Did DI do it? The impact of a programme designed to improve literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Guenther ◽  
Samuel Osborne
Keyword(s):  
Direct Instruction ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Attendance Rates ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Literacy Outcomes ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
The Impact

AbstractOver the 10 years of ‘Closing the Gap’, several interventions designed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been trialled. In 2014 the Australian Government announced the ‘Flexible Literacy for Remote Primary Schools Programme’ (FLFRPSP) which was designed primarily to improve the literacy outcomes of students in remote schools with mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The programme, using Direct Instruction (DI) or Explicit Direct Instruction, was extended to 2019 with more than $30 million invested. By 2017, 34 remote schools were participating in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. This paper analyses My School data for 25 ‘very remote’ FLFRPSP schools with more than 80% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students. It considers Year 3 and 5 NAPLAN reading results and attendance rates for participating and non-participating primary schools in the 3 years before the programme's implementation and compares them with results since. Findings show that, compared to very remote schools without FLFRPSP, the programme has not improved students' literacy abilities and results. Attendance rates for intervention schools have declined faster than for non-intervention schools. The paper questions the ethics of policy implementation and the role of evidence as a tool for accountability.

scholarly journals Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-52
Author(s):  
David Singh
Keyword(s):  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
Australian Education ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Torres Strait

Australian education systems have long been challenged by the gap between Indigenous and nonIndigenous student outcomes. All levels of Australian government, as well as Indigenous leaders and educators, however, continue to meet the challenge through exhortation, strategies and targets. The most prominent of such strategies is ‘Closing the Gap’, which gives practical expression to the Australian Government’s commitment to measurably improving the lives of Indigenous Australians, especially Indigenous children.

scholarly journals Yes, DI did it: the impact of Direct Instruction on literacy outcomes for Very Remote Indigenous schools

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Noel Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Direct Instruction ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Literacy Outcomes ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Good To Great ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Program Show

Abstract In the journal article Did DI do it? The impact of a programme designed to improve literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote schools, Guenther and Osborne (2020) compare schoolwide NAPLAN reading scale scores for 25 Very Remote Indigenous schools implementing Direct Instruction through the Flexible Literacy for Remote Primary Schools Program (‘Flexible Literacy’ or ‘the program’) with those for 118 Very Remote Indigenous schools not involved with the program, to assert the program has not improved literacy outcomes. Good to Great Schools Australia (GGSA) undertook an analysis of the same school data for Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation scores. Our findings contradict theirs. In all areas, schools participating in the program show significant growth compared with all Australian and all Very Remote Indigenous schools. In Reading, schools involved in the program from 2015 to 2017 averaged 124% growth, while the average growth for comparable ages was 19 and 34% for Australian and Very Remote Indigenous schools, respectively. In Grammar and Punctuation schools involved in the program in the same period grew 180%, whilst growth for Australian schools was 15%, and for Very Remote Indigenous schools, 28%. These contrasting results illustrate the importance of evaluating growth to assess the impact of educational programs, rather than achievement alone, particularly in the case of Very Remote Indigenous schools where achievement levels are far below Australian grade levels. Guenther and Osborne's comparison of achievement across schools rather than measuring growth within schools obscures real gains and is misleading.

scholarly journals Release of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025; the impacts for podiatry in Australia: a commentary

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Gerrard ◽  
Shirley Godwin ◽  
Vivienne Chuter ◽  
Shannon E. Munteanu ◽  
Matthew West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health ◽  
Safety Strategy

Abstract Background Developing since colonisation, Australia’s healthcare system has dismissed an ongoing and successful First Nations health paradigm in place for 60,000 years. From Captain James Cook documenting ‘very old’ First Nations Peoples being ‘far more happier than we Europeans’ and Governor Arthur Phillip naming Manly in admiration of the physical health of Gadigal men of the Eora Nation, to anthropologist Daisy Bates’ observation of First Nations Peoples living ‘into their eighties’ and having a higher life expectancy than Europeans; our healthcare system’s shameful cultural safety deficit has allowed for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child born in Australia today to expect to live 9 years less than a non-Indigenous child. Disproportionately negative healthcare outcomes including early onset diabetes-related foot disease and high rates of lower limb amputation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples contribute to this gross inequity. Main body In 2020, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority released the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020–2025 - empowering all registered health practitioners within Australia to provide health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples that is inclusive, respectful and safe, as judged by the recipient of care. This recently released strategy is critically important to the podiatry profession in Australia. As clinicians, researchers and educators we have a collective responsibility to engage with this strategy of cultural safety. This commentary defines cultural safety for podiatry and outlines the components of the strategy in the context of our profession. Discussion considers the impact of the strategy on podiatry. It identifies mechanisms for podiatrists in all settings to facilitate safer practice, thereby advancing healthcare to produce more equitable outcomes. Conclusion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples access health services more frequently and have better health outcomes where provision of care is culturally safe. By engaging with the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy, all registered podiatrists in Australia can contribute to achieving equity in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

scholarly journals The road beyond licensing: the impact of a driver licensing support program on employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Porykali ◽  
Patricia Cullen ◽  
Kate Hunter ◽  
Kris Rogers ◽  
Melissa Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Support Program ◽  
The Road ◽  
Regional Area ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Driver Licensing

Abstract Background With increasingly tough graduated driver licensing laws in all Australian States and Territories, driver licensing support programs are recognised as being important to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to obtain a driver licence. Such programs appear to improve licensing attainment rates, but few studies have examined the broader impact that these programs can have. This research aims to 1) examine the impact of a New South Wales (NSW) based driver licensing support program (Driving Change) on client employment outcomes; 2) assess the influence of geographical area of program delivery on driver licence attainment. Methods Driving Change was delivered from February 2013 to August 2016 in 4 urban and 7 regional Aboriginal communities of NSW. Clients were followed-up at 6 months or more following contact with the program as part of routine program operations. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used to analyse data. Results From 933 clients contacted 254 agreed to provide feedback, a response rate of 27%. Those that responded were mostly female (57%), aged 24 years and under (72%), unemployed (85%) with secondary education or less (71%) and from a regional area (74%). Adjusted logistic regression indicated that clients who achieved an independent licence were more likely (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.22–5.24, p = 0.011) of reporting a new job or change in job than those who did not attain a licence. Clients from regional areas were more likely (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.27–2.33, p < 0.001) to gain an independent licence than those from urban areas. There was no difference in employment outcomes (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.53–2.52, p = 0.719) for clients from urban compared to regional areas. Conclusion The Driving Change program appears to be effective in improving employment outcomes for those who gained a licence. Clients from regional areas were more likely to gain a licence compared to those in urban settings, and were predominantly young and unemployed, often a hard to reach cohort. Future licensing programs being delivered in regional areas need integrated pathways into employment opportunities to provide holistic services that address the social and economic challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

scholarly journals Teachers as researchers: A discovery of their emerging role and impact through a school-university collaborative research

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Chow ◽  
Samuel Kai Wah Chu ◽  
Nicole Tavares ◽  
Celina Wing Yi Lee
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Culture Teaching ◽  
The Impact

This study explored the impact of the role of teacher-researchers on in-service teachers’ professional development, as well as the reasons behind the lack of a teacher-as-researcher ethos in schools. In the study, teachers from four Hong Kong primary schools participated in a school-university collaborative research project that promotes collaborative inquiry project-based learning (IPjBL), in which they took the dual role of the teacher and researcher. Five focus group interviews were conducted with the teachers to collect in-depth qualitative data on their experiences. The impact of this experience on teacher professionalism was examined from four dimensions: knowledge enrichment, school culture, teaching practice and curriculum design. The study provides evidence for the benefits of teacher research and sheds light on how university-school collaboration could contribute to engaging teachers in action research in their everyday classroom.

Closing the Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Suicide: A Social-Emotional Wellbeing Service Innovation Project

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delaney Michael Skerrett ◽  
Mandy Gibson ◽  
Leilani Darwin ◽  
Suzie Lewis ◽  
Rahm Rallah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Youth Suicide ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Innovation Project ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Torres Strait

scholarly journals Self-management programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with chronic conditions: A rapid review

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-123
Author(s):  
Ellie Moore ◽  
Sharon Lawn ◽  
Candice Oster ◽  
Andrea Morello
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
Cultural Appropriateness ◽  
Evidence Summary ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Torres Strait

Objectives Review the evidence for the effectiveness of chronic condition self-management programs applied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Methods A rapid review methodology was followed to develop an evidence summary from peer-reviewed and grey literature. Results Only seven peer-reviewed studies were identified. The evidence indicated that group programs, particularly the Stanford Program, and structured individual chronic condition self-management programs were of good quality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, although these need to be integrated into practice in order to see the greatest benefits. The Flinders Program showed promise as a standardised program with content designed specifically with and for these populations. Numerous grey literature sources were identified, many using strong participatory approaches developed locally within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. However, few of these programs have been subject to rigorous evaluation. Discussion Despite the significant focus on chronic condition self-management programs to help address the burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, few studies exist that have been properly evaluated. The Closing the Gap Principles developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare offer important guidance for how to proceed to maximise engagement, cultural appropriateness and ownership of program initiatives.

Burnout Among Primary Government School Teachers: The Mediating Role of Work– Family Conflict

2020 ◽  
pp. 097168582095398
Author(s):  
Arjun Chakravorty ◽  
Pankaj Singh
Keyword(s):  
Family Conflict ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Government School ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Impact

Although the impact of job demands and work–family conflict (WFC) on burnout has been extensively discussed and analysed in the past literature, the role of WFC as a generative mechanism has been neglected. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effects of WFC between job demands and burnout. The studied sample consisted of 713 Indian primary school government teachers who completed a self-report questionnaire assessing job demands, WFC and burnout. The results confirmed that WFC partially mediates the adverse association of job demands with burnout. Primary schools should, therefore, be encouraged to provide effective practices to manage work–family interfaces.

Manual Arts Programs and Graphics Teaching in Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander High Schools and Secondary Departments in North Queensland

1982 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
N. McGarvie
Keyword(s):  
High Schools ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Arts Programs ◽  
Torres Strait

These schools are generally grouped together for practical and geographical purposes, although they cover a broad spectrum from remote Community Primary Schools with Secondary Departments catering for Years 8, 9, and 10, through Aboriginal/Islander Community High Schools to Secondary Departments or High Schools in relatively remote country areas with a significant proportion of Aboriginal or Islander students. Schools included are: Aurukun, Kowanyama, Doomadgee, Mornington Island, Yarrabah, Palm Island, Thursday Island, Bamaga, Weipa North and Normanton.

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