Literacy in the middle years of schooling focusing on Aboriginal Students

Target schools, teachers and education administrators with students in the middle years of schooling with significant number of Aboriginal students with a literacy focus. Based in schools with support from regional and state office

Priority areas Linking literacy assessment practice to quality teaching instruction and learning Strengthening the role of assessment information in guiding curriculum development and reform. Engaging Aboriginal students Applying Aboriginal cultural knowledge Collaborating in partnerships Building community capacity

10 cluster groups High percentage of Aboriginal students Teachers, executives and the Aboriginal Education Assistant (AEA) (in some cases, including at least one Principal from one of the schools) will work together in the cluster group. Systemic support, such as Aboriginal education consultants, regional consultants, academic mentors and an online learning environment

These priority areas will be addressed through: teachers applying the action research process to collect, analyse and reflect on qualitative and quantitative data about Aboriginal student literacy achievements to inform and improve their planning, teaching and assessment practices teachers gaining a greater understanding of syllabus outcomes, Aboriginal culture, sense of community and effective teaching strategies in a collegial, collaborative environment, through their participation in a orientation activities the use of a collegial online environment to allow teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching and learning practices. Some clusters will involve participants’ learning journals and school learning portfolios being collected as part of the project as evidence of the changes in teachers’ knowledge, skills and understandings about teaching and assessing outcomes. the building of learning communities which include all stakeholders to develop a common purpose

The project will: use models of professional development including an enquiry-based model to investigate strategies for improving the literacy achievement. focus on the explicit and systematic teaching of literacy skills support teachers in cluster teams and school teams as they engage in discussion and planning to link classroom practice to assessment practices support schools to develop partnerships between the Aboriginal community and the cluster schools

provide teachers with access to recent research to support professional development to inform classroom practice to support Aboriginal students’ literacy needs develop professional links between cluster schools to improve successful transition to high school programs for Aboriginal students within clusters develop a continuous partnership with Aboriginal communities

The project will: strengthen community consensus to Aboriginal education literacy improvement engage expertise from universities to improve outcomes for Aboriginal students build of continuous partnerships with local Aboriginal communities as central to the responsibilities of principals and school executive

teachers will develop the skills of critical reflection and professional dialogue through online discussions with an online mentor and classroom practitioners Embed QT model within their teaching and learning practice

Project activities orientation activities at the start of the project Online professional learning Website In school professional learning Action plans Interim report Final report Evaluation

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