All people deserve the opportunity to earn a better living and build a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities through a postsecondary education. But that opportunity is not available equally to all in the United States, and current postsecondary data sets and collection practices at the federal, state, and institutional…

Indigenous educators are critical levers in promoting positive Indigenous student outcomes. This overview, based on the webinar series "Making a Difference for American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Innovations and Wise Practices," describes key considerations for opening Indigenous educator pathways. These considerations emerged…

The academic idea of a community of practice--a group of people who come together to share and learn from one another--has been used to understand learning structures in a wide array of fields. This conceptual framework, however, is rooted in human exceptionalism, considering anything other-than-human to be a resource instead of an active and…

In schools, Indigenous students are more likely to receive exclusionary discipline and special education services related to emotional disturbance while the Indigenous concepts of disability and historical trauma often go unnoticed. This article provides an overview of the culturally responsive considerations practitioners should be cognizant of…

Enrollment of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in postsecondary education in the United States has been increasing over the past three decades (Chee, Shorty, and Robinson Kurpius 2019). The Tribal College Movement began more than 40 years ago with the establishment of the first tribally-controlled community college in 1968.…

Despite calls to increase diversity throughout the engineering education enterprise and years of efforts by and collaborations between universities, K-12 schools, and professional societies and other education- or equity-related organizations, Black or African-American individuals, American Indian or Alaska Native individuals, and Hispanic or…

Despite one in 25 students in Washington identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), many Indigenous students and families feel disconnected from the education system. Native students rarely see their identities, cultures, or histories reflected in established curricula. Further, traditional curricula often reinforce settler-colonial…

This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) intends to clarify eligibility for Perkins V formula subgrants and provides technical assistance for State engagement with Tribes through Tribal consultation. For 47 years, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins V) and its predecessors have authorized competitive grants to assist…

Bullying is associated with many adverse outcomes, including increased risk of substance abuse, delinquency, suicide, truancy, mental health problems, and physical injury, as well as decreased academic performance; even those witnessing bullying in school are at an increased risk of experiencing negative mental health effects (Rivers et al., 2009)…

The Johnson-O'Malley (JOM) program provides academic and cultural supports to meet the specialized and unique educational needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students enrolled in public schools and select tribal schools. The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), within the Department of the Interior, contracts with Tribes, tribal…

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) into two-page sheets on a variety of subjects. This fact sheet focuses on: (1) States Reporting American Indian/Alaska Native Languages as One of the Top Five Most Common English Learner Languages Spoken: School Year 2016-17; (2) Number of English…

Trans-Indigenous education encompasses spaces, practices, and programs that allow diverse histories, cultures, and experiences to be shared among diverse Indigenous students. Trans-Indigenous education attends to the interpersonal and spatial dimensions existing in higher education settings that center diverse Indigenous knowledges to build…

"Making a Difference for American Indian and Alaska Nave Students: Innovations and Wise Practices" was a three-part webinar series for tribal, state, and federal education leaders. Through panels and breakout sessions, participants shared their knowledge on transforming outcomes for Nave American students, administrators, educators, and…

This chapter describes the development and implementation of an Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP) for faculty who mentor American Indian/Alaska Native graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The chapter also reviews steps taken in adapting and translating the IMP to non-Montana institutions that are…

The effective use of data plays a critical role throughout the policy process -- from accurately capturing populations being served to monitoring and measuring implementation and allocation of resources. In order for data to be used in a manner that supports evidence-based decision-making there is a need for education leaders and policymakers to…