Formal Schooling of Indigenous Peoples in Remote and Rural Regions: Promising Models

• In Event: Culturally Relevant Instruction in Indigenous Contexts: New Sites of Meaning

Abstract

Alaska schools fail to adequately educate many Alaska Native children. In 2009, just 11 percent of Alaska’s indigenous eighth grade students met the reading proficiency standards of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. However, educators and researchers working towards better educational outcomes for indigenous students in the U.S. and elsewhere have created new models of formal schooling, some of which have shown promising results. This paper presents a cross-case study that seeks to identify programs, practices, conditions, organizational characteristics, and institutional policies that best promote success for indigenous students, especially those in remote areas. We find that while many approaches are useful, a key determiner of success is the degree to which indigenous communities truly control their children’s formal education.

Authors

• Alexandra R. Hill, The University of Alaska - Anchorage

• Diane B. Hirshberg, The University of Alaska - Anchorage

• Timothy Aqukkasuk Argetsinger, Harvard University