The Western Australian Department of Education developed an Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework to strengthen outcomes for Aboriginal students. The framework consists of five standards - relationships, leadership, teaching, learning environment, and resources - intended to guide staff reflection and improvement. It was created through research and extensive Aboriginal community consultation. Implementation of the framework aims to close the educational achievement gap, set clear expectations for culturally responsive practices, and ultimately build a cohesive approach and culture focused on strengthening Aboriginal student outcomes. Impact will be examined through monitoring framework use, providing professional learning, and assessing cultural change.

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