Indian Education –

Montana’s Story

Association of Alaska School Boards Conference

Leading Children to Excellence

Denise Juneau

State Superintendent

November 7, 2015

Crow Chief Plenty Coups -

"Education is your greatest

weapon. With education

you are the white man's

equal, without education

you are his victim and so

shall remain all of your

lives.”

Montana: The Big Sky State

Montana is home to seven reservations and twelve tribal nations

American Indians students comprise our state’s largest minority at 11% and 13% of the K-12 population

Pockets of poverty that are generational, isolated, deep and concentrated – unemployment can be over 50% in some counties

All of Montana’s lowest performing schools are located on one of our state’s seven American Indian reservations – the more American Indian students concentrated in one district, the lower the average achievement

In Montana, over 90% of the American Indian student population attends a public school (only two BIE tribal schools)

Seals of the Tribal Nations

Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education

Montana – leading the way

Indian Education for All became state law in 1999 but remained an unfunded mandate for over thirty years. Lawsuit resulted in state level and district level funding in 2005 for both IEFA and Indian student achievement – As former Director of Indian Education and as current state Superintendent have overseen this effort for the past ten years.

Pushing back on No Child Left Behind and the Department of Education

Legislation in Montana

Networking/coordination of other state agencies around American Indian students, families and communities

Building a sense of urgency among other SEA’s in the nation

Article X of the Montana Constitution

Education and Public Lands (1972)

Section 1

(1) It is the goal of the people to establish a system

of education which will develop the full

educational potential of each person. Equality of

educational opportunity is guaranteed to each

person of the state.

(2) The state recognizes the distinct and unique

cultural heritage of the American Indians and is

committed

in its educational goals to the preservation of

their cultural integrity.

Indian Education for All (1999)

MCA 20-1-501

Every Montanan, whether Indian or non

Indian, be encouraged to learn about the

distinct and unique heritage of American

Indians in a culturally responsive manner.

Indian Education for All – effects beyond MT…

• Numerous articles in the media, including Indian Country Today, Huffington Post, Teaching Tolerance, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - academic research journals / dissertations – international impact

• Colorado, Maine, Nevada and South Dakota have built essential understandings and Standards modeled after Montana’s

• Sharing best practices with Indian education staff from states in our region.

• National Museum of the American Indian developed a Framework for Essential Understandings

• Generating stronger focus with colleagues in other SEA’s across the country

GMM Objectives

Increase the rate of Montana students graduating from

high school ready for college and the 21st century

workforce

Establish a support network between schools,

businesses, and community organizations for student

success

Create school-based and community-based

opportunities to inspire students to stay in school and

graduate

Graduation Matters Montana

Since launching GMM in 2010, Montana’s high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of 85.4%, and the dropout rate has decreased from 5% in 2009 to 3.6% in 2013

Our state’s seven largest communities have half the population of students who drop out

Montana’s American Indian students still disproportionately drop out of school – but GMM has cut the American Indian dropout rate by a third

Urban Indians drop out in higher numbers than do students attending school on a Reservation

Recently hired an GMM American Indian liaison to work with tribal communities across the state.

Schools of Promise

Superintendent Juneau had a long term vision for assisting schools that served American Indian students

Federal SIG funding - Walking together/building on the local values and culture WHILE understanding capacity issues, direct services model

Cross agency functions and support – break down the silos by bringing all work units/departments together to share resources (Title I, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Indian Education, etc.).

School Improvement Grant unit formed that reports directly to Superintendent

Actively model core values – transparency, collaboration, capacity building, vision

The unique status of American Indian tribes as sovereign nations in the United States is often overlooked

Schools of Promise initiative sought to assist the citizens of three different tribal nations and we needed their support and partnership

Grassroots outreach, communication – what does the community value?

Build stronger connections between tribes and public schools

Build a new model, taking in to consideration all the unique needs

Mass Insight High Performing-High

Poverty Schools Readiness Model

We are moving in the right direction

School Board Coaches have been welcomed by local trustees. They are helping to revise school policies, encourage adherence to policy, and focus on school improvement

Student voice – improved school climate, increased engagement and demonstrated leadership

Locate and support strong administrators

Key community stakeholders are championing the work

Addressing health & mental health needs is key, and when paired with school improvement, students can really thrive

Supporting school infrastructure (finance counseling, better data collection systems, etc.) helps support a stronger foundation for school improvement

Coordination and management at the SEA level allows for flexibility and adaptability to adjust strategies