Alberta Jones Juneau School District University of Alaska Southeast Research Project

1. Research on Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary Schools Alberta Jones Juneau School District University of Alaska Southeast Research Project For Dr. Mary-Claire Tarlow, U. of Alaska Southeast 2005-2008

2. The Drop out Issue “As the student spirals downward somewhere between end of middle school and high school years, he/she leaves ‘with a whisper, not a bang’”(Briggs, 2004) • Definitions vary from state to state for what the criteria is to classify students as dropouts • There are common patterns that are evident prior to the students dropping out--Attendance is key (Gates study, March 2006), lack of engagement in activities • 30% of students in the United States drop out of school (Time magazine, April 2006)

3. Review of the Literature 25 References • Dr. William Demmert’s work-2001 and 2003,ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools • The Seventh Generation-Native Students Speak about Finding the Good Path-Dr. Thomas Peacock et al. • Northwest Education Magazine • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory • Association of Alaska Schoolboards-AK I.C.E., Alaska Native Knowledge Network, ERIC,Journal of American Indian Education-ASU, National Center for Educational Statistics, International Journal of Instructional Media

4. Literature Review • The Need for Motivating Alaska Native students • Resilience of Students and Overcoming Barriers • Motivating Alaska Native Students And Ways to Help Them be Successful

5. Resilience and Overcoming Barriers Resilience is “the ability to bounce back from adversity” (Strand & Peacock, 2002). In the Strand and Peacock study, people who were resilient overcame barriers, with support from family, extended family, schools and community members that helped them. They came back stronger.

6. Children who were resilient and succeeded had some “protective factors” to help them succeed. Even with failures in school and life stress they did not give up. Some are family support and other adult support, school connections, empowerment, and constructive use of time. Resilience (Continued)

7. External Factors:Power of Five The students having school connections with teachers or other adults made a difference too. They had the “Power of Five” (p.4, Schleich).

8. Internal Factors • Having a commitment to learning and being motivated • Having Positive values • Having good social skills • Having a positive identity • Motivated with high expectations • Having a cultural or spiritual connection

9. Native Beliefs which Foster Resilience • Spirituality-Everything living is interrelated • Mental well-being-clear thinking, • Emotional well being-emotionally balanced • Physical well being-respecting your body

10. Ways to Build Self-Esteem for Native Youth • Sense of belonging-with parents and family • Mastery of skills-through story telling and role modeling • Independence and motivation to do things • Generosity giving to the community and giving back to others (Begins at birth-Strand &Peacock, 2002)

11. Motivating Alaska Native Students and Ways to Help Them be Successful • Indian Nations at Risk Task Force-Collaborative National effort problem solving-Inventory developed. Community involvement focus • Northwest Regional Laboratory review report on programs and practices with Native American students-Demmert’s work • University of Minnesota-Duluth-Strand and Peacock

12. Research by the three groups recommend: • Change school size • Community Support within schools • Culturally relevant curriculum • Place based education curriculum • Participant structure and addressing learning styles • Having a support network-Assets • Positive teacher interaction and support

13. Method-Interview • Random and personal: mostly 1-1, some 1-2 or 1-3 • Population--232 total: • 72 AK N ative SE students, 79 rural AK Native middle school 37 other students, 10 SACNAS students, 27 effective teachers, AK Native administrators and professionals

14. Student Questions 1) What content do you like in school and why? • What middle school teacher(s) are you motivated to learn from and why? 3) What high school teacher(s) are you motivated to learn from and why? 4) What class are you motivated to go to and what makes you motivated with it? 5) How do you learn best? (What teacher strategies have you noticed work for you?)

15. Teacher Interview Questions 1) What do you think you do that motivates students to come to your class? 2) What do you do to motivate at risk students in your class? 3) What do you do to motivate Native students in your class? 4) What strategies work best for Native students that you use? 5) What content interests Native students?

16. Graduate Student Interview Questions 1) What three people in your life motivated you to value education and pursue a college education? 2) Was it the content (or subject) in middle school/high school or your teacher that motivated you to pursue college? 3) What teaching strategies did teachers do that connected you or helped you in school?

17. Results of the Interview They were recognizable patterns of effective teaching strategies from their teachers. Significant statements>Clusters of meaning>Essences> Emergent themes =Results of tables

18. Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary Schools • Hands-On Learning and Visual • Participant Structure-small group learning Individual and, Partner learning • Relationships between teachers and students-KEY! • Teacher Effort and Energy • Personalization: Attitude and Character Traits of Teacher • Rigor-Students want Rigor and want teachers to have clear expectations for them and to push them-SUPPORT with rigor!!!! Explain, examples, demonstration, clues, etc • Cultural Relevance to the curriculum-Embrace all cultures

19. Rigor, Relevance, Relationshipsand Resilience • Differentiation (Tiered Instruction-Dr. Mary Prentiss) • Anticipatory Set-Attention Getter-object, question, story-Pull them in • Choices-”Motivation AND Inspiration”-Coach Carter • Bloom’s Taxonomy-KCAASE • Knowledge/Comprehension/Application • Analysis/Synthesis/ Evaluation • Backwards Design w/Essential Questions-Camps • Strategy for rigor-Essay writing, scoring guides

20. Best Teaching Practices: Proud Project-Bringing it back to our curriculum • Share a project you were proud of to engage your students and thinking of ‘making the invisible’ students visible. • What were the success factors in that unit? • How can WE share units that worked?? Cross pollination with schools and regional communities--we have some similar challenges and outcome expectations-www.ankn.uaf.edu

21. Next Steps • What can I do personally, and with my staff to make my invisible students visible? • What can my partner or team and I do to engage my Native students and all students • Institutional commitment: “We are ALL responsible for making a difference”--Jared Whitney, Whitman College, 2008

23. Doyck-shinQuyana Gunalcheesh Thank you

24. Web Resources Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools, Alaska Native Knowledge Network, 1998, www.ankn.uaf.edu Helping Kids Succeed- Alaska Style, Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement, March 2004, www.alaskaice.org ANSWER Camp(Alaska Native Student Wisdom Enrichment Retreat), Sheryl Weinberg, Associate Director, Southeast Regional Resource Center, sherylw@serrc.org & www.serrc.org Working Together, An Educational Handbook for Alaskan Native Familes, Juneau School District, RonaldaCadiente-Brown, Juneau School District, www.jsd.k12.ak.us Alaska Native Student Vitality: Community Perspectives on Supporting Student Success, January 2006, Malia Villegas, Ed. M, & Rebecca Prieto, B.A. The Silent Epidemic, Perspectives of High School Dropout, A Report by for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John M.Bridgeland , John J.DiIulio, Jr. http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdf