Performance funding policies are politically popular, however research on performance funding has shown that these policies are ineffective and can have unintended negative consequences, particularly for lower-resourced institutions and underserved students. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Montana University System performance…

This article draws upon original research about a teacher education program at a Tribal College located in rural Montana that integrates culturally relevant pedagogy across its coursework and clinical experiences while calling attention to widespread trauma in Native communities based on a history of forced assimilation. We end with…

The focus of this research is on Native American students participating in science internships in tribal college and university settings. Drawing on data collected through annual evaluations of two Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) internship programs over a number of years, one at a tribal college and one at a university, the research…

Many areas of the United States still fall short of digital equity and inclusion, defined as the ability of individuals to access and use information and communication technologies to participate fully in society, democracy, and the economy. This is especially true in Montana, the authors' rural state. Only 63.6 percent of Montana citizens have…

This study utilized quantitative research methods using the Montana Office of Public Instruction's Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students (GEMS) data set. This quantitative research is important because it provides insight on the following relationships (1) Is there a statistically significant difference among students from different races on…

This research study focuses on finding the key to success for Indigenous students pursuing a university degree at a mainstream institution of higher education. The subject groups are students who are currently attending a mainstream university, mainstream university dropouts, and mainstream university graduates. Successful graduates who have been…

Background: Our aim was to identify sex- and location-specific risk factors for suicide ideation/planning and attempts among American Indian youth. Methods: Biennial data for 6417 American Indian high school students attending reservation and urban schools were extracted from the Montana volunteer sample Youth Risk Behavior Survey data for pooled…

Many adults pursue college degrees with high hopes of attaining a job and financial stability. However, visualize being not only a full-time college student but also a parent, a rancher, and most importantly, an American Indian. Many students enrolled in higher education in the United States have the luxury of focusing their time on their studies,…

The American Indian presence in Montana enriches the state's culture. Educationally, however, there are gross disparities between academic performance of American Indian students when compared with the student population as a whole and with various ethnic/cultural subgroups. Montana's educational data mirror the Bureau of Indian Education national…

Native American students, faculty members, and administrators of a tribal college were interviewed by two investigators from a mainstream midwestern university in this qualitative study. The study examines the participants' perspectives on continuing their education and identifying a pathway for Native American students who received their…

Nationally, and within Montana, Native American college student retention and graduation rates are significantly lower than those of their majority counterparts. Native American high school students have the highest dropout rates, lowest college enrollment rates, and lowest percentage distribution of degrees conferred of any minority population in…

Montana is proud to have completed over three decades of participation in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). These results are valuable to educators, school boards, and communities, including parents and students, in understanding the health risks of Montana students, enabling districts to design local health and physical education curriculum…

If our nation's colleges and universities are to become able to educate differentially prepared students, we need to understand better the ways that the growing number of underprepared students navigates college. In particular, research is needed that identifies the practices of the underprepared college students who complete remedial education…

Native American youth face a number of challenges that affect their academic success and wellbeing. In schools, Native American youth are presented with textbooks that include stereotyped and distorted information about their peoples' history. However, there is a gap in the literature showing whether these textbooks contain microaggressive…

This article advocates for the necessity of Indigenous Knowledges in furthering Indigenous self-determination in public schools, as well as furthering the broad aims of public education. Drawing attention to past efforts across the United States to transform the public school curriculum and analyzing data from testimonies given at Oregon State…