This document summarizes a study by the OECD on promising practices for supporting Indigenous students. The study was initiated by Alberta Education and involved Canada, New Zealand, and Queensland, Australia from 2016-2017. The objectives were to identify strategies that support improved learning outcomes for Indigenous students. Key findings include: some jurisdictions have reduced achievement gaps in early childhood education and graduation rates; progress requires long-term commitment and adjusting efforts; Indigenous students want to learn about their cultures and have supportive teachers; and common elements of success include building community relationships, setting targets, and supporting teachers.

1. PROMISING PRACTICES IN
SUPPORTING SUCCESS FOR
INDIGENOUS STUDENTS
October 2017
OECD Study undertaken with Canada,
New Zealand and Queensland (Australia)
from February 2016 to August 2017

2. SUMMARY
Origins of the study
Objectives
Conceptual frame
Key findings

3. Origins of the study
Initiated by Alberta Education following the International
Summit on the Teaching Profession in Canada in 2015
Collaboration between 6 Canadian provinces and territories (Alberta,
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and the
Yukon) and the OECD to shape and implement the study
New Zealand and Queensland, Australia also participated, as a
further means of cross-jurisdictional peer learning
Commitment of each participant to improve educational
outcomes for Indigenous students.

4. Objectives of the study
Build an empirical
evidence base on how
best to support
Indigenous students’
success
Identify promising
strategies, policies,
programmes and
practices that support
improved learning
outcomes amongst
Indigenous students.
Assist provinces and
territories to learn
from each other to
achieve accelerated,
sustained progress

5. Conceptual frame
Student
well-being
Participation
Engagement
Achievement
• An holistic approach on the well-being, participation,
engagement and achievement in education of Indigenous
students
• These outcomes are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.

6. Four inter-related outcomes
Student well-being
A critical and desirable outcome,
fundamental to students’ ability
to participate, engage with and
succeed in education
Engagement
A necessary precondition for
student learning
Achievement
Required set of skills to realise
ambitions and participate fully in
society.
Participation
Students’ access to education
and their opportunities to learn

7. Defining success
• Success can be defined in many ways
For example, in New Zealand, Sir Mason Durie
defined it:
“… where (Māori) can participate fully, as Māori, in te
ao Māori (the Māori world) and te ao whänaui (wider
society)”.
(New Zealand Treasury Guest Lecture Series, Wellington, 2006)

8. Approach and methodology
Quantitative and qualitative
Information from participating
jurisdictions:
• Data on student well-being,
participation, engagement and
achievement
• Evaluations and other research
• Strategies, policies and
programmes.
Literature review, analysing
international evidence.
Field visits in each participating
Canadian province and territory to
meet with:
• Indigenous students and parents
• Indigenous teachers and Support
Workers
• Elders
• School leaders
• Teachers
• Other education stakeholders.

9. A clear will to improve, evidenced by a range of
new initiatives and programmes being put in place
Key findings
Many examples of promising practices
And common threads in how these improvements
and successes have been achieved.

10. Many efforts to address disparities have not
succeeded.
The challenges are complex
Legacy of colonisation processes,
including residential schools
The impacts are deep and longstanding,
including intergenerational poverty and trauma

11. Much activity is occurring to
positively engage Indigenous
students in education
The findings show improvements yet
much still to do
Indigenous students are more
positive about education than
their parents
Progress is visible in some
areas, such as senior school
retention and qualifications
But improvements in
achievement overall are not yet
widespread.
Limitations in the
available data restrain
jurisdictions’ abilities to
monitor progress over time

12. • New Zealand reduced the gap in ECEC participation.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Differenceofparticipationratein
percentagepoint
Difference between Indigenous and total participation rates in ECEC
Difference between
Indigenous and the total
children participation rate
in ECEC
Some system-wide improvements have
been achieved

13. Some system-wide improvements have
been achieved
• Graduation rates of Indigenous students in Canada, Queensland and
New Zealand increased over the last decade.

14. But improvement takes time
• Progress can be achieved but can take time.

15. Indigenous students were clear on what
they want from education
• Indigenous students told us they want:
To learn about their cultures, languages and histories
To have teachers who care about them and expect them to
succeed
To feel safe and included at school.

16. The study found common elements in
how improvements were achieved
Building relationships with
Indigenous communities,
based on respect and trust Setting deliberate,
measureable targets, and
reporting on theseTaking multiple actions at
both a system-level and local
level, changing expectations
and capability
Ensuring the experiences of
individual students are
enhanced
Persisting and adjusting
efforts over a significant
period of time.
Pursuing sufficient effort to
make a difference

17. And some actions have greater impact
than others

18. Key priorities at a system level
• Key priorities at a system level to improve
education for Indigenous students are:
EARLY LEARNING
SUPPORTING
TEACHERS AND
LEADERS
MONITORING
PROGRESS

19. What does the study show
• Indigenous children are more likely to:
o Not participate in ECEC
o Have a later start in school than other students
Why early learning matters
• Ensure the development of oral language, emotional regulation, and other skills
critical for early well-being and ongoing development
Pathways for improvement
• Access for every child to high-quality, tailored and culturally responsive early
childhood education and care.
At a system level – Early learning
“Starting behind means staying behind.” (Researcher, Manitoba)

20. At a system level – Early learning
Example of good practice in New Zealand: Early Learning
Taskforce
• The aim was to increase participation rates of Māori and children of
Pacific Island descent
• Using a data-focused methodology, setting regional targets
• Key strands:
o Partnering with Māori and Pasifika communities to understand and
co-construct solutions
o Seeking support from the broad community
o Working with other government agencies
o Working with schools in low socio-economic areas to identify and
reach children who are not participating in ECEC.

21. Provision of early learning
Example of good practice in North Winnipeg (Manitoba)
• The study found a highly successful ECEC programme tailored for
Indigenous children and their families.
4.5
16.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Control Programme
Averagepercentagepointchangein
langagedevelopmentscoreby
evaluationgroupstatus
Evaluation Group
Average percentage point change in Language development
scores

22. Provision of early learning
Example of good practice in North Winnipeg (Manitoba) –
Further details on the programme
• Based in the community the children live
• Enriched, individualised caregiving
• Engagement with families, through home visits and involvement of
parents in the centre
• Recruitment and training of local staff
• An holistic approach, linked to other supports and services for
families
• Managed transition to the local elementary school.

23. What does the study show
• Principals can make all the difference – or not
• Teachers need support to develop their understanding and skills
Why support for teachers and leaders matters
• For Indigenous students’ experiences to change, the practices of teaching and
learning also need to change
• The package of responses needed at an individual school level vary, so school leaders
need to be “awake at the wheel”
Pathways for improvement
• Specify expectations for teachers and school leaders
• Provide tailored professional development
• Support schools to work together to improve student outcomes.
At a system level – Supporting teachers
and leaders

24. • “It’s our responsibility to find the
resources we need … these are
children, who want to learn.”
(School principal, New Brunswick)
At a system level – Supporting teachers
and leaders

25. At a system level – Supporting teachers
and leaders
Example of good practice in Northwest Territories with a
programme for new teachers
• A three day programme to:
o Improve new teachers’ knowledge and appreciation of the local
community’s historical, cultural and social context
o Teach Indigenous curriculum content
o Better understand the history and legacy of residential schools.

26. At a system level – Supporting teachers
and leaders
Example of good practice in New Zealand: Learning and Change
Networks
• Schools voluntarily work together to boost student achievement in
particular learning areas, through:
o Teachers’ working together to better understand the
achievement patterns at their school and at partner schools, for
different groups of students
o Classroom observations by teachers within and across schools
o Students providing their views on the teaching and learning at
their school
o Persistence in achieving mutual goals over a number of years.

27. At a system level – Monitoring progress
What does the study show
• Limited disaggregated data and monitoring
Why monitoring progress matters
• Helps to understand trends
• Indicates when adjustments are needed to policies and other initiatives
Pathways for improvement
• An example of such a mechanism is the annual Closing the Gap report
produced by the Australian Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Another illustration is the New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey,
conducted every three years.

28. And some actions have a greater impact
at a school level

29. Key priorities at a school level
• Key priorities at a school level to improve
education for Indigenous students are :
QUALITY AND
EFFECTIVENESS
OF TEACHING
ENGAGING
FAMILIES
DIRECT
SUPPORT FOR
STUDENTS

30. At a school level – Quality and
effectiveness of teaching
What does the study show
• Quality and effectiveness of teaching are crucial for students’ success
• Teaching is more effective when cultural and linguistic differences are taken into
account
Why quality and effectiveness matters
• Quality and effectiveness of teaching impact students’ learning
• Teachers’ attitudes and expectations can also impact students in their confidence and
competence
Pathways for improvement
• Teaching can be enhanced through the deliberate selection of:
o learning activities
o curriculum content
o assessment mechanisms.
“It’s our responsibility to find the resources we need … these are
children, who want to learn.” (School principal, New Brunswick)

31. At a school level – Quality and
effectiveness of teaching
Example of good practice in Nova Scotia: Show Me
Your Math
• Students explore mathematics in their own community and cultural
practices
• Through exploring aspects of counting, measuring, locating,
designing, playing and explaining, students discover that
mathematics is all around them
• Every year, students gather for an annual mathematics fair to share
and celebrate the work they have done.

32. At a school level – Engaging families
What does the study show
• Indigenous families can be wary of engaging with schools, given past
experiences
Why engaging families matters
• Schools working alongside parents as partners achieve gains in student
well-being, participation, engagement and achievement
Pathways for improvement
• Engage Indigenous families in their children’s education, through:
o Involving parents on education goals for their children
o Supporting parents to play a very active role in their child’s learning.

33. At a school level – Engaging families
Example of good practice in a school in New Brunswick:
Engaging families in their children’s school transition
• Each child’s transition to school is carefully managed
• Staff meet parents before children start school to learn about their
child’s interests, development and needs
• Children and their parents:
o Visit the school before the year starts
o Participate in a welcome ceremony at the start of the school year.

34. At a school level – Engaging families
Example of good practice in Queensland: Families as First
Teachers programme
• The programme aims to:
o Build the capacity and leadership of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander staff implementing the programme
o Strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership and build
the capacity of parents/carers in early learning
o Create resources for home use
o Provide opportunities for parents to meet with and support one another
o Manage transitions from home to formal education settings
o Embed culture and language in early learning
o Build children’s early literacy and numeracy skills.

35. At a school level – Direct support for
students
What does the study show
• Many ways to provide direct support to individual students
Why direct support for students matters
• Providing customized and effective supports to students can:
o Effectively address barriers faced by Indigenous students
o Identify opportunities to increase their engagement and success in
education
Pathways for improvement
• A model that works well for schools with a number of Indigenous students is
appointing Indigenous Support Workers. Such staff can contribute to:
o Ensuring regular student attendance
o Supporting teachers in building sound relationships with Indigenous
students and their parents
o Initiating new curriculum resources
o Leading professional development for teachers.

36. A common formula for improvement at a
individual school level
An inspirational leader
Strong relationships with students, parents and local
communities
Capable and committed staff
The use of every possible lever to engage and support
students to be successful
Sustained commitment to achieve improvements.

37. • To get further information on the study and new work on
education outcomes of Indigenous students, please contact
Rowena Phair (rowena.phair@oecd.org)
• To consult the report, Promising Practices in Supporting
Success for Indigenous Students.
To get further information