Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy

Introductions

The Academy’s program incorporates three distinct but related learning domains:

• Class: dedicated to teaching mainstream curriculum in English literacy and numeracy;

• Club: enriching extracurricular artistic, musical and sport programs;

• Culture: comprehensive Indigenous culture and language programs.

• Community: involvement in education, attendance, school readiness, parental participation and responsibilities, child health

and well being. A major innovation of the Academy is the implementation of Direct Instruction, an evidence-based, explicit

instruction method proven to be highly effective in the teaching of literacy and numeracy to mainstream and disadvantaged

children in Australia and internationally.

Starting Point When CYAAA launched in Coen and Aurukun across the two campuses 178 students were at a kindergarten or pre-kindergarten reading level. At the beginning of 2011 in Hope Vale 79 students were also at this level. Of the upper grades (4–7) in Hope Vale, students all placed into remedial reading and mathematics programs.

Most children did not have regular access to high quality sporting, music or cultural activities.

Literacy and Numeracy Progress – Internal Monitoring

Across the three campuses there has been significant progress made in literacy and numeracy achievements using Direct Instruction. The table below shows the figures of students achieving their grade level across the three campuses at the end of semester two, 2011.

A number of classes have completed remedial reading programs at mastery and are accelerating through Direct Instruction grade level programs, some at the rate of 1.5-2.0 years in 1 year.

Key Results Briefing June 2012

Campus Total Enrolled (Approx)

Students at or above grade level literacy

Jan 2010

Students at or above grade level literacy

June 2012

Students at or above grade level numeracy

Jan 2010

Students at or above grade level numeracy

June 2012

Aurukun 194 0 30 0 60

Coen 54 1 22 2 25

Hope Vale 121 1 25 3 53

Literacy and Numeracy Progress – external benchmarking using DIBELS

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) measures are a brief, standardised way to assess students’ progress toward developing the skills necessary becoming proficient readers. The measures are sensitive enough to capture improvements across small increments of time. Effect sizes provide a metric for interpreting the magnitude of effects and can convey whether results have had a real, important impact on children’s learning. An effect size is the standardised mean difference between achievement measured at one point in time and achievement measured at a later time. Auckland University, Professor John Hattie conducted a meta analysis of influences of student achievement in his study entitled Visible Learning. Based on Professor John Hattie’s research, in a typical year the average teacher produces an effect size of between +0.15 and +0.40. Effect sizes greater than +0.40 would indicate that instruction resulted in meaningful improvement in student learning, an impact that is greater than what would have been expected from the average teacher in one year’s time. Educational interventions that produce effect sizes exceeding the +0.40 mark are those associated with effective approaches to instruction and accelerated student growth rates. The average individual effect sizes for progress on reading fluency and reading accuracy measures made by students from mid-2010 to mid-2011 in Aurukun and Coen are displayed in the table below. On fluency measures, students in Coen and Aurukun made individual yearly gains that approximated + 0.50, an effect size surpassing the +0.40 threshold and indicating real, important progress in acquiring fluency skills. The average individual effect size for students on accuracy measures was in the +0.84 to +0.87 range, a mean gain analogous to over twice the progress that would be expected in a year’s time in the typical classroom.

Average individual effect sizes for student progress from mid-2010 to mid-2011

Aurukun (n=54) Coen (n=17)

DORF Fluency +0.49 +0.50

DORF Accuracy +0.87 +0.84

NB: Because it was necessary to only include students with scores at both assessment periods, the number of students in which an individual effect size could

be calculated only represents a subsample of all CYAAA students, slightly more than 50% of the population in Coen and slightly less than 50% in Aurukun.

Aurukun test results show impressive achievement gains

Literacy and Numeracy Progress - NAPLAN

Department of Education and Training Teaching and Learning Reviews

“The evidence to date indicates that there have been clear improvements in student learning, engagement and behaviour in the CYAAA campuses during 2010. While it is still too early in the trial to undertake any definitive analysis, externally benchmarked reading tests administered in the schools demonstrate early patterns of improvement across several cohorts. Parents and community members in both school communities are very supportive of the CYAAA initiative.”

— Educa on Queensland report to inves gate the expansion of the Academy to Hope Vale, November 2010

2010 National Assessment Program Literacy And Numeracy tests were conducted only 8 weeks into the CYAAA program and thus provide benchmark data only.

In Coen, average scores improved in 12 out of the 15 categories since 2010. All of our year 3 students met national miniumum benchmarks in every NAPLAN category. In Aurukun, average scores improved in 8 out of 15 categories since 2010. On average, one quarter of our Year 3 students met national minimum benchmarks.

While this preliminary analysis shows some improvements in NAPLAN results CYAAA does not expect significant gains in NAPLAN results until 2013-2014, giving children, especially older children, at least three full years to catch up to grade level.

CYAAA received outstanding results in its first Teaching and Learning Audit conducted by the Queensland Department of Education and Training. Very few other indigenous or mainstream schools in the state received any ‘Outstanding’ ratings.

Teaching and Learning Audit - 2011

School Improvement Data Learning Targeted Teaching Curriculum Differentiated Effective Agenda Analysis Culture Resources Team Delivery Learning Teaching

Caningeraba State School Medium Medium High Medium Low High Medium Medium

Cannon Hill State School High High High Medium High High High High

Cannonvale State School High High High Medium Medium Medium Medium High

Canungra State School High High High High Medium Medium Medium High

Capalaba State High School High High High High Medium High Medium Medium

Cape York Aboriginal High Outstanding Medium Medium High Outstanding Medium HighAustralian Academy (CYAAA)

Students attend enriching extracurricular artistic, musical and high quality sports programs on a regular basis. Over 120 hours of cultural education has been custom designed and delivered in CYAAA campuses during 2011. There is over 95% enrolment in the non-compulsory Club and Culture programs and the Culture program has increased local employment and engagement in children's education.

Club Results Club Component Events and Partnerships

• Partnerships established with PCYC, AFL Cape York, Athletics Australia, Hockey Queensland, Cricket Queensland, Queensland Rugby League and Tennis Australia across all 3 campuses

• Students from each campus selected to play in the regional AFL Crusader Cup

• Four students from each campus selected to attend Tennis Queensland training camp in Cairns

• Over 30 visits from partnering organisations and their expert coaches across all campuses during Term 1-3, 2012

Sport Athletics, / swimming, hockey, tennis, AFL Auskick and personal health

• 3 specialist music teachers employed (one per campus) • Partnership established with Gondwana National Indigenous

Children’s Choir, with 4 Hope Vale students selected to perform at the Cairns Singfest

• Partnership established with the Queensland Music Festival. Music teachers from each campus attended QMF training in Cairns. John Morrison visited each campus to run workshops with students and help form stage bands

Music Classroom and instrumental music incorporating rhythms, reading music and performance using the Kodaly method

Culture Results Club Component Events and Partnerships

• 55 hours of detailed lessons were designed and delivered in Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale campuses during Term 1

Identity & History Epic Timeline created on stretch canvas, Identifying significant people and events

• 60 hours of detailed lessons were designed and delivered in each of the Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale campuses during Term 3

• Coen Culture Camp on homelands held 12th – 14th September in partnership with local community organisation (Lama Lama Rangers)

• Hope Vale Culture Camp on homelands held 18th – 20th September in partnership with Yuku – Baja – Muliku Rangers

• Culture Program commenced in Mossman Gorge in week 10

• 55 hours of detailed lessons were designed and delivered in each of the campuses during Term 2

• Over 150 parents attended the students Art Exhibitions in Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale campuses

• Partnership established with UMI Arts Big Sister Big Brother Exhibition-Ready program and Hope Vale Arts and Cultural Centre

• 40 hours of detailed lessons designed and delivered in each of the Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale campuses in Term 4, 2012

• Over 1000 parents attended the performance and Academy Awards held in Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale campuses in 2011.

• Currently planning 2012 End of Year events • Aurukun Culture Camp held at Amban from 17th -19th October

Material & Art Exhibition showcasing artefact and traditional artwork and events

Homeland Studies Annotated map highlighting cultural and environmental features.

Performance & Events Event showcasing performances from own and other cultural groups

“Since 2007, significant improvements have been achieved in student attendance at the Aurukun Campus of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy, with the 2011 Semester 1 student attendance rate rising to 73.5 per cent up from 43.7 per cent in 2007.” (DET Statement)

Term 1, 2011 attendance at Hope Vale was nearly 90%, a significant increase since the Term 4, 2005 attendance rate of less than 60% (before the introduction of Cape York Welfare Reform)

Student Case Management Results

Attendance and School Readiness Case Management• In Term 1, 2011 the attendance at Aurukun and Hope Vale campuses were the highest they have been since before 2002 at 73.5% and 89.9% respectively. Coen regularly achieves over 93% attendance

Health and Wellbeing Case Management• Food Clubs provide students with healthy, nutritional meals throughout the school day (breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea)• A school nurse partnership has been established with Queensland Health• A health solution was implemented in Aurukun July 2011, with a school nurse delivering health checks and health education to children and parents. The Academy health program will be expanded to other CYAAA campuses.

Parent Participation - Student Education Trusts• SETS contributions total over $783,000 with 676 trusts established. This is all money contributed by parents/carers that can only be used on their children’s education.

The full service approach ensures that children are at school but also, those things that determine their capacity to engage in education – their health, nutrition, wellbeing and material needs – are systematically addressed so that no one child is allowed to ‘fall through the cracks’