Samantha Disbray presents at the Strehlow Conference, Alice Springs, 25 September 2014.

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Evaluating the Northern Territory
Bilingual Education Program
Samantha Disbray, Charles Darwin
University and CRC – Remote Economic
Participation
Strelow
Conference
–
Alice
Springs
September
25,
2014

2. Northern
Territory
Bilingual
Educa(on
Program
• Established
in
response
to
the
federal
government s
call
for
remote
Aboriginal
children
to
have
their
primary
educa(on
in
Aboriginal
languages
(Dept.
Ed.
1974:6)
• Ran
between
1974
and
2008
in
23
schools,
providing
teaching
for
Indigenous
students
in
some
24
languages
• Ambiguous
aRtude
and
approach
to
the
Program
by
the
NT
Department
of
Educa(on

5. ‘Recommendations
concerning bilingual
education in the Northern
Territory’
Prepared by
Dr. Geoff O’Grady
Dr. Ken Hale
1st July 1974

7. Walungurru Kuula
(Kintore School circa 1984)

8. Sites – remote and diverse

9. Sites – remote and diverse

10. Evalua(on
Criteria
Evaluation Criteria?
• What
was
the
NT
Bilingual
Program
designed
to
do?
• Where
was
this
stated?
• How
was
it
measured
and
documented?
• How
did
it
fare?

11. Evalua(on
Criteria
• Data
on
student
academic
outcomes
in
English
literacy
and
Numeracy
Ø most
recently,
results
in
2008
NAPLAN
Tes(ng
-­‐
Na(onal
Assessment
Program
for
Literacy
and
Numeracy
Evaluation Criteria - current?

12. Evalua(on
Criteria
Measures?
3
Phases
of
review
of
the
programs
(Devlin
1995)
– Implementa(on
reviews
(1974-­‐1979,
Progress
Reports
of
the
Bilingual
Consulta(ve
CommiZee)
– Accredita(on
Program
(1980’s)
– Evalua(on
Process
(1990’s)
Extensive
repor(ng
remains
though
overall
liZle
student
academic
outcome
data
was
systemically
compiled,
in
schools
in
both
the
bilingual
program
and
English-­‐only
program
(Disbray,
2014a,b)
Ques(ons
regarding
relevance
of
high
stakes
na(onal
tes(ng
and
of
the
claims
made
regarding
comparisons
of
2008
NAPLAN
data
(Wigglesworth
et
al.
2011)
and
(Devlin
2009a).
Evaluation Criteria?

13. Evalua(on
Criteria
• Data
on
student
academic
outcomes
in
English
literacy
and
Numeracy
In
line
with
the
8
stated
goals
set
out
in
Bilingual
Handbook
(summarised
below),
repeatedly
endorsed
by
Indigenous
teachers
and
community
members,
and
which
are
echoed
also
in
na(onal
and
interna(onal
literature
(UNESCO
2008a,
2008b;
Bernard
Van
Leer
Founda(on
2004;
Harris
1995;
Silburn
et
al.
2011)
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathema(cs
• Use
of
first
language
and
mul(lingual
instruc(on
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
• Use
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguis(c
maintenance
Evaluation Criteria?

14. Broader criteria for evaluation
Two-Way
an underlying model of bilingual/bicultural
education in which power is shared, the
curriculum is balanced, the existence of
competing knowledge systems is
acknowledged and the program is related to
language use and cultural observances in the
community
(Devlin 2004: 26)

15. • Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathemaAcs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance
Mee(ng
the
Criteria
–
English
and
L1

16. Meeting the Criteria – Team Teaching Pedagogy
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathemaAcs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance

17. Meeting the Criteria – Skills Development
Training and Up-skilling
Remote Aboriginal Teacher
Education Program
(RATE Batchelor College)
In school mentors, teacher linguists
Training in own language studies: School
of Australian Linguistics -> Centre for
Australian Languages and Linguistics,
Batchelor College
80% of 41 trained teachers worked in
schools with Bilingual Programs (Batt
2011)
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathema(cs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance

18. Meeting the Criteria –
Developing Maths knowledge
Karlarlakari-karlarlakari-kirli: Kujarnalu Yirri-Yuraja Manu Yirrarnu Nyurruwiyi Turnu-jarrinjarla
Wirliyarrayirla manu Yurntumurla’ Bilingual Resource Development Unit, 1984).
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathemaAcs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance

19. Meeting the Criteria – Development and Implementation of
Local Curriculum
Galtha Rom and Ganma at Yirrkala School
Dhanarangala Murrurinydji Gaywanagal,
later Gattjirrk at Milingimbi School
Warlpiri Theme Cycle – 4 Warlpiri schools:
Lajamanu, Yuendumu, Willowra, Nyirrpi
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathemaAcs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance

20. Warlpiri Curriculum Development
1987 SACE Development
document
Warlpiri
Theme Cycle

21. Warlpiri Curriculum DevelopmentWarlpiri Theme
Cycle, 1999

22. • 300+ Pitjantjatjara titles
• 400+ Pintupi-Luritja titles
• 700+ Warlpiri titles
• Primers
• Reader sets with work books
• Posters
• Flash cards
• Teaching handbooks
• Planners
• Community newsletters
• Calendars
• Audio-visual collections
• Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
• Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathema(cs
•
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
• Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
•
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance
Meeting the Criteria – Resource Development for
instruction in L1 and local knowledge, and Language
and cultural maintenance

27. School and Community Newsletters
documented school & community events, promoted community literacy

29. Language Documentation

30. Community
involvement
in
schools,
teaching
training
and
leadership
Teaching
of
English
language
and
mathemaAcs
Use
of
first
language
and
mulAlingual
instrucAon
as
a
pedagogy
Culturally
responsive
curriculum
&
resources
Use
of
first
of
first
language
for
cultural
and
linguisAc
maintenance
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Evaluating the Northern Territory Bilingual
Education Program: A wider Criteria set

31. It s
really
important
to
us
that
we
keep
our
language
strong.
We
don t
want
to
lose
it.
I
know,
I
worked
at
Yuendumu
Language
Centre
for
ten
years
and
fourteen
years
here
at
Willowra
school.
English
is
really
hard
for
kids
in
transi(on
and
pre-­‐school
to
understand,
but
Warlpiri
they
can
understand
easy.
They
learn
it
by
looking
at
the
alphabet.
We
don t
want
to
lose
bilingual
educa(on,
we
want
our
kids
to
learn
both
ways.
(Helen
Morton,
Warlpiri
Triangle
1998)
We
used
to
support
each
other
and
work
together.
But
now,
this
four
hours
English,
it s
separate.
We
don't
really
know
what
we
are
doing,
we
don't
know
how
to
fit
Warlpiri.
Warlpiri
is
important
too,
for
our
kids,
because
they
understand
Warlpiri.
They
can
start
learning
a
lot
of
new
things,
school
things
in
Warlpiri.
And
before
it
was
working
really
well,
when
we
had
team
planning,
support
from
a
teacher
linguist,
learning
togethers,
team
teaching,
all
of
that.
(Barbara
Mar(n
2009)

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Thanks to the staff in NT schools, who have shared their insights and
commitment to educating their family and community and to past staff
in the Bilingual Education Program for sharing their experiences and
expertise.
Thanks for listening.
The work reported in this publication was supported by funding
from the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres
Program through the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote
Economic Participation (CRC-REP).
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the
views of the CRC-REP or Ninti One Limited or its participants.
Errors or omissions remain with the author.

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