Making it real: Working with Aboriginal Communities to achieve outcomes through partnership

NSW Department of Education & Training

Aboriginal Education and Training Policy www.det.nsw.edu.au

Making it real: Working with Aboriginal Communities to achieve outcomes through partnership

Low SES Forum Tuesday 22 June 2010

Louise Bye, Assistant Director, Aboriginal Education and Training Directorate



Why? Policy

What? Strategy

How ? Community



CAEPR 2007

• Complexity and diversity of Aboriginal communities.• Relationships between school and community is

influenced by “settings” in which both operate and that adaptations are required.

• School processes may have little relevance or be inconsistent with community processes.

• A new form of relationship needs to develop between the school and the community if an enduring educational partnership is to be achieved.



Catalysts for positive change

LeadersThinkersConnectorsDoersProblems solvers EmpowerersPeople who want to make a difference



Community engagement Engagement: school to family and community; teacher to parent/caregiver/extended family; AEO to parents and community, ACLO to parents and community

Complexity and diversity

Informal and formal

Social and learning

School business and community business

Deliberate and planned

Conversations Relationships Partnerships



Strategies to lead, engage and keep people engaged

Who are the partners? Parents, teachers, community members, executive, principal, Aboriginal staff, regional staff, wider community, Aboriginal organisations, agencies, regional office, state office.

How to engage?Focus on end pointIndividually and collectivelyClear communication and consistent messageFocus on what works



Engaging community • Understanding the past and present Aboriginal community.• Knowing who is in your Aboriginal community• Knowing how people are connected- parents and caregivers, extended family,

kinship relationships• Welcome to/Acknowledgement of Country, welcome signs in local Aboriginal

Language, Aboriginal flag • Working with school and district Aboriginal staff.• Community assets mapping process• How does the community respond to things? • What is the community’s vision?• What do they want from a partnership?• What forms of communication work best?• Working with community governance and community peak bodies, interagency.• Taking the school to the community.• Staff/community interaction. School/community projects.• Champion for the school



Engaging parents• Welcoming all parents, extended family, Elders and community

members• Personal communication, relationship, invitation• Working with school and district Aboriginal staff• Front office• Knowing and working with whole family• Acknowledging and celebrating community events within the school• Creating opportunities for parents to share knowledge, skills and

understandings in and out of the classroom • Celebrate and communicate student success and achievement to

parents• If there is a problem, consult and act• Work with parents to find solutions



Engagement through students• Sense of belonging • Who are your Aboriginal students• What are their gifts, talents, dreams, aspirations• Respect, knowledge and understanding of Aboriginality• Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs)• Positive talk about real improvements • Recognition of circumstances and situations • Opportunities for leadership, gifted and talented• Early intervention and support • What is the data telling us?



Your turn, your task •Two strategies that you already do that work•Two new strategies•One off the wall, low cost strategy

Engaging community

Engaging parents

Engagement through students



Your turn, your task •Two strategies that you already do that work•Two new strategies•One off the wall, low cost strategy

Engaging teachers

Engaging non-Aboriginal community

Engaging agencies, organisations , business and otherpartners





Communication to build trust

LanguageBody language

Experiences and attitudesPower

StereotypesRoles and responsibilities

ExpectationsSituations



Mortar

Sand

Cement

Water



You are the guide, not the expert. Focus on the end point, the vision for parents, community, teachers and students. Focus on what works.Engage students in the process. It’s about them.There will be resistance, racism and recidivism.This is a new way of working and peoples’ expectations will need to be managed.Communicate to all groups consistently and coherently.It’s about addressing and changing the status quo, digging up the hard ground and having the hard conversations.The process and the outcomes will be flawed if Aboriginal people are not included, respected and valued as equal partners.We will work with evidence but some of this evidence will be peoples’ experiences.We need to work with data. Don’t tell me what you have done, tell me what you have achieved.



Lastly….Communicate and share with others

Take on board advice and criticism

Support each other

Plan for and celebrate success

Challenge the status quo

Believe in the vision and what you are trying to achieve

Documents

Making it real: Working with Aboriginal Communities to achieve outcomes through partnership