Indian Education – Montana's Story
Transcript of Indian Education – Montana's Story
Indian Education –
Montana’s Story
Association of Alaska School Boards Conference
Leading Children to Excellence
Denise Juneau
State Superintendent
November 7, 2015
Crow Chief Plenty Coups -
"Education is your greatest
weapon. With education
you are the white man's
equal, without education
you are his victim and so
shall remain all of your
lives.”
Montana: The Big Sky State
Montana is home to seven reservations and twelve tribal nations
American Indians students comprise our state’s largest minority at 11% and 13% of the K-12 population
Pockets of poverty that are generational, isolated, deep and concentrated – unemployment can be over 50% in some counties
All of Montana’s lowest performing schools are located on one of our state’s seven American Indian reservations – the more American Indian students concentrated in one district, the lower the average achievement
In Montana, over 90% of the American Indian student population attends a public school (only two BIE tribal schools)
Seals of the Tribal Nations
Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education
Montana – leading the way
Indian Education for All became state law in 1999 but remained an unfunded mandate for over thirty years. Lawsuit resulted in state level and district level funding in 2005 for both IEFA and Indian student achievement – As former Director of Indian Education and as current state Superintendent have overseen this effort for the past ten years.
Pushing back on No Child Left Behind and the Department of Education
Legislation in Montana
Networking/coordination of other state agencies around American Indian students, families and communities
Building a sense of urgency among other SEA’s in the nation
Article X of the Montana Constitution
Education and Public Lands (1972)
Section 1
(1) It is the goal of the people to establish a system
of education which will develop the full
educational potential of each person. Equality of
educational opportunity is guaranteed to each
person of the state.
(2) The state recognizes the distinct and unique
cultural heritage of the American Indians and is
committed
in its educational goals to the preservation of
their cultural integrity.
Indian Education for All (1999)
MCA 20-1-501
Every Montanan, whether Indian or non
Indian, be encouraged to learn about the
distinct and unique heritage of American
Indians in a culturally responsive manner.
Indian Education for All – effects beyond MT…
• Numerous articles in the media, including Indian Country Today, Huffington Post, Teaching Tolerance, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - academic research journals / dissertations – international impact
• Colorado, Maine, Nevada and South Dakota have built essential understandings and Standards modeled after Montana’s
• Sharing best practices with Indian education staff from states in our region.
• National Museum of the American Indian developed a Framework for Essential Understandings
• Generating stronger focus with colleagues in other SEA’s across the country
GMM Objectives
Increase the rate of Montana students graduating from
high school ready for college and the 21st century
workforce
Establish a support network between schools,
businesses, and community organizations for student
success
Create school-based and community-based
opportunities to inspire students to stay in school and
graduate
Graduation Matters Montana
Since launching GMM in 2010, Montana’s high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of 85.4%, and the dropout rate has decreased from 5% in 2009 to 3.6% in 2013
Our state’s seven largest communities have half the population of students who drop out
Montana’s American Indian students still disproportionately drop out of school – but GMM has cut the American Indian dropout rate by a third
Urban Indians drop out in higher numbers than do students attending school on a Reservation
Recently hired an GMM American Indian liaison to work with tribal communities across the state.
Schools of Promise
Superintendent Juneau had a long term vision for assisting schools that served American Indian students
Federal SIG funding - Walking together/building on the local values and culture WHILE understanding capacity issues, direct services model
Cross agency functions and support – break down the silos by bringing all work units/departments together to share resources (Title I, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Indian Education, etc.).
School Improvement Grant unit formed that reports directly to Superintendent
Actively model core values – transparency, collaboration, capacity building, vision
The unique status of American Indian tribes as sovereign nations in the United States is often overlooked
Schools of Promise initiative sought to assist the citizens of three different tribal nations and we needed their support and partnership
Grassroots outreach, communication – what does the community value?
Build stronger connections between tribes and public schools
Build a new model, taking in to consideration all the unique needs
Mass Insight High Performing-High
Poverty Schools Readiness Model
We are moving in the right direction
School Board Coaches have been welcomed by local trustees. They are helping to revise school policies, encourage adherence to policy, and focus on school improvement
Student voice – improved school climate, increased engagement and demonstrated leadership
Locate and support strong administrators
Key community stakeholders are championing the work
Addressing health & mental health needs is key, and when paired with school improvement, students can really thrive
Supporting school infrastructure (finance counseling, better data collection systems, etc.) helps support a stronger foundation for school improvement
Coordination and management at the SEA level allows for flexibility and adaptability to adjust strategies