Koorie Education

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to support schools in providing quality and meaningful education to Koorie students, where Koorie students engage fully in their schooling years, and gain the knowledge and skills to excel at year 12 or its equivalent.

A note on terminology used

The term Koorie is used inclusively and refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria. The Department of Education and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), use the term throughout education documentation.

Koorie is a contemporary collective group term and may not be familiar to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As such, it is important to be respectful of how individual students, their families and community refer to themselves, and use this to guide the language used when referring to individuals or Community.

Terms such as Aboriginal, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous and First Nations Peoples are also commonly used in teaching and learning resources and practice guidance.

Details

Schools are expected to:

• work in partnership with the local Koorie community to develop place-based approaches to improving student outcomes
• support the development of high expectations and individualised learning for Koorie students
• ensure all Koorie students have an individual education plan
• create a learning environment for all students that acknowledges, respects and values Koorie cultures and identities
• view success for their Koorie students as core business.

Schools are also recommended to:

• reflect on current practice
• plan how to implement actions that strengthen self-determination
• plan for and implement actions that improve experiences and outcomes for Koorie learners.

For more information, refer to the Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education guidance chapter.

Background

Consistent with the principle of self-determination, Marrung: Aboriginal Education Plan 2016 to 2026 (Marrung) was developed in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI). Strong partnerships with the Koorie community will be the foundation for achieving outcomes for Koorie students in Victoria.

Programs, actions and reforms

Programs, actions, and reforms under Marrung include:

• Campfire Conversations and the Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report (PDF). For more information, refer to the Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education guidance chapter
• the Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program which are designed to support Koorie students in Victorian government schools to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes. This includes the extended Koorie Literacy and Numeracy program for Koorie students not meeting year 3 reading and numeracy benchmarks in years 4, 5 and 6
• Community Understanding and Safety Training (CUST) which empowers school staff to foster culturally inclusive environments that enhance Koorie students’ wellbeing
• guidance for schools on meeting the requirements of Child Safe Standard 1 – establishing a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued
• creating a school action plan for Aboriginal Learning, Wellbeing and Safety (DOCX)
• the department working with schools with high Koorie absences and sharing effective practice
• a review of the Koorie Academy of Excellence and exploring opportunities to roll out an expanded model across the 4 department regions
• supporting schools to use Individual Education Plans, including trialling Koorie student and family support plans through the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO)
• undertaking research to identify factors that contribute to academic achievement (including higher NAPLAN and ATAR score) and implementing supporting strategies
• Marrung education scholarships for high achieving Aboriginal students studying years 11 and 12 in government schools.

Koorie Education Workforce

The Koorie Education Workforce assist early years services and schools by providing guidance to enhance cultural inclusion practices, and to support the engagement, attendance, wellbeing and achievement of Koorie learners.

Koorie Education Managers

In Victoria there are 4 Koorie Education Managers (KEMs), one in each region, who work collaboratively to ensure delivery of consistently high quality and culturally inclusive practices across education settings for all learners. KEMs lead cohesive, consistent and strategic implementation of Koorie Education priorities and provide programmatic and cross portfolio oversight and expertise in their region supporting learners from 0 to 18 years.

The KEM supports contextually informed and evidence based practice to be embedded, and facilitates constructive relationships and collaborative networks through effective consultation, governance and in partnership with Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups and other community agencies, government departments and local communities to support improved student learning outcomes for all Koorie learners.

Koorie Education Coordinators

Koorie Education Coordinators (KECs) lead consistent area-based coordination and provision of support to early years services and schools from the regional Koorie Education Workforce through multi-disciplinary area teams. Early years’ service providers, schools, parents and community can obtain assistance with Koorie cultural inclusion, Koorie education guidance and support through their region by contacting the KEC with enquiries.

The KEC is able to arrange for a Koorie Engagement Support Officer (KESO) to work with early year’s services and schools providing guidance to enhance cultural inclusion practices, and to support the engagement, attendance and wellbeing of Koorie learners. KECs provide high level expertise to lead the implementation of education initiatives, Koorie specific programs and inclusive practices that privilege engagement with Koorie community and support parent/carer partnerships in education. Refer to: Contact details for KECs.

Koorie Engagement Support Officer

KESOs are area based professionals who are members of the local Aboriginal community with an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the histories. KESOs provide advice to schools about culturally inclusive learning environments, and the co-ordination of services to facilitate improved engagement of Koorie children and young people.

KESOs play an integral role to engage families, communities, education and service providers to facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners to participate fully in education. They support all learning settings to transition students and families across all learning stages where appropriate: into early years, primary, secondary and further education.

Other initiatives

Other initiatives to support the learning, development and educational outcomes of Koorie learners include:

• Catch Up funding
• Education Justice Initiative
• Team Around the Learner (TAL)
• School-wide positive behaviour support
• Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support Initiative (secondary specific additional teaching support)
• LOOKOUT Education Support Centres
• The Navigator Program may also be relevant for individual learners dependent upon their context

Related policies

• Aboriginal Employment
• Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Welcome to Country in Schools
• Child Safe Standards
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)
• Individual Education Plans
• Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support Initiative
• Student Engagement
• Student Resource Package – Overview
• Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives
• Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention – Small Group Learning
• Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education
• Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program

Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education

Throughout 2022, over 180 Campfire Conversations on Aboriginal self-determination in education were held across Victoria featuring more than 3,000 participants, bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and schools to listen, share and connect about the possibilities and opportunities for strengthening self-determination in education.

The purpose of the Campfire Conversations, storytelling and deep listening was to:

• build and strengthen partnerships between Koorie communities and schools
• provide schools with an opportunity to better understand how they can strengthen self-determination in everyday practice
• improve attendance, engagement and achievement for Koorie learners
• develop a range of changes to improve agency and success for Koorie people in schools.

Marrung and self-determination

Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 is the department’s 10-year Aboriginal Education Plan, which envisions that:

Victoria will be a state where the rich and thriving culture, knowledge and experience of our First Nations peoples are celebrated by all Victorians; where our universal service systems are inclusive, responsive and respectful of Koorie people at every stage of their learning and development journey; and where every Koorie person achieves their potential, succeeds in life, and feels strong in their cultural identity.

Aboriginal self-determination in education centres community voice in actions that progress the vision of Marrung expressed above. The vision not only strives for excellence for Koorie learners, but recognises the importance and benefit for all Victorians in celebrating and recognising Koorie communities and cultures.

The Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report

The Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report (PDF) (the Report), contains reform directions devised in response to the perspectives and advice of Aboriginal students, families, educators and broader community members from across Victoria. It is critical for schools to use the guiding questions in the report to reflect on their current practice before undertaking next steps, including the ‘What Can Schools Do Now?’ section.

Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual Framework provides a high-level summary of themes and feedback from the Campfire Conversations and maps how all the elements are interconnected and need to be considered holistically.

This Conceptual Framework animation provides an overview of what was learned through the Campfire Conversations and introduces the Conceptual Framework that was developed to illustrate the interconnected and interdependent nature of the Campfire Conversation findings and how they inform the ongoing work.

Actions for schools

Following on from the Campfire Conversations, schools are recommended to reflect on current practice and plan how to implement actions that strengthen self-determination and improve experiences and outcomes for Koorie learners.

Schools can better understand their role in strengthening self-determination by:

• reading the Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report to understand the experiences and conversations shared at the Campfire Conversations
• as a collective, engaging with the ‘What Can Schools Do Now’ reflection questions on page 88 of the report
• watching the Conceptual Framework video to see how it could inform school planning and practice.

Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program

The Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program (KLNP) provides Victorian government schools and special schools with funding to support Koorie students in Foundation to Year 6 who are performing significantly below their age-expected standard in literacy and/or numeracy. This is in recognition of the importance of early intervention in supporting students to build foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

There are multiple contacts for support with this program. Refer to the Contacts section below.

The KLNP has 2 components:

• Early Years KLNP (EY-KLNP) provides $1,700 for eligible Koorie students in Foundation to Year 3.
• Extended KLNP (E-KLNP) provides between $1,000 and $5,000 for eligible Koorie students in Years 4 to 6.

Schools receiving KLNP funding must:

• provide each eligible Koorie student across Foundation to Year 6 with a minimum of 32 hours of timetabled 1:1 and/or small group learning program in literacy and/or numeracy, across up to 2 terms, in accordance with the Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention – Small Group Learning policy. The programs must include a documented sequence of lessons designed to support the specific learning gaps of participating students
• measure attainment for each participating student using a standardised assessment tool at the commencement and the conclusion of the year. Students must be assessed for each of the programs in which they are participating (that is, literacy and/or numeracy)
• record information about which students are identified for 1:1 and/or small group learning support, as detailed under the ‘Program requirements’ section below
• ensure all funds allocated to a student are used for that student
• spend a minimum of 80% of student funding on structured 1:1 and/or small group learning
• not exceed 20% of student funding on assisting families of Koorie students to support their child with literacy and numeracy skills development in the home, or to support student attendance and engagement.

More details about these requirements are provided below.

Student eligibility and funding

Eligible students are identified by the Department of Education using centrally collected data.

Students must:

• be identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in CASES21
• be enrolled at a Victorian government school at the time of the February school census
• be performing significantly below their age-expected standard in literacy and/or numeracy
• satisfy the eligibility criteria outlined below.

Students in Foundation to Year 3 (EY-KLNP)

Funding is $1,700 per student.

Eligibility is determined using the following measures of literacy and/or numeracy.

Foundation

Results from the Foundation Literacy Assessment will be used to identify students who are performing significantly below their age-expected standard.

The Foundation Literacy Assessment is required to be administered at the beginning of Term 1, with results uploaded to the Insights Assessment Platform by Week 6, Term 1.

Year 1

Teacher judgment from Semester 2 of the previous year indicates that the student is performing at or below the 0.5 level of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 in Reading and Viewing and/or Number and Algebra.

Year 2

Teacher judgment from Semester 2 of the previous year indicates that the student is performing at or below the Foundation level of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 in Reading and Viewing and/or Number and Algebra.

Year 3

Classified as ‘Needs Additional Support’ (NAS) in the Reading and/or Numeracy domains of NAPLAN.

Students in special schools (EY-KLNP)

Students born between 1 January 2017 and 30 April 2021 (age-equivalent to Foundation to Year 3 cohort).

Funding is $1,700 per student.

Students in Years 4 to 6 (E-KLNP)

• Classified as ‘Needs Additional Support’ (NAS) in the Reading and/or Numeracy domains of NAPLAN:
  • Students classified as NAS in Year 3 are funded for Year 4.
  • Students classified as NAS in Year 5 are funded in Year 5 and Year 6.
• Students may receive funding for either or both NAPLAN domains (Reading and Numeracy).
• For the Numeracy domain, funding is determined by the Number and Algebra strand.
• Full funding is $2,500 per domain for Years 4 to 5 and $2,000 per domain for Year 6.
• If a student has no NAPLAN results for the current year, the previous year's NAPLAN results will be used. If not available, teacher judgment results will be used to determine eligibility and students will receive 50% funding for Reading and/or Numeracy.
• Students exempted/withdrawn from NAPLAN are not funded.
• Eligible students who receive Disability Inclusion Tier 3 student-level funding will receive 50% KLNP funding for Reading and/or Numeracy.

Communication with schools

Schools with eligible students will be notified of indicative, confirmed, and revised KLNP funding allocations through the Student Resource Package. Schools can view their list of eligible students via their School Performance Report on Panorama (staff login required).

Schools will be notified when the reports are available via the School Update. If the report is not there, no students have been identified for funding.

Once reports are available to schools, student eligibility is finalised.

Additional communication will be circulated via the School Update.

Managing student movement – school responsibilities

If an eligible student intends to transfer to another government school, the transferring school must transfer funds pro rata as required to the destination school. It is recommended that schools discuss this with their senior education improvement leader and inform the KLNP team of this change by emailing koorielitnum@education.vic.gov.au

Program requirements

1:1 and small group learning

Schools must provide each eligible student with a minimum of 32 hours of structured timetabled 1:1 and/or small group learning literacy and/or numeracy support per year, across up to 2 terms, with a documented sequence of lessons to address learning gaps of the identified students. Refer to the Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention – Small Group Learning policy for guidance.

In addition:

• it is recommended that 1:1 and/or small group learning interventions are further intensified beyond those outlined in the Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention – Small Group Learning policy to meet individual learning needs
• teachers delivering the 1:1 and/or small group learning support must be culturally sensitive to the diverse needs of Koorie students and their families
• schools may increase the frequency and/or length of each session, duration of the intervention, and/or lower group size
• schools may choose to form clusters to engage appropriately qualified personnel. Payment and travel arrangements in these circumstances may be negotiated between the schools and the relevant personnel.

Record information about identified students

For reporting purposes, schools must use the KLNP Literacy and Numeracy fields in CASES21 to identify students who are receiving KLNP support. Schools must select ‘Y’ for students receiving support in either or both fields by week 6 of the term in which support is provided and update the fields as necessary by week 6 of subsequent terms throughout the remainder of the year.

For support using CASES21 refer to Software and Administration Systems resources.

Measure student attainment twice per year

Schools must measure student attainment using a standardised assessment tool at the commencement and conclusion of the school year in which students participate in 1:1 and/or small group learning. Refer to the Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention – Small Group Learning policy for guidance on the standardised tools recommended for use in acquitting this requirement.

Report progress to parents/carers

Schools must notify the families of eligible KLNP students including the support their child will receive. A template letter is available at Information for families – template (DOCX).

It is recommended that schools:

• include information in the regular written reports to parents/carers about what additional learning support was delivered as part of KLNP and what progress was made
• invite teachers delivering KLNP to directly contribute to written reports by providing a short comment on:
  • a student’s participation and engagement
  • information on progress and achievement of learning goals set within the initiative.

For information on reporting requirements, refer to Reporting Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10.

Funds management

Schools must retain appropriate financial records relating to the administration of funding and acquit revenue and all expenditure for the EY-KLNP and the E-KLNP against CASES21 subprograms 9623 and 9624 respectively.

Schools with eligible students will be notified of indicative, confirmed and revised KLNP funding allocations by the Student Resource Package.

Cash quarterly payments will be made via the SRP.

Acceptable use of funds

A minimum of 80% of student funding must be spent on structured 1:1 and/or small group learning programs in literacy and/or numeracy.

Up to 20% of student funding can be used to assist families of Koorie students in supporting their child/children’s literacy and/or numeracy skills development in the home, or to support student attendance and engagement.

KLNP funding must not be used for:

• purchasing resources, or equipment, including digital devices
• employment of staff to reduce general class sizes
• camps, travel expenses, accommodation, clothing and excursions
• interventions that are not primarily focused on literacy and numeracy, such as developing wellbeing or self-esteem programs
• allied health or pastoral care programs.

Contacts

For queries related to KLNP in your school, contact your school’s senior education improvement leader (SEIL).

For advice and support with engaging students’ families, contact the respective Koorie Education Coordinator (KEC) for your area. Other regional staff based in area offices can also provide advice. To contact your regional office and connect with a KEC, refer to Contact details for the Department of Education.

For general queries about the KLNP, including student eligibility, contact: koorielitnum@education.vic.gov.au

Refer to Arc to find out more about the Foundation Literacy Assessment.

For queries about the Student Resource Package, contact the School Financial Management Support Unit at schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au

Feedback from schools

When planning support for Koorie students, funded schools are encouraged to reflect on the selected success factors below. These have been identified by schools previously funded through the Early Years Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program.

Expertise and knowledge

Success factor

'The importance of having an experienced teacher in this role cannot be underestimated.'

Key questions for schools

• Who will provide the additional support?
• Do personnel have the appropriate level of expertise and cultural understanding?

Support strategy

Success factor

'.. we value fluid groupings of students, where children move in and out of small groups depending upon their needs. The interventions that worked the best were therefore changing regularly.'

Key questions for schools

• Are approaches flexible and adaptable to changing student needs?
• What processes are in place to evaluate the impact on learning and adjust support accordingly?

Promoting inclusion

Success factor

'Some students do not want the additional attention. Programs that deliver a certain level of discretion … seem to work the best.'

Key questions for schools

• What is the student preference for support?
• Has the support model been discussed with the student and family?

Setting expectations

Success factor

'The learning intention and success criteria were clear to the students and were referred to for regular feedback.'

Key questions for schools

• Are expectations and learning intentions clear and appropriate?
• Are expectations and learning goals challenging?
• Are goals achievable?
• How is success measured?

Empowering students

Success factor

'Perhaps the most significant aspect … has been the development of relationships and the fostering of self-esteem. These have led to our children developing the feeling that they can achieve at school.'

Key questions for schools

• How is success celebrated?
• How are students supported to take risks?
• How is self-efficacy strengthened?

Resources

For educators

Practice notes

Koorie Cultural inclusion is a system-wide shared responsibility at all levels of our department. In early years settings and schools, it is an important part of deepening learners' knowledge and understanding of their world, their country, their community and identity.

The Koorie Cultural Inclusion Practice Notes Resource was developed to facilitate reflection on existing Koorie cultural inclusion practices within schools – what it looks like at a whole school and classroom level. This resource provides examples of ways in which educators can enhance their practice to cultivate a culturally supportive and responsive learning environment in which Australia's First Nations Peoples contributions are visible and celebrated. It includes a school-based case study, teacher tips and leadership guidance that expands on Professional Practice Note 19 published in the teaching and learning professional practice suite in July 2019.

Koorie Cultural Inclusion Consolidated Practice Notes

This professional practice note supports teachers and school leaders to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural inclusion, as an enabling foundation for learning in all Victorian Government schools.

Professional practice note 19: Koorie cultural inclusion

Other resources for educators

• Koorie teaching resources — Resources for teachers covering topics such as protocols for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and teaching Aboriginal languages.
• Arc contains various education materials, including Koorie English Online
• Careers and further education
• Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups (PDF)

Strengthening self-determination in education resources

• The Strengthening self-determination in education report (PDF)
• The Strengthening self-determination in education report (DOCX) (accessible version)
• Videos:
  • Reflections of Campfire Conversations on Vimeo
  • Conceptual Framework animation on Vimeo
  • Possum skin statements on Vimeo

Programs and reforms

• Early Years Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program
• Marrung education scholarships
• LOOKOUT education support centres
• Navigator Program

Further department support

• Student Resource Package (SRP) — Equity Funding (Student Based Funding)
• List of scholarships and financial support for Koorie young people