Western Australian Department of Education

1. Insert Subheading
Western Australian Department of Education

2. Focus of the session
• development of an Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework
• structure and content of the Framework
• implementation
• examining impact

3. Development of an Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework
• identified as one of a range of initiatives to strengthen
outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people
• priority for the State Government and the Department of
Education – public schools
• developed with Aboriginal staff and stakeholders

4. Development of an Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework
• research and analysis
• extensive consultation
• alignment with strategic documents, existing standards,
frameworks and tools – familiar to staff

5. Drivers for development
• focus on an integrated approach to strengthening Aboriginal
student outcomes
• data - the educational achievement gap between Aboriginal
and non-Aboriginal students remains unacceptably wide
• setting clear expectations for all public school staff
• support for staff to reflect on their values, behaviours,
attitudes and practices

6. Links to key documents
• Strategic Plan for WA Public Schools 2016–2019
• Focus Documents – Focus 2016, Focus 2017, Focus 2018
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
Strategy
• School Improvement and Accountability Framework
• Capability Framework – Teaching Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander EAL/D learners

7. Structure and content of the Framework
• Set of five standards expected of all staff
• Each standard: performance descriptors
and indicators to support staff to reflect
on their behaviours and practices
• Continuum showing progression for
individual and whole-school reflection

8. Relationships
• Relationships are critical to Aboriginal people and underpin
their actions and responses
• Engagement of parents, caregivers, families and local
Aboriginal community to support students in achieving
improved outcomes

9. Leadership
• At the core of a high performance – high care culture is
effective leadership
• School leaders play a critical role in driving high level
teaching practice among their teachers
• School leaders support innovation and change to improve
outcomes for all students, including Aboriginal students

10. Teaching
• High quality teaching for Aboriginal students is effective
teaching for all students
• Impact of highly effective teaching is cumulative - even
relatively modest increases in effectiveness can make big
differences to students’ learning
• Challenge is for high quality practices to be evident in
every classroom for every student

11. Learning environment
• A welcoming environment is critical in developing sense
of belonging and welcoming for students and their
families – particularly Aboriginal students
• Student wellbeing and support are enhanced when
students feel safe and secure in their learning
environment

12. Resources
• Focus on all resources: human, financial and physical
• Align initiatives and funding with their specified
purpose – for example student characteristic funding
• Value the contribution of Aboriginal staff and
community members

13. Cultural responsiveness
• Ability to understand, interact and communicate
effectively and sensitively with people from a cultural
background different to one’s own
• Demonstrating this ability with proficiency

14. Cultural Cultural Cultural Cultural
Awareness Understanding Competence Responsiveness
The Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework
Continuum

15. Implementation
• Focus 2016: begin whole-school self-reflection against the new
Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework
• Focus 2017: use self-assessment against the Aboriginal Cultural
Standards Framework in school improvement planning
• Focus 2018: visible and deliberate
• Strategic Plan 2016-19: Implement the Aboriginal Cultural
Standards Framework as a clear statement of expected practice
and behaviour in schools and communities to increase Aboriginal
student achievement and drive improvement planning

16. Implementation: further initiatives to strengthen approaches
• Elders in Residence initiative
• research partnerships
• establishment of an Aboriginal Education Teaching and
Learning team:
– professional support, advice and guidance
– system advice on matters related to the enhancement of
Aboriginal students’ engagement and achievement

17. What do we hope to see as a result?
• Build on what is working
• Recognise individual student needs and capacities
• Integration into whole school planning
• Changed behaviour, culture and practices
• Shared responsibility
• A cohesive, focused approach to strengthening Aboriginal
student outcomes

18. Examining impact
• monitoring use of the framework
• professional learning, advice and guidance
– Focus on school leaders leading the implementation
• system-wide cultural change