Moira Blair and Anuja SinghThe New Zealand Numeracy Development Project (NDP) was introduced to combat the disparity between high and low achieving students. It originated as a pilot project in 1999 as an extension and modification of the Australian ‘Count Me In Too’ project, and was implemented by the Ministry of Education in 2001. Whilst some improvements have been noted, there is evidence of continuing disparity between Maori and Pakeha student achievement, and underachievement of these students remains a concern. A vital component of NDP was that teachers were provided opportunities for professional development. A Ministry of Education Quality Teacher Research and Development (QTRD) program was introduced in 2007, supporting teachers in action research to raise student achievement. This presentation analyses the experiences of a group of teachers who undertook the QTRD course to develop more effective teaching practices to enhance the learning of low achieving Maori and Pasifika students. We provide complementary perspectives on our participation in the project, and the dual benefits of increased student achievement and ongoing professional learning for the teachers. We argue that quality, theory-based professional development and reflective practice are necessary to enhance the teaching and learning of disadvantaged students. In the Round Table we hope to stimulate discussion with Australian, New Zealand, and other international colleagues about: • The nature of successful professional development partnerships between teachers and university researchers; • Characteristics of effective numeracy education programs for disadvantaged students; • Challenges in working with teachers and students in low socio-economic or disadvantaged areas.