Noeleen O’Neill
Carroll College
Premier's Country Energy Indigenous
Education Scholarship
2010
“Supporting Indigenous Students in the
Middle Years of High School”
Focus of the study tour
The focus of my study tour was to observe and learn about successful support programs for
Indigenous students in the middle years of high school. As the Learning Support/Aboriginal
Contact teacher at my school I was particularly interested in literacy programs for adolescents
requiring additional support. I chose the USA as my major destination as I had read about a
number of support programs for Native American students and because middle schooling is a
key component of its education system. My plan was to visit schools in rural areas and on Indian
reservations to meet teachers and students involved in:
 Middle school Literacy Intervention programs
 smaller learning communities
 after school programs
 programs to encourage attendance
 mentoring programs
 student advisory programs
 Native American cultural programs
 targeted interventions for at risk students
 other programs to keep students in school.
Itinerary
In April 2010 I spent four weeks travelling through Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and
Arizona. I had the privilege of visiting many schools, attending two first class conferences and
experiencing a number of significant cultural events.
My first school visit was to Wyoming Indian Middle School on the Wind River Reservation in
Wyoming. From there I travelled north visting a number of elementary, middle and high schools
in rural towns in Wyoming and Montana. I was fortunate to be able to experience a Native
American Powwow and visit the Little Big Horn National Monument and the Wounded Knee
Massacre site. After attending the Montana Indian Education Association Conference in Billings,
I travelled east to South Dakota. In Rapid City I met with staff and students at Central High and
learnt about the Lokolkiciyapi1 program. The final week of my tour in the USA was spent visiting
the Navajo Reservation, schools in Arizona and attending the National Middle Schools
Association’s Conference in Las Vegas. Upon my return to Australia I travelled to central western
New South Wales to visit schools in Moree and Walgett where excellent programs have been
developed to support Aboriginal students.
Significant Learning
Throughout the study tour I realised a number of key elements were common to the most
successful programs and schools. For Aboriginal and Native American students to achieve, the
following components must be recognised as important:
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concepts of honor and culture
the value of family
developing close relationships between teachers and students, and
Lakota means “an alliance of people working together”
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having high expectations of students
Honor and culture
Wyoming Indian Middle School is on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. It caters for
approximately 180 Year 6 to 8 students from the Arapaho and Shoshone Tribes. I was
immediately struck by the sense of belonging and the celebration of Native American culture at
the school. Three days per week students attend either Arapaho or Shoshone Language and
culture classes. Student work – posters, artwork and items of cultural significance were
displayed at the school entrance and in every hallway and classroom. Cora Willow, the school’s
Arapaho Language teacher, and her students shared knowledge of the Arapaho culture and
attempted to teach me to bead. We discussed the importance of teaching the language to the
children. She explained that the grandparents still speak the language but the children’s parents
do not. As a result of the “boarding school” period and the non existence of Native American
languages in local schools, the native language was lost to the parent’s generation. Historically,
the Shoshone and Arapaho people learned in a nontraditional manner; they did not read or
write. Functional education was passed on as a hands-on experience from mothers, fathers,
uncles, aunts, grandparents and great grandparents to their children. Meaning, purpose and
values were transmitted orally through story telling. Although Cora mentioned the challenges of
life on the reservation, I felt a real sense of looking to the future. The students were encouraged
to be proud of their culture and to speak and act in an honorable manner. The school’s motto
‘Honoring The Past, Challenging The Future’ sums up everything I witnessed during my visit.
Success at the school stems from a belief in the importance of Native American traditional and
cultural values combined with modern educational outcomes. Reliance on the strong cultural
traditions of the grandparents and great grandparents is integral to education on the Wind River
Reservation.
Arapaho students at Wyoming Indian
Middle School using buckskin and
beads to create key rings
As a part of Montana’s Indian Education For All policy, the Office of Public Instruction developed
an "Honor your Self" poster series featuring 22 Native American role models from across the
state. The individuals depicted in the posters represent all 12 tribal nations in Montana, both
urban and reservation, and all were nominated by their communities, tribal elders and leaders.
They represent a broad spectrum of experiences, colleges, careers, and paths to success. The
posters are an excellent resource for presenting contemporary portraits and experiences of
Native Americans. They stress the importance of being proud, working hard, staying in school,
setting positive goals, and following dreams. During my study tour I saw these posters
prominently displayed in every middle and high school that I visited.
I had the privilege of attending the 35th American
Indian Council Powwow at the Montana State
University. Today powwows are still very much a part
of the lives of many Native Americans. Many families
have moved to urban areas and, as part of their desire
to maintain their cultural identities, have continued to
hold intertribal celebrations. Powwows enable them
to interact with Native Americans from other tribes, as
well as expose their children to the culture. Each tribe
was well represented in the dancing and singing.
Children as young as two through to elders competed
in the different dances. The traditional costumes and
decorations were spectacular. I particularly enjoyed
the drumming as each tribe attempted to outperform
the previous one. The circle is an important symbol to
Native Americans; the symbol of the life cycle. The
dancers were in the centre of a circle, the drums and
the audience formed a circle around them, and the
food and other stalls were on the outside. Powwows
bring the circle of people closer to their family, friends and One of the ‘Honor your Self’ posters Native American culture. I certainly witnessed immense
Montana Office of Public Instruction
honour and pride at the powwow in Montana.
Value of family
Research has consistently linked family involvement to higher student achievement, improved
attitudes to school, increased attendance and retention and other positive outcomes for
students. It is well recognised that when schools develop positive school-family connections,
students benefit greatly.
The extended family is particularly important to Native American students. Grandparents play a
major role in the children’s lives. In many cases grandparents are bringing up the children
themselves. I found this to be similar to the situation in Australia with Aboriginal families. Sadly,
substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, unemployment and poverty have resulted in parents
being unable to cope with the demands of parenting and children being neglected. Fortunately
for the children, grandparents often take over the parenting role.
I was fortunate to be invited to attend the Montana Indian Education Association (MIEA)
Conference in Billings, Montana. The importance of family could not have been more evident.
Many attendees brought their families with them to the three day conference. Appropriate
activities were organised for participants’ spouses, grandparents and children. Key note
speakers emphasised the need for close family-school relationships. Issues such as attendance
and truancy cannot be addressed without a partnership with family. During the study tour I
spoke with many principals and teachers about ways of fostering family and school connections.
It was suggested that Native American students benefit greatly if schools:
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appoint a personal contact person at the school for family members to communicate
with;
establish immediate personal contact with the family before any problems arise;
recognise and build on the cultural values of families;
create a welcoming and relaxed environment for families at the school;
facilitate accommodations for family involvement such as transportation, use of service
providers, alternative parent/teacher meeting times;
provide family counselling to find positive solutions; and
recognise the need for home visits as some families are unable to come to the school.
Close relationships between teachers and students
Throughout the study tour it became apparent to me that the most important contributor to
success is the relationship between the students and their teachers. It is essential that students
feel connected and genuinely cared for by at least one adult at school.
According to Denise Juneau, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Montana, teachers may
think that it is good teaching and resources that create success for Native American students;
however the students themselves believe it is more about having a close relationship with a
teacher. At the MIEA conference a number of students from different tribal groups spoke about
their experiences at school, both positive and negative. Each student stated that they needed to
feel that they were liked, respected and genuinely cared for. In schools where there is trust,
caring and support there is higher attendance, higher student engagement and performance,
and lower rates of suspensions and drop outs.
My visit to Central High in Rapid City was eye opening. It has over 2,000 Yr 9 to 12 students, 500
Native American students and approximately 100 homeless students. Rapid City is the closest
city to the Pine Ridge Reservation, the poorest reservation in the USA. Unemployment is around
85 percent and nearly half of its residents live below the poverty level. Adolescent suicide is four
times the national average and the infant mortality rate is five times the national average. Many
of the families have no electricity, telephone, running water or sewerage. Most alarming for me
are the life expectancy figures on the reservation: 47 years for males and 52 for females, the
lowest anywhere in the western hemisphere.
Central High has implemented a number of programs to support its Native American students.
Experience has shown that Native American students in their freshman year (Yr 9) are most at
risk of dropping out of school. The transition from middle school to high school is a particularly
difficult time for students. In their freshman year students lose their core teacher and move to a
traditional high school setting, where it is more difficult for close relationships to be established.
According The National Dropout Prevention Center, the core strategies for keeping students in
school are mentoring, tutoring, after school programs and “alternative” programs.
The Lakolkiciyapi centre at Central High was established to provide for the academic and social
needs of Native American students. It is a designated room where students come for advice and
support to stay in school. Its aims are to help students build connections with high school,
improve self confidence and develop academic and cultural awareness.
According to Principal Mike Talley, Lakolkiciyapi is a "learning center" for students whose
academic progress doesn't match what teachers see as their potential. Students learn the core
curriculum are supported to improve their study and social skills. The Lakolkiciyapi is staffed by
four dedicated teachers called “Graduation Coaches” whose role is to:
 check attendance and make daily contact;
 monitor students’ grades and assessment schedules;
 develop individual learning plans for students;
 provide a mentoring program, using staff and community members;
tutor and assist with homework during students open blocks (free periods) 2
 ; carry out a weekly homework “blitz”;
 provide study and snacks during open blocks;
 coordinate an after school program to help fill the afternoon "gap time" with
constructive and engaging activities;
 organise field trips including cultural experiences, career exploration and college visits;
and
 provide stationary and art supplies to students in need.
Back home in Australia I was fortunate to be able to spend time at Walgett Community College
High School (95 percent Aboriginal students) and Moree Secondary College, Carol Ave Campus
(50% percent Aboriginal students). It was to heartening to see many of the strategies that I saw
being implemented in the USA already in place in central western New South Wales.
Undoubtedly there are many challenges for schools where such large percentages of students
come from disadvantaged backgrounds. In both schools, however, I felt a real sense of being
positive and celebrating success. Paula Barton, Principal at Moree and Peter Nichols, Deputy
Principal at Walgett shared with me a range of support programs for Aboriginal and non
Aboriginal students. Genuine personal relationships between students and teachers appeared to
be the key to everything that was working for Aboriginal students. At Moree, the “Star of the
Week” and “Student of the Month” awards are used to encourage effort in academic and social
areas. A lunchtime an assessment assistance program is conducted four days a week to assist
Year 9 students with assessment tasks. A mentoring program has also been established for at
risk students. Teachers are supported to be part of the program and are allocated a period
towards it. At Walgett, Peter Nichols spoke of the need for teachers and students to develop
close relationships. Teaching Aboriginal students requires the teacher to know the student’s
culture. For effective classroom management teachers need to understand cultural responses
including the concept of shame and a range of coping behaviors. Peter used the example of a
student preferring to stand up to a teacher and rip up work rather than look stupid and
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Freshman students are now unable to leave campus during open blocks as many did
not return
ashamed in front of his peers. At Walgett the Transition program from primary to secondary, the
merit system where award categories, levels and certificates are tied to Aboriginal language and
culture and the breakfast club each play a part in encouraging attendance and improving
educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.
Need for high expectations of students
A strong message at the MIEA conference was that, for Native American students to achieve,
expectations of them must be much higher. Studies have shown that teachers’ deficit views and
low expectations of Native American students inevitably produce compromised classroom
learning. Such views result in a negative cycle where students only produce what is expected of
them. Reduced instructional time, use of worksheets rather than authentic writing, lower order
questions, low levels of feedback and the ignoring of inappropriate behaviors are examples of
classroom practices accompanying low teacher expectations.
Teachers must have the highest expectations of all students but particularly those who are
disadvantaged and stereotyped as being underachievers. To close the gap between
Aboriginal/Native American students and their non-Indigenous peers, they need to improve at
an even greater rate. For this to happen, teachers of Aboriginal/Native American students must
believe that the students are capable of the effort needed to achieve this improvement.
Teachers of classrooms with high expectations ensure that:
 learning time is maximised,
 all learning is real life and meaningful ,
 students are engaged in challenging content,
 new learning is linked to prior knowledge,
 assessment is authentic,
 feedback is positive and informative,
 students make choices and take ownership of the their learning,
 literacy is purposeful,
 scaffolding is provided but then removed,
 repetition is provided,
 literacy is explicitly taught and modeled,
 culturally appropriate materials /texts are used,
 explicit and contextualized teaching of text types is provided,
 adapted work is not ’dumbed down’,
 students write independently and frequently, and
 trial and error is incorporated into learning.
I had the opportunity to attend all three of Janet Allen’s “literacy across the content areas”
sessions at the National Middle School Association’s Middle level Essentials conference in Las
Vegas. Janet is an international literacy consultant recognised for her work in developing
effective instructional strategies to teach literacy to adolescents. She is particularly known for
her work with at risk students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Prior to my study tour I was
familiar with some of Janet’s Tools for Teaching Content Literacy but having the opportunity to
meet and listen to her in person was brilliant. In interactive workshops on teaching nonfiction
writing, content literacy and vocabulary Janet shared her wealth of experience in the classroom.
She modeled how to engage reluctant students and explicitly teach reading and writing across
all content areas. Janet talked of the need for teachers to lift their expectations of students,
especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She spoke about the dangers of handing out
graphics organizers and worksheets and limiting the time students spend writing independently.
There is a renewed push across the USA and Australia for students to be engaged in purposeful
writing.
At the Grand Canyon Middle and High School in Arizona, the staff has high expectations of its
students’ social and academic development. The Discovery Program at the school is a concrete,
skills-based program that strives to create positive change in students. It is a combination of
direct instruction, teacher modeling, practice and positive feedback. Through this program
students develop many of the social skills necessary to be successful in school and in life. The
Discovery Program, although not developed specifically for Native American students, is a very
important part of their education. It incorporates five sequential units:
 anger management,
 communication skills,
 assertiveness training,
 problem solving, and
 conflict resolution.
At Moree Secondary College a number of initiatives has been introduced to increase student
engagement and achievement. The school has implemented four 75 minute periods a day to
maximise learning time and limit “wandering” and truancy. Reading to Learn, a scaffolded
literacy program specifically developed for Aboriginal learners and Quicksmart, a Maths
program to support instant recall of Maths facts, have both been utilised successfully at Moree.
At Powell Middle School in Wyoming and Sacajawea Middle school in Montana, block scheduling
is used to maximise learning time in the core subjects of language arts, maths and writing. The
daily literacy block is an uninterrupted two hour schedule where students rotate through a
variety of instructional reading and writing sessions. The learning support staff is an important
part of the program, providing additional individual and small group instruction. Teachers are
provided with appropriate planning time to ensure the literacy block is effectively organised,
lessons are of the highest quality and assessment and reporting are completed.
My visit to Sacajawea Middle School was exceptional. It was definitely a school where high
expectations were the norm. I experienced its smaller learning communities in Years 6 to 8,
developed to enhance greater student-teacher relationships. Its Advisory classes involved
guidance, study strategies and home-school communication. Access classes allowed students to
receive additional instruction in literacy or maths and enrichment classes, exposing students to
a wide variety of different learning opportunities. I was equally impressed by the amount of
student work on display on every wall and hallway in the school, something common to all
middle schools in the USA.
References
For further information:
Aboriginal Education
Aboriginal educational contexts website http://ab-ed.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/indigenous
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/aboriginaleducation
http://www.daretolead.edu.au
http://www.whatworks.edu.au
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/crosscurriculum/aboriginal
Native American Education
Office of Public Instruction, Montana - Indian Education for All ww.opi.state.mt.us/IndianEd
Montana Indian Education Association www.mtiea.org
Middle schooling
National Middle School Association www.nmsa.org
Middle Years of Schooling Association www.mysa.org.au
Teaching in the Middle Years
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/middleyears/index.htm
Turning Points Transforming Middle schools http://www.turningpts.org/
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/highschool/middleyrs/
Other
www.janetallen.org
www.pluggedintoreading.com