early childhood education

National Indian Education Study 2015

Year

The National Indian Education Study (NIES) is administered as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to allow more in-depth reporting on the achievement and experiences of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)1 students in grades 4 and 8. This report focuses primarily on two themes identified during the development of the NIES survey questionnaires.

  • To what extent are AI/AN culture and language part of the curricula?
  • To what extent are school resources available for improving AI/AN student achievement?

The student survey questions selected for this report asked AI/AN students about the knowledge they had of their Native culture and language and their opportunities to learn more. Teacher survey questions asked teachers how they acquired and integrated culturally responsive materials, activities, and instruction into their lessons to enhance student learning. Questions from the school administrator survey asked school officials about how often members of the Native community participated in school events with students, parents, and teachers.

Citation

Ninneman, A.M., Deaton, J., and Francis-Begay, K. (2017). National Indian Education Study 2015 (NCES 2017-161). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC.

Challenges and Solutions to Keeping the Lakota Language Alive

Producer
Indian Country Today
Year

“There is more to an immersion school than simply bringing in elders and having them teach the children,” said Sunshine Carlow, education manager of Lakȟól'iyapi Wahóȟpi, the Lakota Nest Immersion School on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Rose, Christina. "Challenges and Solutions to Keeping the Lakota Language Alive." Indian Country Today. March 3, 2015. Article. (https://ictnews.org/archive/challenges-and-solutions-to-keeping-the-lakota-language-alive, accessed March 22, 2023)

Preserving Culture: 6 Early Childhood Language Immersion Programs

Author
Year

Language immersion schools have proved to be enormously beneficial for young learners’ academics. To quote Dr. Janine Pease-Pretty on Top, Crow, founding president of Little Big Horn College, “Solid data from the Navajo, Blackfeet and Assiniboine immersion schools experience indicates that the language immersion students experience greater success in school, measured by consistent improvement on local and national measures of achievement.” Early childhood language immersion programs must be adapted to the cultural and financial resources available. Here are some examples of how educators have done that...

Languages help save tribal cultures

Year

It’s been said that the traditions of Indian culture are embedded within our tribal languages. But for several generations, the majority of people who spoke their tribal language have passed on without new speakers taking their place. This has caused widespread concern among tribal communities and sparked a renaissance of culture and language across Native America...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

McKosato, Harlan. "Languages help save tribal cultures." Santa Fe New Mexican. July 6, 2013. Article. (http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/local_columns/article_9fec1194-..., accessed August 23, 2013)