School Climate and Native American Youth Well-Being

• In Event: Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Complicating Identity: In- and Out-of-School Contexts of Equity

Abstract

Native American students experience significant educational disparities in the United States. Literature on academic success however, often approaches success from individual & familial perspectives. Questioning that premise & situating our study within a broader socio-political & historical context, we explored the impact of school climate on Native American high school students in one state. Through secondary analysis of a statewide survey of public school students, we present empirical findings including significant negative impacts of school climate on students in three areas: emotional health, drug use & personal violence. We discuss the implications of learning in such troubled environments, how this data contributes to educational debates—such as school dropout vs. school pushout, & co-imagine possibilities to remedy these injustices.

Authors

• Katie Johnston-Goodstar, University of Minnesota

• Ross Ronald VeLure Roholt, University of Minnesota

• Alexander Fink, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Andrew Zieffler, University of Minnesota