Indian nations at risk : an educational strategy for action : final report of the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force

80 Pages·1991·2.2 MB·English

by  United States. Indian Nations at Risk Task Force

At
Indian Nations Risk:
An Educational Strategy for Action
National Education Goals tor
American Indians and Alaska Natives
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publicschoolsthat.ser%'eAmericanIndiansandAlaskaNativesandtheircommun.t.es:
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communities.
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performanceoftheireducationalprograms.
Indian Nations At Risk:
An Educational Strategy for Action
Final Report of the
Indian Nations At Risk Task Force
U.S. Department of Education
October 1991
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive
in 2010
littp://www.arcliive.org/details/indiannationsatr1991 unit
''
Table of Contents
NationalEducationGoalsforAmericanIndians
andAlaskaNatives InsideCover
LetterofTransmittal '^
MembersoftheIndianNationsAtRiskTaskForce vu
^
IndianStudentBillofRights
FederalResponsibilit>'forNativeEducation xi
Foreword '^"'
PartI:WhytheNativePeoplesAreatRisk 1
NationsatRisk ^
Background
^
TheChangingContextforNativeEducation H"*
PartII:RecentProgressandProvenPractices
Twenty'YearsofProgress ^1
ResearchandGoodPractice 12
EarlyChildhoodEducationandParenting l"*
LanguageDevelopment !*
SchoolasaPlaceofLearning 15
QualityofTeachersandTeaching 15
ChallengingandCulturallyAppropriateCurriculum lo
Partnerships 1
SystemicChangeandEducationalLeadership 17
Accountability ^
PartIII.TaskForcePriorities,aStrategicFramework,
andRecommendations 1^
TaskForcePriorities 19
AStrategicFrameworkforImprovingSchools 22
RecommendationsforPartners 23
RecommendationsforParentsofNativeChildren 23
RecommendationsforSchoolOfficialsandEducators 24
RecommendationsforTribalGovernmentsandNativeCommunities 25
RecommendationsforLocalGovernmentsandSchools 26
RecommendationsforStateGovernments 26
RecommendationsfortheFederalGovernment 27
RecommendationsforCollegesandUniversities 30
21
Conclusion -^
Notes 35
CommissionedPapersoftheIndianNationsAtRiskTaskForce 37
Bibliography -^-^
Appendix 5
October1991
DearMr. Secretary:
The Indian Nations At Risk Task Force submits this report, Indian
NatiotisAtRisk: AnEducationalStrategyforActioji,aspartofanational
efforttoimprovethequalit)'ofeducationforAmerica'sstudents.^\]though
theTaskForce'seffortpredatesAMERICA2000,itscallforthecomprehen-
sive transformation of Native education parallels the strategies you
proposefortheentirenation.
TheTaskForceisconvincedthatthisreport,specificallyaddressingthe
educational needs of Native America (American Indians and Alaska
Natives), will lead to significant improvement in the academic perfor-
manceofNativestudentsiffullyimplemented.
TheTaskForce identified fourimportant reasons the Indian Nations
areatriskasapeople: 0)Schoolsha\'efailedtoeducatelargenumbers
ofIndianstudentsandadults; (2)Thelanguageandculturalbaseofthe
AmericanNativearerapidlyeroding;(3)Thediminishedlandsandnatural
resources of the American Native are constantly under siege; and (4)
Indian self-determination and governance rights are challenged by the
changingpoliciesoftheadministration,Congress,andthejusticesystem.
The Task Force belie\-es that a well-educated American Indian and
AlaskaNativecitizenryandarenewalofthelanguageandcultural base
oftheAmericanNativecommunitywillstrengthenself-determinationand
economicwell-beingandwill—allowtheNativecommunitytocontribute
to buildinga strongernation anAmerica that can competewith other
nationsandcontributetotheworld'seconomiesandcultures.
Thisreportincludesthemajoreducationalfindingsreportedinthe
Nativetestiniony,recommendsfivemajorresearch-basedstrategiesfor
addressing educational needs, and presents a comprehensive set of
recommendationsthatareresponsivetothecomplexitiesofimproving
schoolsandschooling.
Thisreportrecommendsabroad-basedinitiati\etoimpro\ethequalit)"
ofeducationforAmericanNatives.Itisamodelofwhatcanbedonefor
theentire nation. Basictothisstrategyistheneedtojoin in partnership
withparents,schoolofficials,triballeaders,andpolicymakers.Eachofus
hasacriticalrole.TheTaskForcecallsonyoutoexerciseyourleadership
asSecretaryofEducationtoguidethisinitiative.
TheTaskForceurgesyou toimplementthose recommendationsthat
you have the authority to adopt, to recommend to the United States
Congressspecificlegislationforthoserecommendationsthatwillrequire
additionalauthority,andtoproposebudgetincreasesforseveralpriority
areas. We particularly recommend support for new early childhood
education and parent training programs, support forteachereducation
and other professional training for larger numbers ofAmerican Indian
students and adults, support for Indian community colleges, and the
developmentofnewandexemplaryeducationprojectsdesignedtocarry
outschool improvement recommendations to meetthe unique cultural
andacademicneedsofNativestudents.
The issues facing Native communities and Native education in the
United StatesaresimilartoissuesfacingNativepopulationsworldwide.
Ineffectivelyrespondingtotheseissues,wecanoffermodelsolutionstoa
worldthatisbecomingincreasinglyculturallydiverseyetinterdependent.
TheIndianNationsAtRiskTaskForcewouldliketothankyouforyour
support, tocommendtheforesightofyourpredecessorin initiatingthis
work, andtoacknowledgetheexcellentstaffassignedtoworkwiththe
TaskForceinthepreparationofthisreport.
We believe that the report accurately presents the current status of
AmericanNativeeducation,capturestheessenceofthemeasuresthatthe
researchers and the Native community have identified as necessary to
improveschools,andmakessoundrecommendations.Wewelcomethe
opportunity to work with you as you move forward with the
recommendations.
Respectfully,
WilliamG.Demmert,Jr. TerrelH.Bell
Cochairman Cochairman

Members of the
Indian Nations At Risk Task Force
Cochairmen:
- WilUamDemmert,Jr.(Tlingit/Sioux),VisitingProfessorofEducationatStanford
UniversityandformerAlaskaCommissionerofEducation(1987-90)
- TerrelH.Bell,formerUnitedStatesSecretaryofEducation
Members:
- DavidL.BeauUeu(Chippewa),MinnesotaDepartmentofEducation'sIndianEduca-
tionManager
- Joseph H. Ely (Paiute), Stetson Engineers, Inc., and former Pyramid Lake Paiute
TribalChairman
- ByronF.FuUerton,attorneyandformerDean,TexasTechUniversitySchoolofLaw
- Norbert S. Hill,Jr. (Oneida), Executive Director, American Indian Science and
EngineeringSociety
- HayesA.Lewis(Zuni),Superintendent,ZuniPublicSchoolDistrict
- BobG.Martin(Cherokee),President,HaskellIndianJuniorCollege
- Janine Pease-Windy Boy (Crow), President, Little Big Horn College and Indian
EducatoroftheYearfor1990-91
- WilmaRobinson(Creek),DirectorofTribalDevelopmentfortheChoctawNation
ofOklahoma
- IvanL.Sidney(Hopi),AssistanttotheExecutiveVicePresidentofNorthernArizona
UniversityandformerHopiTribalChairman
- Robert Swan(Chippewa-Cree),FederalProjectsCoordinatorforRockyBoySchools
J.
andpastPresidentfortheNationalIndianEducationAssociation
- EddieL.Tullls(Creek),TribalChairmanofthePoarchBandofCreekIndiansand
ChairmanoftheNationalAdvisoryCouncilonIndianEducation
- L.LamarWhite(Creek),ProgramDirectorforInstructionalTechnology,Okaloosa
County,Florida,andDirector,FloridaInstructionalTechnologyCenter
TaskForce Stafffrom U.S. DepartmentofEducation:
- AlanGinsburg,ExecutiveDirector
- G.MikeCharleston(Choctaw),ProjectDirector
- GayeLeiaKing(Creek/Seminole),DeputyDirector
- NancyLoy,ProgramAnalyst
- ManuelSmith,AdministrativeOfficer
- MargieLewis,Secretary
Vll