Exemplary programs in Indian education

Summary: This book presents 16 exemplary programs in schools that enroll American Indian or Alaska Native students. Exemplary, by definition, means the top 5 percent of education programs in student outcomes. In most cases, these programs are in the top 1 percent. Each program entry includes contact information, a narrative description, and in some cases, awards received, documentation of student outcomes, and other relevant information. Schools range from elementary through college and include public, private, tribal, and nonprofit. Programs address student support services, comprehensive school improvement, dropout prevention, adult education, college preparation, technology integration, and other areas. All 16 programs are summarized on one page in the beginning of the book, and program characteristics are presented in chart form. A brief history of Indian education is followed by a description of the 11 elements that are characteristic of exemplary programs: acknowledgement of the problem; set priorities for problems; vision, planning; commitment; restructuring and retraining; goal setting; experimentation, testing, and evaluation; outreach; expertise; and administrative support. Appendices list criteria for exemplary programs; individuals and organizations that have recognition programs for exemplary schools and projects; and the criteria of effectiveness for exemplary programs used by the now-defunct National Diffusion Network, the U.S. Department of Education program that recognized, supported, and disseminated information on exemplary programs for 25 years before being eliminated in the budget cuts of 1995.