Growing an Indigenous professional workforce: the national ...

Growing an Indigenous professional workforce: the national agenda for change Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance National Conference 10 November 2014 Professor Ian Anderson Co-Chair Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council ATSIHEAC policy development framework 1.

2. 3. 4. 5. Broadening access across the disciplines Whole of University Strategy Academic Workforce Sustainable financing System level performance monitoring Broadening participation across the disciplines 11% of Indigenous people are employed in professional occupations, compared to 20% of non-Indigenous people

Most common occupation group for employed people: For Indigenous people - Labourer (24%) For non-Indigenous people - Professional (20%) Drawn from Census data 2006 and 2011 Indigenous enrolments in STEM disciplines Field of education Indigenous enrolments 2013 Growth since

2005 Proportion of total enrolments in this field Parity target Natural & Physical Sciences 719 116% 0.67% 2,896

Information Technology 197 49% 0.38% 1,411 Engineering & Related Technologies 362 160%

0.37% 2,641 Mathematical Sciences 24 300% 0.55% 119 Indigenous completions in STEM disciplines Field of education

Indigenous completions 2013 Growth since 2005 Proportion of total completions in this field Parity target Natural & Physical Sciences 85

70% 0.39% 593 Information Technology 22 144% 0.19% 314 Engineering & Related

Technologies 35 84% 0.19% 494 Mathematical Sciences <5 50% 0.32%

25 Student performance on standardised tests Standardised tests: PISA, TIMMS, PIRLS, NAPLAN Indigenous students achieve well below non-Indigenous (by between 1.5 and 1.0 standard deviations) Little change in the gap over time Differences evident in Year 3 & remain until Year 9 or age 15 Source: Thomson, S. et al 2014, Indigenous Student Performance on Standardised Tests, (draft report to ATSIHEAC) PISA 2012 science literacy proficiency Source: Thomson, S. et al 2014, Indigenous Student Performance on Standardised Tests, (draft

report to ATSIHEAC) PISA 2012 mathematical literacy proficiency Source: Thomson, S. et al 2014, Indigenous Student Performance on Standardised Tests, (draft report to ATSIHEAC) NAPLAN Numeracy proficiency 2008 - 2013 No change in % of Indigenous students at or above national minimum standard in Years 3, 5 & 7, decrease in Year 9 Some positive change in mean scores for all students in Years 3 & 5 in jurisdictions with higher proportion Indigenous students, but not significant for Indigenous students. Indigenous students made gains from Year 3 to Year 7 & from Year 5 to Year 9 similar to non-Indigenous students. Source: Thomson, S. et al 2014, Indigenous Student Performance on Standardised Tests, (draft

report to ATSIHEAC) TIMSS mathematics proficiency 1995 to 2011 Year 4 Over 50% of Indigenous students didnt reach Intermediate benchmark 28% of Indigenous students didnt reach Low benchmark Year 8 1% of Indigenous students achieved Advanced benchmark 9% of non-Indigenous students achieved Advanced benchmark 32% of Indigenous students didnt reach Low benchmark 9% of non-Indigenous students didnt reach Low benchmark

Source: Thomson, S. et al 2014, Indigenous Student Performance on Standardised Tests, (draft report to ATSIHEAC) No change in Indigenous student performance 1995 to The national challenge The gap in STEM proficiency & participation persists over time Better school retention & general performance are not sufficient to effect real change on their own A national approach to Indigenous STEM is required A national Indigenous STEM agenda ATSIHEAC STEM Roundtable:

Collaborate with Deans of STEM Leverage the national policy agenda Chief Scientists push for a sensible debate on the future Incremental change is not sufficient for Indigenous Australia Building a national approach to Indigenous STEM Thank you