Promoting improved outcomes for Aboriginal students

The Department of Education and Training has identified nine key focus areas in its Creating the Vision - Aboriginal Education Strategy as requiring a concerted effort at the school, district and central levels to improve educational outcomes currently being achieved by Aboriginal students.

The nine key focus areas are:

• Access and Participation
• Conductive Hearing Loss
• Attendance
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Culturally Inclusive Curricula
• Aboriginal Employment and Professional Development
• Involvement of Aboriginal Parents and Community in Educational Decision-making
• Cross-portfolio Initiatives and Intersectoral Collaboration

Programs run by the Aboriginal Education Team

Our Story

Our Story is an Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training Program for the Education sector and is designed for delivery to teachers and support staff who have direct contact with Aboriginal children, youth, parents, families and communities. As well, the training program is applicable to workers in management, policy and other administrative roles.

Our Story is to promote a knowledge and understanding of the cultures and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and to assist non-Aboriginal educators to use this knowledge and understanding as a basis for relating and working more effectively with Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

The Aboriginal education team within this district also offers extended cultural awareness for schools at their request, to build on knowledge and understandings gained through Our Story.

Racism No Way!

The Racism No Way! program aims to assist school communities and education systems to recognize and address racism in the learning environment. This resource provides a guide for Australian schools and brings together understandings of the nature of racism with practical strategies for countering racism in schools. Link to the Racism No Way! website. Here are antiracism resources recommended by the Department of Education and Training.

What Works? The Work Program

What Works? The Work Program is a set of materials for those working in education and training institutions - part of the national effort designed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

It provides some information about the effort and, more importantly, provides advice and information about how improvement can be achieved. It consists of three elements: The Guidebook (for background information), a set of digital materials (stories and examples) and a Workbook (for direction).

Conductive Hearing Loss

Do You Hear What I Hear package has been designed to consolidate awareness, knowledge and understanding of Otitis Media and Conductive Hearing Loss. The Package includes a resource book, interactive resource CD-ROM, reference book, black line masters, stickers and posters. Do You Hear What I Hear package will assist educators in identifying the specific needs of students experiencing conductive hearing loss, and provides a user-friendly education resource, which may be used with both children and community members. It also describes the impact on the social/emotional development and language and literacy development. Additional information is available from the Department's Conductive Hearing Loss Page.

Aboriginal Studies

Aboriginal Studies Curriculum is a set of resources for primary and secondary schools and is a study of past and present Aboriginal societies, which includes their history and cultures. It is studied in the context, which promotes respect for the integrity of all peoples and places, with an emphasis on understanding spiritual, political, social and economic issues central to Aboriginal societies and their relevance to the total population.

Aboriginal Perspectives Across the Curriculum

Aboriginal Perspectives Across the Curriculum is now included into Aboriginal Studies workshops in order to demonstrate the difference in the two programs and to highlight the importance of educators and appreciate that both are equally important factors of Inclusivity.

The ABC Two-Way Literacy and Numeracy Project

This project consists of a number of resources such as Deadly Ways to Learn and Ways of Being, Ways of Talk as a means of addressing the use of Aboriginal English by some Aboriginal students. These resources packages consist of videos, stories, Deadly Yarns, Deadly Ideas and works books. For example, Deadly Ways to Learn consists of Deadly Ideas; a collection of two-way bidilectal teaching strategies, a video on Deadly Ways to Teach and Deadly Yarns provides anecdotes about language, culture, identity and power.

Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy

Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy is a literacy and numeracy resource through Noongar culture for all primary school students of the South West. Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy is a quality outcomes-based curriculum resource package that recognizes past and contemporary Noongar lifestyles, culture and language. It contains culturally appropriate materials, innovative teaching strategies as well as complementing the Aboriginal Studies Curriculum. The package materials include Teacher's Resource Manual, Noongar Dictionary, Books and Games sets, Small book sets, maps and poster/picture card sets. Noongar themes underpinning the resources include leadership, past/present/future/continuity, language, strengths/achievements,

Parent Participation and Community Awareness

There are a number of workshops offered to parents/caregivers and community groups to encourage a greater involvement in the decision-making process and educational programs that effect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Programs range from advising parents on their role in this process, providing information on the programs available to schools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, to workshop for parents themselves. There will be a number of programs for parent and community awareness that will be on offer in the very near future such as, Good Parenting Skill, Tracking Your Rights, Drug Awareness, Growing up Youths, Behavioural Management in Schools, Dealing with Trauma and many more.

Follow the Dream

Midlands District has been identified by the Department of Education and Training as a participant in the Follow the Dream initiative, through the Northam Senior High School. Follow the Dream focuses on secondary-aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students previously having attained success at primary schools and wish to complete Year 12 with either a Tertiary Education Ranking for entry into TAFE or university studies or the Western Australian Certificate of Education. Follow the Dream is a strategy that also responds to the recommendation of the Gordon Inquiry that call for greater retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to Year 12. Link for more information.

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Aboriginal Education Personnel:

Manager Aboriginal Education

Lesley Radloff, the Manager takes responsibility for:

• Strategic Planning at District level.
• Professional contributions to the District Executive Team.
• Working with Principals to ensure School Planning reflects Aboriginal perspectives.
• Providing advice and support to District Director and Area Director
• Providing advice and support to Director of Aboriginal Education, Services and Training.
• Providing professional development to Principals, Schools, AIEOs, ALOs and Executive Team.
• Overseeing and manages IESIP and other Aboriginal funding at the District level.
• Managing the Aboriginal Mentoring Project.
• Managing major Aboriginal Education Projects in the District.
• Serving as executive officer on the Midlands District Aboriginal Education Council.
• Managing the implementation of the Aboriginal Education Operational Plan - Creating the Vision.

Aboriginal Liaison Officers

Aboriginal Liaison Officers take responsibility for:

• Support District and Schools with the development and implementation of strategies and teaching and learning program.
• Establish and maintain partnerships between the District Office, schools, parents/caregivers, interagency and the Aboriginal community.
• Support professional development in Aboriginal Education.
• Implement the District Office Strategic Plan for Aboriginal Education.
• Liaise with Aboriginal people on behalf of the Department.
• Identifying professional development needs of AIEOs.
• Support AIEOs in the establishment of their physical environment.
• Act as mentor to AIEOs.
• Advise teachers about appropriate resources and materials for Aboriginal students and studies/perspectives.
• Promote the District's professional development available to schools.
• Provide advice to Manager of Aboriginal Education.

Aboriginal & Islander Education Officers (AIEOs)

The AIEOs are school-based officers and their roles are to develop, promote and maintain communication networks between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, their parents or guardians, the community and the school. AIEOs play a key role in providing knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, language and culture within the schools. This understanding promotes respect and harmony. They conduct their role in collaboration with teachers and the school principals.

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES

• Aboriginal Pedagogy: A Strategy for Reconciliation Within the Schooling System - Ken Wyatt
• Good Relationships and Good School Experiences: That's What is Important to Aboriginal Students - Mort Harslett
• Aboriginal Programs, Projects and Initiatives
• Ideas for NAIDOC
• Resources

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