Alert Level 4 lockdown. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Research Note
23 April, 2020
Study

Great education needs a push

What if the principal and chair of trustees of each of New Zealand’s 500 secondary schools received a report every year that cut through the noise to show exactly how their school was performing? Crucially, this report would be objective, data-driven and fair, because it adjusts for the unique community of students each school serves. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Insights Newsletter
13 March, 2020
Insights and Excellence cover

Research Note: Insights and Excellence: School success in New Zealand

This research note is the third in a series of reports discussing the Initiative’s school performance tool and school evaluation in New Zealand. We present three case studies showing how three secondary schools performed before and after our tool separated the contribution of family background from the contribution of each school. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Research Note
9 March, 2020
1 Article Thumbnail Template

Tinder Economy

Depending on your own experience with dating apps, you might be surprised to learn that success in the online dating market is not distributed equally. So, this Valentine’s Day, spare a thought for those struggling to find love among the insidious and “unjust” inequality on apps like Tinder or Bumble. Read more

Joel Hernandez
Insights Newsletter
14 February, 2020

Stay in the loop: Subscribe to updates