ATAS appears to be the major strength of the program. The lack of common and agreed performance reporting system made it impossible to substantiate anecdotal records that indicated that student attendance rates improved on days when homework centres were open and to measure the extent to which tutoring has improved students. knowledge and skills. Many comments received in response to the IEDA Review Discussion Paper No. 3 considered that ATAS (tuition) was most effective when the quality of tutoring was high.
The Review concluded that ASSPA and VEGAS are more successful when conducted in communities with relatively large Indigenous populations and when they are coordinated with other relevant programs and projects in the local area. ASSPA has focussed on processes and access, with limited emphasis on influencing the Indigenous students. educational outcomes. Reforms to IEDA should place greater emphasis on development of a single cohesive program, with a single program aim. On balance, the Review concluded both these components of IEDA should be reformed to achieve greater impact on students learning outcomes.
What has worked?
IEDA has been successful in increasing the level of involvement of Indigenous parents in school communities through ASSPA, tutorial assistance and homework centre management committees.
IEDA has given Indigenous parents and caregivers an opportunity to be part of the delivery of the IEDA supplementary assistance.
IEDA has increased access to supplementary or complementary education services by providing access to tuition, homework centres, information about education services, opportunities to explore education services where no local ones exist, access to alternative education for at-risk students and tutorial assistance to Indigenous prisoners (a very small part of the program).
There is some qualitative data to demonstrate IEDA has contributed to increased student participation in compulsory and post-compulsory education, training and employment.
There is evidence to suggest IEDA has improved student learning outcomes, especially as a result of in-school tuition and this evidence is mostly from evaluations of New South Wales and Northern Territory tuition programs.
What hasn't worked?
There is no evidence to demonstrate that ASSPA has had any major impact on educational decision-making or school education policy (limited examples of very active and positive involvement in decision-making were found in some IEDA ATAS trial and case study sites).
A minority of schools have been successful in improving the participation of Indigenous parents in school life, but most anecdotal records suggest it is extremely difficult to get parents involved in the manner which is expected (i.e. to influence school decision-making) by the ASSPA sub- program.
Evidence suggests there is little and sometimes no connection between school-based plans and ASSPA activity plans.
The focus of some elements of IEDA seems to be primarily participation, rather than educational outcomes.
The lack of a common performance reporting framework has impeded the Department's capacity to strategically target IEDA.
IEDA elements are largely implemented in isolation from other relevant Indigenous and mainstream programs. This is not always a major problem, but the impact of some interventions could be substantially strengthened through better coordination and collaboration.