"Not at the Expense of Their Culture": Graduating Native American Youth from High School

What kinds of challenges do educators face in increasing Native American high school graduation rates, and what kinds of adaptations to a traditional high school are understood as necessary to achieve this outcome? This case study explored these questions as part of a larger multiple case study that investigated practices and processes related to high school graduation rates. It focused on educators' attempts to increase Native American student graduation rates in a high school with typical gaps in graduation rates between Native American students and white students. Data collected included teacher and administrator interviews and documentary evidence. Framed by socioecological theory that focuses on relationships between district, school, and classroom processes and practices, study findings revealed that adaptations to improve Native youth graduation rates included (1) offering personally-relevant, real-world, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning experiences aligned to students' own learning goals; (2) adapting school schedules to students' lives outside of school; (3) prioritizing developing students' sense of worth in contributing to their communities and societies; (4) providing flexibility regarding absences, (5) offering effective supports that emphasize connecting to an adult; and (6) partnering with families and other community members. Implications for future research and practice are discussed in light of the findings. Keywords: Native American, indigenous, high school students, graduation rate, drop out. ********** Prologue Huddled in the New Notions School (1) principal's tiny corner office in a brick ranch donated to the Quill Valley district, I waited to interview a science teacher. I knew from the first day of data collection that this site visit (one of 15 planned for a multiple case study investigating processes and practices related to graduation outcomes for diverse youth) was different. I discovered in an interview the day prior that the district superintendent had spearheaded an effort to provide an optional model to the traditional public high school in an attempt to increase Native American student graduation rates. I intended to focus this interview on what was unique to the approach they were using at the New Notions School and how it differed from what was done at the Junior-Senior High School that I visited the day earlier. After a few opening questions, I asked the New Notions science teacher (one of four content-area specialists in the school) what she and others were doing to engage Native American students. She responded without hesitation: I believe that one of my goals as an educator is to find a way to give Native students the opportunity to earn a diploma and it not be at the expense of their culture. And from the first day of working in this district, I have seen a conflict that I am really passionate about finding a solution for. This model I believe will work for any learner. We have students here who are emotionally disturbed, who have severe learning disabilities. We have students who are literally geniuses who couldn't function for social reasons in a traditional high school. We have students who could function well in a traditional high school, but want to try something crazy--something different. Our model works for the Native populations for a number of reasons: One is flexibility; it is extremely important. Another is absenteeism because of ceremonies or other things. Our white culture loses sight of how important family is and what type of mourning periods there are when a Native person passes: The ceremonies being based not on our Gregorian calendar, but on the moon and nature telling them. When the sap runs, that's when the sap ceremony is; when the moon is the way it is, when the corn turns green--we don't base our calendar on these things. When a kid is out for a few weeks, their learning may stop, but they are not missing a test or a quiz or have a backlog of homework that it becomes an insurmountable mountain that they have to climb; it's like when they return you say, 'this is where we were and let's see what we need to do. …