The Education Review Office is introducing a colour-coded, four-point scale for rating schools' performance.
It said the new system would apply to ERO review reports for schools visited from term two and would be easier for families to understand.
The new-look reports would rate schools' as excelling, doing well, working towards or requiring improvement across 14 areas with colour coding of dark green, light green, orange, and red.
The reports would start with a "snapshot" table showing the number of areas in which each school was excelling, doing well, working towards, or required improvement.
They would then provide an overview of the school's ratings in 14 areas including student achievement, student progress, teaching, reading and writing, maths and attendance.
ERO said the new reports would be easier for families to understand.
Education Minister Erica Stanford is in Auckland where she is announcing the overhaul.
ERO last changed the way it reported on schools at the end of 2024 when it introduced short descriptions of performance in areas including how well learners were succeeding and the quality of teaching.
It also introduced brief outlines of schools' performance in reading, writing, maths and attendance.
England's school reviewer, Ofsted, recently introduced a colour-coded, five-point scale for schools' performance in areas including attendance, behavour, acheivement, and personal development.
The scale was exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, and urgent improvement with colour-coding ranging from blue, through green to orange and red.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the new reports would provide parents with clearer, more useful information.
"To date, reports on school performance through ERO have not sufficiently focused on the details most relevant to parents and have been dense and complicated to read and understand," she said.
Stanford said the reports would provide more detail on twice as many topics.
"The new reports will recognise successes as well and provide a roadmap for improvement. They focus on the key changes that will make the most difference for students," she said.
ERO chief review officer Ruth Shinoda said the new reports would lift education standards by providing parents with clear, useful and accessible information about schools.
"Crucially, they are more sharply focused on the things that make the biggest difference to learner success and wellbeing - including attendance, progress, achievement and assessment.
Shinoda said theywere also a critical document for school leaders so they know what to focus on to lift student success.
"Ultimately these changes will drive improvement for education for every learner in New Zealand," she said.
