Foreword Paul Hughes -- Preface Robyn Jorgensen, Peter Sullivan and Peter Grootenboer -- Chapter 1: An Aboriginal perspective on education –Policy and practice Dale Kerwin and Harry van Issum -- Chapter 2: A systemic evidence-based strategy to improve Indigenous students’ numeracy and literacy Thelma Perso -- Chapter 3: Indigenous Education Workers: A special case of educational assistant Bob Funnell -- Chapter 4: Combating role discontinuity for principals of remote Indigenous schools Richard Niesche -- Chapter 5: Teacher s’ beliefs and practices in teaching mathematics in remote Aboriginal schools Robyn Jorgensen, Peter Grootenboer and Richard Niesche -- Chapter 6: Language for Learning in Indigenous Classrooms: Foundations for Literacy and Numeracy Rod Gardner and Ilana Mushin -- Chapter 7: Naming method: “This is it, maybe, but youshould talk to …” Lisa Lunney-Borden and Dave Wagner -- Chapter 8: A three-level intervention pedagogy to enhance the academic achievement of Indigenous students: Evidence from QuickSmart John Pegg and Lorraine Graham -- Chapter 9: Building confidence and fostering engagement in Aboriginal learners Peter Sullivan and Niek van Riel -- Chapter 10: Connecting children, community and curriculum Jennifer Rennie -- Chapter 11: Evaluating Indigenous science education programs: Applying the Ininiwi-kiskānītamowin Indigenous science education model to an informal education program Dawn Sutherland and Natalie Swayze -- Chapter 12: Using digital media to mediate learning in remote Aboriginal communities Robyn Jorgensen.

This book describes research undertaken by leading Australian researcher in Indigenous communities. While the chapters are Australian in their focus, the issues that are discussed are similar to those in other countries where there are indigenous people. In most cases, in Australia and internationally, Indigenous learners are not succeeding in school, thus making the transition into work and adulthood quite tenuous in terms of mainstream measures. The importance of being literate and numerate are critical in success in school and life in general, thus making this collection an important contribution to the international literature. The collection of works describes a wide range of projects where the focus has been on improving the literacy and numeracy outcomes for Indigenous students. The chapters take various approaches to improving these outcomes, and have very different foci. These foci include aspects of literacy, numeracy, curriculum  leadership, ICTs, whole school planning, policy, linguistics and Indigenous perspectives. Most of the chapters report on large scale projects that have used some innovation in their focus. The book draws together these projects so that a more connected sense of the complexities and diversity of approaches can be gleaned.