INTRODUCTION

Alaska Natives face many challenges in educational performance, attainment, and opportunities. In an effort to understand Alaska Natives 'perspective on these issues, the First Alaskans Foundation embarked on an eight-month research project of Alaska Natives 'attitudes and values toward education. The First Alaskans Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by the Alaska Federation of Natives, to influence positive changes in the lives of Alaska Native people. The Foundation engaged the Alaska research-based consulting firm McDowell Group, Inc. to conduct a four-phase study of Native education in 2001.

This summary section outlines the methodology used in the four research components and summarizes the trends found in that research. Following this summary, this document contains complete detailed reports on the results of each component.

Methodology

The multiple-phase project included secondary research, key informant interviews, a household survey, and focus group discussions. This multi-method approach provided a more holistic analysis than a single method. The four reports contained in this full document are:

• Alaska Native and American Indian Education:A Review of the Literature was completed in June 2001. This secondary research effort was a review of the literature of Alaska Native and American Indian issues in education. The report also identified methods that could enhance educational programs for Alaska Natives.
  
• Perceptions of Alaska Native Educational and Cultural Experts was completed in September 2001. This document reports on executive interviews of Alaska Native educational and cultural experts conducted in the spring and summer of 2001.
  
• Alaska Native Household Education Survey document was completed in September 2001. A random telephone survey of 1, 000 Alaska Natives 'opinions, attitudes, and values toward education was conducted in the spring of 2001.
  
• Issues in Alaska Native Education:Focus Group Research was completed in October 2001. Focus group discussions on issues affecting Alaska Native education were conducted in the fall of 2001. High school students, parents, and elders from the rural village of Aniak and Alaska 's largest city of Anchorage participated in focus groups, as well as Alaska Native executives from Native corporations, social services, health care, job placement services, and the oil industry.

  This brief summary chapter captures the major findings of the four research methods. Please refer to the individual report documents contained herein for detailed analyses. Beginning with a statement of the historical context of Alaska Native education, the summary focuses on consistent themes echoed throughout the research --barriers to education, the role of family and community, the role of language and culture, education in urban and rural settings, and, most important, solutions for improving education for Alaska Native children.

Return to the Alaska Native Education Study: A Summary of Research

Return to the McDowell Final Report

Return to Alaska Native Knowledge Network