INTRODUCTION

Purpose

Nationwide statistics indicate that Alaska Natives and American Indian students are the most at risk of all minority groups for failure in school. ¹ When compared to non-Native students, they drop out of school more frequently, are less likely to graduate, and generally have lower educational attainment. For generations, various approaches have been taken to improve education outcomes. These range from outright attempts toward complete cultural assimilation to protection and inclusion of Native languages and culture. While there are some successes, statistics still show much room for improvement.

On behalf of the First Alaskans Foundation, McDowell Group, Inc. has conducted baseline research on Alaska Native attitudes and values toward education. The First Alaskans Foundation (FAF) , a nonprofit organization created by the Alaska Federation of Natives, seeks to influence positive change in the lives of Alaska Native people. The Foundation sees education as a key to positive change.

The McDowell Group study for First Alaskans Foundation has four components:

• Review of the secondary research on Alaska Native education, reported in this document.
  
• A random telephone survey of one-thousand Alaska Native households' opinions, attitudes, and values toward education. A report of the survey findings is scheduled for June 2001.
  
• Executive interviews of experts in the education field to provide further insight and suggestions for improving the delivery of education services to Alaska Natives. A report of the executive interviews is scheduled for delivery in June 2001. Approximately 25 key informants within Alaska and outside Alaska will be interviewed.
  
• Focus group discussions on issues affecting Alaska Native education. The focus groups will be conducted in the fall of 2001.

Methodology

As part of the research for the Foundation, McDowell Group reviewed studies of American Indian and Alaska Native academic performance. The literature review is an overview of old and new philosophies of American Indian/Alaska Native educational methods and needs, and identifies programs that attempt to match methods with those needs. It will give the First Alaskans Foundation a greater understanding of the problems many Native students face in school. The literature review will also provide perspective for survey of Alaska Native attitudes and values toward education, conducted in April and May 2001.

This report is not intended to be an exhaustive search of the literature. Rather, the McDowell Group study team has tried to capture the essence of the issues that American Indians and Alaska Natives face as they maneuver within the Euro-centric U. S. educational system. The report summarizes educational statistics for American Indians and Alaska Natives, many of which are distressing. A brief review of the history of Alaska public education helps to put those statistics into perspective. It is followed by a discussion of key educational issues and approaches.

McDowell Group accessed many research articles, books, government documents, and other reports as well as contacted several experts in the education field, who helped provide background and context for this research. A bibliography of all published sources gathered and used is found at the end of the study. The bibliography includes books, periodicals, government documents, and other reports, many of which are available through databases and Web sites. The Educational Resources Information Center, known as ERIC, provides one of the richest collections of materials on education and the Journal of American Indian Education is the most comprehensive resource for American Indian/Alaska Native education. McDowell Group has also attached a list of some of the more useful and relevant Web sites in the section entitled Education Web Sites.

Most researchers agree that more long-term, comprehensive studies of American Indian/Alaska Native education are needed. The Clinton Administration set forth goals in Executive Order 13096 to improve the educational achievement of American Indian/Alaska Native students. As part of the Executive Order, a research team is producing an extensive review of historical and current studies of Native education programs. This review will be available sometime in 2001 on Executive Order #13096 (See the Web site:http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/whitehouse/eo13096.htm) .

¹ American Indian Relief Council, http://www.airc.org/living/education.html.

Return to the Alaska Native and American Indian Education: A Review of the Literature

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