Striving to Achieve: Helping Native American Students Succeed
This report details the overall school experience for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students. Included are discussions of the Native student and information about where Native students live and attend school. Data showing the number of students in specific states is provided, as well as information about which states have the largest populations of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students. Policy recommendations are further discussed in this report, including: providing Native students with access to a rigorous curriculum, expert teachers, and adequate distribution of resources. Additional recommendations are to increase the voices of Native peoples and their participation in the work of schools, and make schools more culturally relevant places for Native children.
The purposes of this 31-page resource are clearly stated in the opening pages: “to provide information to the nation’s state legislators about the existing educational achievement gap facing American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students and to offer policy recommendations for consideration when identifying possible solutions to the problem.” The content and methodology support those dual purposes well, as the article includes effective data on American Indian student achievement, examples of success stories, and detailed policy recommendations. The writing is simple and void of educational jargon, and the design pulls together many effective graphs and figures. Utility should be very high despite the resource’s 2008 publication date. The overall quality of this publication suggests the potential for a positive impact on learning.