Extracurricular activity participation (EAP) is a formalized opportunity for youth to experience non-classroom-based, prosocial programming. A considerable amount of research, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal samples, has found important relationships between EAP and a decreased likelihood of dropping out and substance use, as well as…

Recent literature in the field of transition studies emphasizes importance of creating self-determination supports to promote independence, autonomy, and quality of life in students with disabilities. Much of that literature, however, has not taken cultural and familial factors into consideration. A review of the Navajo family and disability…

Canada's official residential school policy, functioning between 1879 and 1986, acted as a weapon in a calculated attack on indigenous cultures, seeking--through such now infamous procedures as familial separation, forced speaking of non-Native languages, and propagandist derogation of precontact modes of existence and Native spiritual systems--to…

This paper empirically examines the underlying premise of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) school choice provision that students will perform better when they are given the opportunity to transfer from persistently low-performing schools to higher performing schools. We focus on students who move from schools that must offer choice under NCLB in a…

One of the most pressing issues facing American universities is the number of students who fail to graduate. Nearly one out of five four-year institutions graduate fewer than one-third of its first-time, full-time degree-seeking first-year students within six years. Although there are various explanations for attrition, students often leave for…

Depending on state statutory language, charter schools may be able to exercise more control over their student body composition. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools may have the opportunity to increase student body diversity by drawing students from across traditional school district boundary lines. Specifically, depending on the…

The reason that the school dropout crisis is now referred to as a "silent epidemic" is because, when we weren't paying attention, the graduation rate in our country slipped to a level that threatens the very health and well-being of our society. Each year, almost one-third of all public high school students--and nearly one-half of all…

Six Aboriginal languages have been designated as official languages of the Northwest Territories (Canada) along with English and French. However, more than legislation is needed to support efforts to reclaim Aboriginal languages and culture. Both missionary schools and federally administered public schools (1940s-60s) disrupted the transmission of…

The theory and practice of assistance to speech communities whose native languages are threatened are examined. The discussion focuses on why most efforts to reverse language shift are unsuccessful or even harmful, diagnosing difficulties and prescribing alternatives based on a combination of ethnolinguistic, sociocultural, and econotechnical…

This report provides an update on Ontario's Aboriginal Language Standardization Project at the 2-year mark. The project was designed to ensure the revitalization of Ontario's native aboriginal languages and to meet the needs of aboriginal populations in doing so. An introductory section recounts the project's origins. Subsequent sections address…

This report provides statistical information on minority undergraduate participation in postsecondary education and postsecondary persistence among racial-ethnic groups, based on the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). The data indicate that, after a dramatic increase in minority enrollment in the 1960s and 1970s, there was uneven…

Ethnography, the preferred method of inquiry of the cultural anthropologist, is currently the most widely recognized qualitative method for research. Defined as the "art and science of describing a group or culture," it provides a means of studying and understanding other groups, their values and culture. This study documents the use of…

This paper reports on a continuing study of Australian Aboriginal and Navajo Indian children. The study investigates the relevance and applicability of goal theory to explaining indigenous minority motivation in school settings. Task, ego social solidarity, and extrinsic goal structures were examined as a means of explaining and predicting…

This unit provides a bibliography and lesson ideas on Indian culture for integration into the literature curriculum. The bibliography includes essays, novels, short stories, poetry, and videos, many by Indian authors. The unit is designed for high school students but could be adapted to other levels. This unit could be incorporated with a study of…

This study is a follow-up to a 1990 needs assessment of American Indians with disabilities in the Denver (Colorado) region. The study involved a content analysis of transcripts of three focus group meetings of Project Advisory Committee (PAC) members, American Indians with disabilities, and service providers. Overall, PAC members and service…