Research indicates that the instructional conversation (IC), a dialogue between teacher and learner in which prior knowledge and experiences are woven together with new material to build higher understanding, can be an effective method for raising the low academic achievement levels of various groups of Native American students. The IC contrasts…

This digest provides an overview of Native American demography, education, employment, and health conditions. In the 1990 census, 1.9 million Americans claimed American Indian status and over 5 million indicated Indian descent. About 637,000 lived on reservations or trust lands, while over 250,000 lived in cities. Half of Native Americans lived in…

The constructs used to evaluate research quality--valid, objective, reliable, generalizable, randomized, accurate, authentic--are not value-free. They all require human judgment, which is affected inevitably by cultural norms and values. In the case of research involving American Indians and Alaska Natives, assessments of research quality must be…

This digest summarizes challenges that American Indian and Alaska Native students face in obtaining adequate postsecondary financial aid and describes general sources of aid for Native students. The number of Native college students is growing rapidly, but obtaining adequate financial aid is the most serious obstacle to completing postsecondary…

Two landmark efforts to describe the condition of American Indian and Alaska Native education nationwide and to call for specific solutions took place in the early 1990s. These efforts were the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the White House Conference on Indian Education. This digest summarizes Task Force and Conference recommendations…

This brief retrospective outlines major points in the history of American Indian education and major issues in Indian curriculum and teacher training. From the arrival of Europeans until recent times, formal schooling for American Indians has been controlled by others--first missionaries, then the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). After World War…

This digest reviews the literature related to learning styles of American Indian and Alaskan Native students. Several studies show that in some tribes, observation, self-testing in private, and then demonstration of a task for approval are essential steps in learning. Indian children often hesitate to participate in large and small-group…

In addition to presenting a brief picture of the public school administrator on an Indian reservation, this digest identifies some issues and problems, suggests ways for administrators to deal with those problems, and provides possible resources which can be of assistance. After citing public school enrollment at 176,000 Indian students attending…

This digest summarizes potential benefits of standards-based reform and areas of concern for schools serving American Indian and Alaska Native students. Content standards may benefit Indian education by creating a more common curriculum, providing a focus for improving teaching and learning, and promoting a more holistic, active-learning sort of…

This digest considers issues, possible solutions, and successful efforts in dealing with Native language loss, maintenance, and restoration in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and schools. The preservation and maintenance of the remaining 210 tribal languages is a major cultural and education concern in Native communities. The problem…

This digest discusses two prominent definitions of learning styles, describes studies that have found differences between the learning styles of American Indian/Alaska Native students and students of other cultural groups, and presents instructional interventions stemming from learning styles research. The research literature on learning styles…

To decrease negative behaviors in American Indian/Alaska Native students, teachers should help children understand, care about, and act upon core virtues such as courage, generosity, humility, honesty, fortitude, and patience. Integrating core virtues throughout the curriculum through stories, class discussions, role-playing, and critical…

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students regularly face obstacles during the transition to high school and have the highest dropout rate of all U.S. racial and ethnic groups. Educational theorists and researchers have various explanations for this high failure rate, each with its own prescriptions. These explanations include: (1) deficit…

Through a series of organizational and instructional changes, comprehensive planning aims to make it possible for all children to reach the same high academic standards. Educators and parents of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students, as well as other members of tribal communities, must participate in this planning to ensure that the…

This digest reports on the very limited research that has focused specifically on early childhood issues in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health, development, and education. Extant research focuses primarily on infant mortality, birth weight and growth, obesity, and hearing and speech. Beginning in 1985, a longitudinal study called the…