The Government Accountability Office's (GAO) High-Risk List identifies government operations with vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or in need of transformation. GAO added the area "Improving Federal Management of Programs that Serve Tribes and their Members" to its February 2017 biennial update of high-risk…

Many of the Bureau of Indian Education's (BIE) 183 schools are located in remote tribal lands that faced extraordinary challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to experience ongoing effects. Congress appropriated about $1.5 billion to help BIE and its schools respond to the pandemic. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO)…

Federal and other studies have noted that exposure to violence and substance abuse make Native American youth susceptible to becoming involved with the justice system. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to examine federal and tribal efforts to address juvenile delinquency and the barriers tribes face in doing so. This report…

The Bureau of Indian Education's (BIE) mission is to provide quality education to approximately 41,000 students at 183 schools it funds on or near Indian reservations in 23 states. About two-thirds of these schools are operated by tribes and the remaining third are operated by BIE. In March 2020, all BIE schools closed their buildings in response…

Education refers to school choice as the opportunity for students and their families to create high-quality, personalized paths for learning that best meet the students' needs. For Indian students, school choice can be a means of accessing instructional programs that reflect and preserve their languages, cultures, and histories. For many years,…

American Indian and Alaska Native students enrolled in public schools have performed consistently below other students on national assessments from 2005-2019. The Johnson-O'Malley (JOM) program provides academic and cultural supports, through contracts, to meet the specialized and unique educational needs of American Indian and Alaska Native…

This document records testimony from a hearing held on April 22, 2015 on the topic of challenges that are faced by Native American schools. Nearly a century ago the Federal Government made a promise to deliver to Native American children a quality education that just doesn't teach math and science, but preserves their customs and culture.…

Schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) are required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide services for eligible students with disabilities, such as learning disabilities or health impairments. Services for these students are listed in individualized education programs (IEP). The Department of…

This document records testimony from a hearing before the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment, Committee on Education and Labor that was held to discuss the critical role of community colleges, historically black colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions in preparing students for success. Member statements…

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine the federal government's mismanagement of Native American schools. The hearing is part of an effort to begin addressing the challenges facing Native American schools so that every child in every school can receive an excellent education. Member statements were presented by: (1)…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95) was put in place to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every child achieves. The Act includes the following titles: (1) Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies; (2) Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality…

This report examines what is known about enrollment, discipline, and support staff in alternative schools, among other objectives. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed data on alternative schools for school years 2013-14 and 2015-16 from Education's Civil Rights Data Collection (most recent years available); visited selected school…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines the Strong Start for America's Children Act, a bill that will greatly expand access to high quality early learning experiences for children from birth through kindergarten. Following opening statements by Honorable Tom Harkin (Chairman, Committee on Health, Education,…

This report is provided in response to a mandate by Congress in the Head Start Act, §650(b), as amended on December 12, 2007. The Act requires that the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services submit a report on the facilities of Indian Head Start agencies to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) requires states and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to define and determine whether schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward the goal of 100 percent academic proficiency. To address tribes' needs for cultural preservation, NCLBA allows tribal groups to waive all…