The Education Review Office wants all secondary schools to review how they work with students at risk of failing after a trial found ways of boosting achievement.
In a report published on Thursday, it said 16 schools worked closely at the end of last year with 311 students at risk of not achieving level two of the NCEA. Of these, 189, 61%, went on to gain that qualification.
The review office said students did better if schools closely monitored their achievement, developed individual action plans for each student, and improved their relationships with the students' families.
The review office said all secondary schools should review their processes in light of the trial.
