• 2007 Grant Awards

• 2006 Grant Awards

• 2005 Grant Awards

2009 Project Profiles

Bering Strait School District located in Unalakleet, AK, plans to provide pre-school services for native three and four-year-old children in three isolated communities. This project will provide three Early Childhood certified teachers to enhance and guide the early childhood programs and services in classrooms in the remote Alaska Native villages of St. Michael, Koyuk and Gambell. The project will also provide services to high school students in the Bering Strait School District to ensure successful transition to post secondary education. Alaska Native and American Indian high school students will be offered support and assistance to earn dual credit college courses in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Number of participants: 124

The Cook Inlet Tribal Council's project will emphasize high-level mathematics and science courses for Alaska Native and American Indian high school students attending Bartlett High School in the Anchorage School District. The project will formally develop a school-within-a-school cohort model for the 9th grade and provide high-level mathematics and science courses to prepare students for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The project will increase the numbers of 9th graders graduating with their cohort members at Bartlett High School and increase their competencies and skills in advanced mathematics and science subject areas. Number of participants: 160

Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, a native organization located in Juneau, AK, will improve high school student academic success through implementing the Science and Math Scholars program. This project is designed to engage Alaska Native students enrolled in the Juneau School District with a culturally responsive mathematics and science curriculum incorporating inquiry and solutions-based learning that will meet and/or exceed grade level expectations. Credit recovery coursework will be provided to students at risk of dropping out or who have dropped out and are working to re-enter Juneau School District. Early college coursework in science and mathematics will be provided and coordinated with the University of Alaska to ensure a successful transition for students from high school to higher education The project promises to facilitate future careers in the field of mathematics and science for Alaska Native students. Number of participants: 600

The program is a multi-agency effort to provide age appropriate educational programs and language skills to three- and four-year-old Indian students to prepare them for successful entry into Kindergarten. Page is partnering with the Navajo Nation Head Start program to improve the quality of preschool services offered in the district and on the reservation. Over 250 preschool students will benefit from the project across four sites on the reservation and twelve preschool classrooms on the Page campus. The program will use a scientifically based research-validated preschool curriculum, a research-demonstrated professional development program, and a comprehensive evaluation program. Number of participants: 250

The Painted Desert project will be implemented at the STAR (Service To All Relations) School located near Flagstaff, AZ. STAR School is a charter school serving Navajo students in grades K-6. The Painted Desert project will implement a Montessori-based preschool program for three and four year old Indian children who are primarily Navajo. The curriculum will integrate Navajo language and cultural components with the assistance of family members and tribal elders. Painted Desert will collaborate with Little Singer Community School to enhance the pre-school early childhood services with the 40 Developmental Assets program and Voices. Number of participants: 80

The Toulumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, located in northern California on the Toulumne Reservation, have designed a project to support Tuolumne Me-Wuk and other American Indian youth to transition successfully to post secondary education. The project will transform the after-school Learning Center into a facility that promotes academic excellence and increase high school graduation for all participants. The Learning Center will prepare high school students for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams, assist with college entrance applications and assist school-aged students who have dropped out of high school to prepare and pass high school tests in order for them to graduate with their class. Number of participants: 80

The Arlee High School, a public school on the Flathead Reservation in western Montana, has designed a college preparatory program targeting students in grades 9-12. The project will provide increased rigor, enrichment, summer support programs and specialized tutorial services provided by highly qualified certified teachers. Job embedded professional development provided by an outside service provider, emphasizes meeting high academic standards and enhances implementation of Montana's standards for Indian Education for All. The project elevates expectations and rigor in the core curriculum while providing focused temporary supports so every American Indian child is well prepared and motivated to go to college. Number of participants: 117

Omaha Public Schools will implement the Native Indian Centered Education project to serve pre-school children and high school students. The goal is to increase the number of three and four-year-old Indian students ready to successfully enter Kindergarten and to increase the number of American Indian high school students to successfully transition into post secondary education. The project will support a Native Studies Academy for high school students which will include dual credit options with Little Priest Tribal College. The pre-school program will implement the research-based Creative Curriculum and assessment. The Native Studies Academy and the pre-school program will be infused with native culture provided by tribal elders. Number of participants: 800

Alamo Navajo Community School is located on the Alamo Navajo Indian reservation near Magdalena, New Mexico. Alamo Navajo Community School is a tribally operated school, funded by the Bureau of Indian Education, serving 269 Indian students in grades K-12. This project is designed to serve three and four-year-old Indian children with an early literacy pre-school program. The program will embrace native language and culture and focus on language based literacy instruction. A variety of literacy materials incorporated with a hands-on active learning approach will provide a structured pre-school literacy curriculum and support for children whose first language is Navajo. Number of participants: 125

Rocky Mountain Elementary School is located in rural northeastern Oklahoma within the boundaries of Cherokee Nation. Rocky Mountain Elementary School will implement Project EXCEL which is designed to serve three and four-year-old Cherokee children with a school readiness program designed to ensure successful entry into kindergarten. The goals of Project EXCEL are to provide a culturally relevant, cognitive developmental curriculum to foster all aspects of child development, including developing proficiency in English. Number of participants: 160

The Native American Youth and Family Center, located in Portland, OR, plans to implement a College Readiness through Assessment and Enrichment Interventions project. The project will identify and serve the underserved native student population in the Portland metropolitan area high schools to provide enrichment intervention strategies, assessment and instruction in mathematics and science, and ACT and PSAT tutoring and preparation. This project will also conduct a city-wide Native College Fair to encourage and promote more native students to transition to post secondary education. Number of participants: 70

The Mid Central Educational Cooperative, over four years, will serve a cohort of 582 ninth grade Native American students at 11 high schools, located on or near South Dakota reservations. The program will provide services that will: increase competency and skills in challenging subject matter, including mathematics and science; improve high school graduation rates; and enable Indian students to transition successfully to postsecondary education. The program will accomplish this goal through a variety of activities that include: infusing Lakota culture and language into the classroom; providing mentoring, tutoring, and other support services; providing access to more rigorous academic coursework; and implementing personal learning plans for students. Number of participants: 582

Puget Sound Educational Service District (Washington)
S299A090016

This consortium project will significantly impact the Kindergarten readiness skills of three and four-year-old American Indian and Alaska Native children's. To achieve this goal, the delivery of a researched-based early learning curriculum will be coordinated. Services will provided in ten existing classrooms serving American Indian and Alaska Native preschool age children: eight in the Chief Leschi Schools Preschool Programs and two at the Puyallup Tribe's Grandview Early Learning Center. Early identification and classroom-based activities will be combined to support children's language and literacy with the goal of all children meeting Kindergarten readiness standards. Project activities in classrooms will be culturally relevant and literacy based to strengthen children's identity and early learning skills. As many as 600 children will be served over the four year grant period. Number of participants: 600

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, located near Bayfield, WI, have designed a pre-school project to serve and prepare three and four year old Indian children for successful transition to Kindergarten. The Red Cliff School Readiness Program consists of five integrated components that include: the Orton Gillingham multi-sensory model for emergent literacy and phonemic awareness, targeted small group instruction, cultural teaching and activities to support a positive approach to learning, targeted support for special needs children and the use of the six key factors identified in the U. S. Department of Education's Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Number of participants: 60

2008 Project Profiles

Turtle Mountain Community College will implement an Academic Readiness Project to provide services to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders attending reservation high schools in order to increase student competencies that will address education preparation for college. The Academic Readiness Project has designed an academic tutoring summer school as well as an ongoing weekend academy with a cultural influence. The Turtle Mountain Community College will collaborate with the Anishinabe Wellness and Cultural Center, Turtle Mountain Community School, Dunseith and St. John school.
Number of participants: 110

The Skokomish Indian Tribe will implement a culturally infused curriculum through the Pathways Project. Pathway to Postsecondary Opportunities (“Pathways”) is a four-year program designed to increase competencies for Skokomish Indian High School students in math and science at the 9th and 10th grade level. The program will also provide challenging course work for the 11th and 12th grade students that will employ pre-college and college courses in math and science through videoconferencing.
Number of participants: 86

The Cumberland County Schools will implement the “Native Circles Program” using a culturally research based curriculum designed for 9th-12th graders. This program infuses culturally relevant activities to insure American Indian/Alaska Native students have increased access to resources, educational workshops, and support services needed for a successful transition to postsecondary education.
Number of participants: 664

The Rocky Boy School District will implement a comprehensive program of early childhood education curricula which will increase Kindergarten readiness for 3-4 year-old American Indian/Alaska Native children in the area of math and science, children’s social/emotional skills, attendance, and parent involvement. The project will provide services to three sites which include Rocky Boy Elementary Brittany Raining Bird Center, the Early Childhood Education Center, and the Summer Kinder Camp. The partners will work together to promote and implement the curriculum improvement methodologies, including providing opportunities to utilize community members (especially parents and grandparents) as resources and partners to support the unique cultural and educational needs of Indian children.
Number of participants: 180

The Lower Kuskokwim School District will employ a preschool program that will focus on resources to meet the academic, social emotional, cognitive, and cultural needs to successfully transition American Indian/Alaska Native 3-4 year-old students to Kindergarten. The greatest results will come from the focus on school readiness, family, and community involvement. Through this program the children will grow and develop to their full potential, parents will be supported as the child’s primary nurturer, and the community will have ownership in the preschool activities and progress leading to preschools of excellence.
Number of participants: 250

The Tahlequah public schools will implement a comprehensive Postsecondary Education Preparation Program (PEP) for American Indian high school students. This project will offer an in-school support system that includes a Student Advocate, a Reconnecting Youth Program for troubled teens, leadership programs, and an ACT Prep counselor. Before, during and after school tutoring will also be available. PEP is designed to focus on secondary American Indian students’ competencies in math, science reading/language arts, and will emphasize critical thinking and problem solving skills that will impact the deficiencies in all academic areas.
Number of participants: 800

The Hannahville Indian Community will implement the Upward Bound Demonstration Project (Project: HUB), research based youth development practices and curriculums gathered to address identified needs currently hindering American Indian/Alaska Native secondary students from transitioning to various forms of post-secondary education. The program will utilize a culturally infused curriculum, to include the “Strategic Tutoring/Instructional Model,” whose mission is to make Hannahville youth independent learners. In addition, a Corporate Mentoring Program will be put into place to equip students with the skills needed to successfully graduate from high school and transition to post-secondary education.
Number of participants: 100

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis look to provide Kindergarten readiness and literacy support services for 3-4 year-old American Indian/Alaska Native children through fostering meaningful parental/community participation to increase student learning. Activities will include in-school and at-home language and literacy readiness activities and parental support/training services. The project also plans to provide educational services, including remedial instruction, to Native high school youth, in one or more core academic subjects, by offering comprehensive guidance, counseling and testing services. Activities will include individual tutoring, career/academic testing services, and homework/in-school assistance. The Confederated Tribe will collaborate with the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA) and the South Puget Sound Community College to provide comprehensive services for both of these programs.
Number of participants: 61

Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma will work in collaboration with Oklahoma State University, Pawnee Public Schools, and Pawnee Nation College to prepare American Indian/Alaska Native children for kindergarten and later school success. The Nation will implement an early learning center designed to provide Pawnee children with developmental skills necessary for Kindergarten readiness and overall school preparedness. The project will use a modified High/Scope curriculum to foster the development of cognitive, conceptual, social, and communication skills.
Number of participants: 100

The Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) will implement the K’iltinch Program, an Indigenous Knowledge of Math and Science Program designed to expand high-level math and science activities for 9th-12th grade students who enter Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) college degree programs and careers. The program looks to prepare American Indian/Alaska Native high school students to successfully transition to postsecondary education by increasing their competency and skills in challenging coursework through this supplemental education program. Two public high schools in the Anchorage School District and the University of Alaska are identified as partner organizations.
Number of participants: 80-160

The Lapwai School District will offer dual services to provide Native American high school students the support needed to graduate and be prepared for post-secondary education, as well as to provide Native American 3-4 year-old students with services to increase their skills needed to enter Kindergarten. Postsecondary outcomes will include opportunities for students to obtain college credit while attending high school, adding Advanced Placement (A.P.) courses taught by highly qualified teachers, and improving student achievement to prepare students for college. Intensive, culturally relevant programming will be utilized to increase developmental skills needed to prepare preschool children to enter Kindergarten. The program will use technology to address specific early literacy needs of preschool students and will yield a prescribed learning path for teachers to use in designing instruction.
Number of participants: 120 high school students; 12 preschool students per year

The San Juan School District First Learning Grant will investigate, develop and demonstrate innovative and promising new strategies which re-structure the student assessment, student mentoring, and referral processes for Native American high school students to ensure a successful transition into postsecondary education. The program will build on existing programs and strategies to investigate, identify, and create appropriate enrichment and advanced academic classes and programs as well. This project looks to identify and create the pathways which provide interventions to improve academic achievement for Native American high school students to successfully prepare them for college.
Number of participants: 578
(July 7, 2008)

2007 Project Profiles

Project 'High Five' serves American Indian preschool children within the Cherokee Nation. The project incorporates two research-based curricula (Creative Curriculum and Great Expectations), the infusion of Cherokee culture, parent and family involvement, as well as professional development components. The project provides activities to enhance cognitive development, language and communication skills, social/emotional and physical development to enable each child to be ready for success in kindergarten.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/08 - 6/30/11
Contact: Alicia O'Donnell at (918) 456-4221

This project is a collaboration with Dine Community College and Navajo Nation Department of Youth to address the preschool readiness and secondary education needs of Navajo youth. The preschool program includes activities that provide identification of specific early literacy needs and incorporates a culturally relevant instructional approach. The secondary school program includes technology-based instruction, software and advanced coursework for 9th -12th grade students.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Roy Kellwood at (928) 674-9517

The Cass Lake - Bena S.T.A.R. Project works collaboratively with Leech Lake Tribal College and has access to the resources of the University of Minnesota to support high school students in the transition to postsecondary education. The project will follow a cohort of 50 students entering the ninth grade in the 2007-08 school year. The project includes the integration of Cognitive Guided Instruction and indigenous concepts into the curriculum; summer coursework, a rigorous math and science curriculum; transition to college planning, with scheduled assessment and feedback to measure the effectiveness of project activities.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Anthony Hommes at (218) 335-2204

The Determination, Education, Motivation and Opportunity Project serves Navajo preschool and high school students within the school district. The preschool component uses the New Mexico Learning Outcomes Rubric and Preschool Language Scale to assess and measures the language, cognitive, conceptual and social skills for kindergarten readiness. The high school component incorporates technology based learning with PLATO and Read 180 in addition to the Advancement for Individual Determination (AVID) program to enhance and support the academic achievement and college readiness for students in both core and advanced placement classes.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Keri James at (505) 854-8009

The Native Academy Pathways Project works with approximately 300 American Indian preschoolers and high school students in early learning centers, public, alternative and charter schools. American Indian 3-4 year olds will be served through the Indian Center based program. The preschool program will utilize the Literacy Lions curriculum, combining computer based and other activities to enhance nonverbal and verbal skills, abstraction, conceptual skills and problem solving. American Indian 9th - 12th grade students will be served through the Minneapolis Public Schools. The high school component utilizes elements of the Dunn Model of learning to address cultural and academic challenges as student's progress toward graduation.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Graham Hartley at (612) 721-6631

The Doorway to Success Project is a collaborative effort between the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID) to implement best practices for 3-4 year old American Indian children. Approximately 40 children will be served. The project incorporates three (3) research based curriculum programs based on the Pearson Early Learning model with an added immersion Ojiwba and Dakota language component. The project also incorporates and encourages parent-child involvement.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 5/30/11
Contact: Michael Huerth at (612) 668-0611

The Collaborating for Student Success Project involves high school students attending two school districts (Rocky Boy and Box Elder Public Schools) serving youth on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. The project provides academic counseling and a bridge program to increase access to post secondary education for a cohort of approximately 30 students. In addition, the project integrates place-based learning methods into teaching and learning practices.
Project duration: 48 months, 4/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Clarice Morsette at (406) 395-4875

This project serves both preschool and high school students from the Spokane Tribe in a collaborative partnership that includes the Spokane Tribe, Wellpinit School District and the Spokane Tribal Head Start. Approximately 350 high school students and 175 preschool children will be served. The project design includes collaborative study groups, structured professional development activities for preschool and high school faculty, leadership development activities and technology infusion in both the preschool and high school programs.
Project duration: 48 months, 7/01/07 - 6/30/11
Contact: Julianna EagleBear at (509) 258-6737
(February 25, 2008)