Ensuring No American Indian and Alaska Native Child Is Left Behind

The mission of the Office of Indian Education is to support the efforts of local educational agencies, Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives so that these students can achieve to the same challenging state standards as all students.

The No Child Left Behind Act amends the Indian education programs as Title VII, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This landmark in education reform embodies four key principles: stronger accountability for results; greater flexibility in the use of federal funds; more choices for parents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds; and an emphasis on research-based instruction that works.

• National Advisory Council on Indian Education Teleconference Meeting Scheduled

  The National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) will be holding a teleconference meeting on June 17, 2013 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET. The meeting will be conducted via conference call with NACIE members. Up to 30 dial-in, listen-only phone lines will be made available to the public on a first come, first served basis. The conference call number is 1–800–871–9060 and the participant code is 929296858#.

  The Council submits to the Congress, not later than June 30 of each year, a report on the activities of the Council that includes recommendations the Council considers appropriate for the improvement of Federal education programs that include Indian children or adults as participants or that may benefit Indian children or adults, and recommendations concerning the funding of any such program. One of the Council’s responsibilities is to develop and provide recommendations to the Secretary of Education on the funding and administration (including the development of regulations, and administrative policies and practices) of any program over which the Secretary has jurisdiction. The Council is convening this 2 hour meeting to conduct the following business: 1) Final discussion, review and approval of the annual report to Congress; 2) follow-up on recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Education concerning the funding and administration of programs; and, 3) decide on the possible dates for the next open public meeting(s) for the NACIE.

  For more information on the the teleconference click on the following Federal Register link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-05-31/pdf/2013-12954.pdf
  (June 6, 2013)

UPDATE: Transcripts for NACIE's meeting are now available at the following link: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oie/nacie.html

• Tribal Consultation Transcripts Available
  On December 2, 2011, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13592, which established the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education (Initiative). The President's Initiative committed the Federal Government to working closely with tribal governments to close the achievement gap between Indian students and non-Indian students, decrease the alarmingly high dropout rates of all American Indian and Alaska Native students, and help preserve and revitalize Native languages.

  The Secretaries of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) serve as co-chairs of the Initiative. The Departments of the Interior and Education must collaborate with those who know their students and communities the best and will be hosting four Tribal Leader Consultation meetings to consult on the following objectives: (1) the development and content of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of the Interior and the Department of Education and (2) the strategic implementation of the Initiative.

  The Department of Education recently conducted tribal consultation meetings in various locations around the country. You may download these trancripts in Word or PDF format below. These include:

  May 13, 2013 - Niagra Falls, NY, Tribal Leader Consultation Meeting
  PDF (501K)

  September 17, 2012 - Anchorage, AK, Tribal Leader Consultation Meeting
  PDF (531K)

  August 30, 2012 - Pala, CA, Tribal Leader Consultation Meeting
  PDF (336K)

  May 30, 2012 - Seattle, WA, Urban Native Educational Learning Session
  PDF (605K) | MS Word (332K)

  
  

  May 24, 2012 - Flagstaff, AZ, Tribal Leader Consultation Meeting
  PDF (432K) | MS Word (251K)

  
  

  June 8, 2012 - Chicago, IL, Urban Native Educational Learning Session
  PDF (384K) | MS Word (243K)
  

  Previous tribal consultation material for 2010 and 2011 may be found here:
  2012 and 2011 Tribal Consultation documents
  (October 12, 2012)

• 2013 Indian Education Formula Grant Changes
  The Office of Indian Education has made several updates to the Indian Education Formula Grant application process for 2013 and future years. The changes are intended to make the application process more consistent with Department of Education grant administration policies. The Office of Indian Education has already made the announcement to entities that have begun the application process for 2013. For your convenience we have made the document available here for download. Please click onto the following link to access the document:

  2013 Indian Education Formula Grant application change document PDF (101K)

  (February 28, 2013)

  
  

• State Department of Indian Education Page Updated
  The Office of Indian Education has updated the State Department of Indian Education listings from across the country. These officies have primary oversight over Indian education programs in their respective states. To access the updated page please click here: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oie/statecontacts.html
  (February 28, 2013)

• Indian Education Formula Grant Application Notice Published in the Federal Register
  A notice inviting appplications for funding was published on January 29 for the 2013 Indian Education Formula Grant program. The application is an online process available through the Electronic Application System for Indian Education (EASIE). The EASIE process includes two parts where applicants provide Indian student count data in Part I and design program objectives and budget allocations in Part II. The application availability open date for EASIE Part I was January 14, 2013 and is scheduled to close on March 8, 2013. EASIE Part II opens on March 29, 2013 and closes on May 14, 2013. No late applications will be accepted for this and future years so applicants must meet both deadlines to be eligible for funding. The Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies program provides grants to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and other eligible entities described in this notice in reforming and improving elementary and secondary school programs that serve Indian students. The Department funds comprehensive programs that are designed to help Indian students meet the same State academic content and student academic achievement standards used for all students while addressing the language and cultural needs of Indian students. Such programs include supporting the professional development of teachers of Indian students. Other requirements may be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/indianformula/applicant.html. For more information including the Federal Register Notice please click here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-01-29/pdf/2013-01722.pdf.

  
  

  A series of webinars have been scheduled to go along with EASIE Part I and EASIE Part II. To access the EASIE Part I webinar schedule please click here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/indianformula/applicant.html. The EASIE Part II webinar schedule will be posted at a later date.
  (January 29, 2013)

• U.S. Education Department Awards Nearly $2 Million to Tribal Education Agencies to Improve Education for American Indian and Alaska Native Students
  The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of four competitive grants totaling nearly $2 million to tribal education agencies (TEAs), under the State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) program. These grants will help to increase the role of TEAs in the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students to meet the unique educational and cultural needs of those students and to improve their academic achievement.

  "We have a profound obligation to ensure that all children, including American Indian and Alaska Native students, have the opportunity to receive a 21st century education," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Tribal leaders, teachers, and parents are best-suited to identify and address the needs of their children, and tribal communities deserve to play a greater role in providing American Indian and Alaska Native students with the tools and support they need to be successful in school and beyond."

  During regional tribal consultations, tribal officials consistently discussed the lack of opportunities for tribes to meaningfully participate in the education of their own children. Drawing from input received at these consultations, the Obama administration included in its Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization proposal a pilot authority that would elevate the role of TEAs. The Department's fiscal year 2012 Congressional appropriation provided funding for the Department to create a pilot competition to increase the role of tribal education departments in the education of students attending public schools on the tribe's reservation.

  The STEP program aims to promote collaboration between TEAs and state educational agencies (SEAs) and to build the capacity of tribes as they develop and enhance their roles, responsibilities and accountability in Indian education. The pilot program will fund projects created through collaborative agreements between TEAs and SEAs that allow for TEAs to perform some state-level functions for certain federal grant programs funded through the ESEA, within public schools located on tribally controlled lands. STEP grants are three-year awards, and year one grant amounts are listed below. Grantees and their SEA partners are:

  Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho - $451,481
  The Navajo Nation Diné Department of Education, New Mexico - $357,347
  The Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma - $739,246
  Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon - $385,436
  
  

  For more information on the STEP pilot program, please visit here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/step/index.html"

  The actual press release may be found here: Press Releases".
  (October 12, 2012)

• Executive Order on American and Alaska Native Education Signed by President Obama
  On December 2, 2011 President Obama signed a new Executive Order on Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities. The order provide for an Interagncy Working Group to facilitate the order and increase educational opportunities for tribal colleges and universities. The Order also calls for increasing outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native outcomes including native language and culture. The link to the order may be found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/02/executive-order-improving-american-indian-and-alaska-native-educational-
  (December 2, 2011)

• National Advisory Council on Indian Education Annual Report for 2010-2011 Available
  The National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) recently released their annual report to congress for 2010-2011. The report details the council's recommendations for American Indian and Alaska Native education and activites for 2010 and 2011. The annual report may be viewed by clicking this link: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oie/nacie.html
  (December 2, 2011)

• Tribal Leader Consultation Meetings will Resume in 2012
  The U.S. Department of Education will be scheduling several Tribal Leader consultation meetings for 2012. Senior officials from the Department, to date, have obtained feedback from Tribal officials on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the development ofthe Department's Consultation Policy. We look forward to ongoing and meaningful dialogue with Tribal leaders. The dates and locations will be posted here when conrimed.



• Updated schedule and registration information can be found at the following Website: http://www.edtribalconsultations.org

Please visit the Web sites below for additional information:
• The Department's "Blueprint" for ESEA reauthorization can be found at the following Web site: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html".


• To submit written comments on the "Blueprint," or on education matters more generally, e-mail: TribalConsultation@ed.gov
  (February 28, 2011)

• New ED506 Form Available
  A new Title VII Student eligibility form is now available from the Office of Indian Education. The 506 Form is used by Indian education formula programs to document Indian heritage of participating students. To download this file follow this link to our Indian formula resource page: http://www.ed.gov/programs/indianformula/resources.html
  (July 17, 2010)

• National Indian Education Study 2009 Part 1 & 2 Released
  National Indian Education Study 2009 Part I: Performance of American Indian and Alaska Native Students at Grades 4 and 8 on NAEP 2009 Reading and Mathematics Assessments is now available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies The report presents the results of Part I of the National Indian Education Study (NIES) focusing on the performance of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) fourth- and eighth-graders on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics. A national sample of approximately 9,300 AI/AN students at grades 4 and 8 participated in the reading assessment and 9,000 in the mathematics assessment. Results from this study are compared to those from the first NIES conducted in 2005 and 2008. The results for 12 states with relatively large populations of AI/AN students are presented in addition to the national results.

  See complete results at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies
  NIES was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education. NAEP, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences.
  (July 17, 2010)

• Update on OIE Contacts
  OIE's work in processing all applications and awards is performed by teams instead of specific state assignments of grantees to program specialists. For more information and a listing of teams, see Contacts for OIE.
  (April 6, 2007)