From the National Congress of
American Indians
INDIAN
NATIONS AND
THE 2009
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
INDIAN
EDUCATION
POLICY
STATEMENT
-- PRESIDENTIAL
TRANSITION
2009
American Indian and Alaska
Native students are being left behind. The 2007 National Indian Education
Study33
indicated that in
reading and math, American Indian and Alaska Native students scored
significantly lower than their peers in both forth and eighth grades. In fact,
Native students were the only students to show no significant progress in either
subject since 2005. Our students also face some of the highest dropout rates in
the country34. These trends need to be reversed.
Recent studies have shown
that students are more likely to thrive in environments that support their
cultural identities35. This can be accomplished by Tribes and tribal
education departments having a greater role in administering the education of
their children. In turn, these children will be better prepared to become
active, engaged tribal citizens.
In order to ensure that
Native students meet the same challenging academic standards as the majority
population, it is imperative that the next Administration make education a
priority. To that end, NCAI recommends the following:
1. Accomplish the intent of the charter of the Office
of Indian Education in the Department of Education by reinstating the Director
to Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of Indian Education in the
Office of the Deputy Secretary.
2. Accomplish the intent of the charter of the Office
of Indian Education in the Department of Education by re-establishing the
Director to Assistant Secretary and elevating the office out of the Office of
Elementary and Secondary Education to be a stand alone.
3. Establishment of an Indian Education Budget Task
Force that would consist of representatives of the Department of Education and
Department of the Interior as well as tribal experts.
4. Issue an Executive Order on Indian Education that
promotes the use of Native language instruction and culture based education in
public and federally funded schools.
5. Call for a White House conference on Native youth
issues and support a Native Children’s Agenda – elevating the current status and
situation facing Native youth to a national priority.
6. Actively utilize the National
Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) to promote policies on Indian
Education within the Department of Education.
7. Reauthorize the No Child Left
Behind Act and reaffirm the original intent of the Title VII program by
providing provisions for meaningful tribal involvement in setting education
priorities for Indian students and the inclusion of Native language and cultural
instruction.
8. Advocate for appropriations for
Tribal Education Departments.
9. Request and advocate for
adequate funding for Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction, maintenance,
and transportation.
10. Authorize Tribes to be Eligible
Grantees for Title VIII Impact Aid Grants and disallow the equalization of
Impact Aid funding, utilized by states like
11. Support the ongoing work of the
White House Initiative on
33 Moran, R., Rampey, B.D.,Dion, G., Donahue, P. (2008).
National Indian Education Study2007 Part I:
Performance of American Indian and
34 Laird, J., DeBell, M., and Chapman, C. (2006).
Dropout Rates in the
35 Clarke, “American Indian and
Martin Reinhardt,
Ph.D.
CEO, Reinhardt &
Associates
(720)
209-5190
martin@reinhardtassociates.net
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