Native American Language Grant (NAL@ED)

Objectives: This project has several primary goals: 1.1a Increase the number of teachers and other instructional staff certified in Navajo instruction. 1.1b Increase teacher professional learning around Navajo instruction. 1.2a Revise and enhance language assessment to accurately assess student language skills. 1.2b Increase instruction time in Navajo by 20- 30 minutes per day. 1.2c Increase student proficiency in Navajo. 2 Increase the number of students showing an improvement in Math achievement through instruction provided in Navajo. 3.1 Increase student motivation and positive engagement in school activities and improve attendance. 3.2 Provide at least 12 hours of language and culture opportunities for students and their families each academic year, including two or more college and career exploration events for students and families each year.

Primary Activities: Increasing Navajo instructional time daily through a language immersion camp; enhancing assessment tools; providing teacher professional development and language certification; and providing a comprehensive family engagement program.

Outcomes: Increase Navajo language proficiency, increase academic achievement, as well as increase student engagement.

Objectives: By the end of the first project year, this project will design curriculum following a scope and sequence through a backward framework for grades Kindergarten through fifth grade, including additional development of pre-and post-assessments, that align with immersion pedagogy and cultural competency. It will be classroom ready to implement starting year two of the project. There will be at least four staff who will enroll in secondary education Ojibwemowin classes. By the end of the second project year, at least 75 elementary students will take grade-level Ojibwemowin class in 1st through 5th grade, instructed by a licensed 2nd language instructor testing proficient to enter the next years Ojibwemowin course. The scope and sequence will be designed through a backward framework for grades sixth through twelfth grade including the development of pre-and post-assessments, that aligns with immersion pedagogy and cultural competency that will be classroom ready to implement starting year three of the project. At least four staff will enroll in secondary education Ojibwemowin classes, at least two staff will continue toward a language certificate/degree. By the end of the third project year, at least 75 students will be enrolled in grade-level appropriate Ojibwemowin courses in the 6th through 12th grades, instructed by a licensed 2nd language instructor, and they must test proficient to enter the next year’s Ojibwemowin course (12th-grade students enroll in higher education Ojibwemowin courses for dual enrollment). At least four staff will enroll in secondary education Ojibwemowin classes, and at least two staff will continue toward a language certificate/degree.

Primary Activities: Creation of backward frameworks curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade incorporating immersion pedagogy and cultural competency, which will be ready to implement in year two of the project. In addition, providing professional development for project staff to increase their own proficiency and cultural competencies for a holistic approach within the school.

Outcomes: a) To give students access to immersion-based language classes in Ojibwemowin as they progress through grade-level curriculum taught by licensed second language teachers to produce high-level proficient speakers, b) Students will develop the skills necessary to be language leaders in the community, go on to secondary school for further education (LCO Ojibwe University), and c) students will understand/develop who they are as Anishinaabeg which in return will help our students and community become stronger and healthier.
 

Objectives: Objective 1. By the end of year one, an interactive, survey-based census will be developed and administered to at least 100 adult members of the Lakota-speaking community in the Wounded Knee District School service region to identify 30 speaker-learner pairs to participate in the project to understand the role and use of Lakota within homes. Objective 2. By the end of year three, two intergenerational Lakota language teachers will have supported 30 speaker-learner pairs in advancing language proficiency in the home. Objective 3. By the end of year three, at least 85% of student participants will demonstrate improvement of at least one level on the Interagency Language Roundtable scale.

Primary Activities: This project includes tailored support and differentiated instruction, resource allocation and accessibility, cultural sensitivity, community engagement, logistical planning, and flexibility. It uses evidence-based best practices to enhance and expand Lakota language education. This instructional approach impacts school, homes, and the community. Combined, the following actions will provide environments where Lakota is spoken as the primary language of communication, a critical component of language learning: Creation of speaker–learner pairs comprised of adult fluent speakers and students who live in their home and attend Wounded Knee District School; three hours of on-campus Lakota language immersion instruction; and monthly Lakota-language immersion meals and social events.

Outcomes: The outcome of this project’s implementation is the measurable increase in Lakota language speakership among K–8 aged students as measured by an increase in one step of performance on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale; the development of companion curriculums will bridge the gap between in-school and at-home instruction and foster instruction between fluent language speakers and new language learners.

Objectives: Over the period of the project, the grantee will establish an educational cohort to participate in language education workshops monthly and to develop a Tlingit language curriculum framework that supports language instruction with core content at all elementary grade levels. The project will create 14 language curriculum units per year resulting in 42 elementary units completed by year three (six per grade levels K to 6). The Tlingit language curricula will be taught at all elementary grade levels within the Sayeik School to serve 40 Alaska Native /Native American students annually increasing fluency each year and will develop accelerated second language acquisition learning support tools, strength-based new language pre- and post-assessments, and administer pre- and post-tests to measure and support fluency growth. We will implement professional development annually on language curriculum development and teaching methodology to the new cohort of educators, enhance youth and family language learning through monthly language and literacy learning gatherings, and provide summer language immersion gatherings and language resource sharing for youth, families, Juneau School District partner educators, and the community.

Primary Activities: The program serves 40 youth with direct language instruction annually and provides monthly family language instruction to 40 families. Program serves 8 language mentors and 15 core content partner teachers with professional development: 40 family and community members will benefit from monthly language gatherings and summer language opportunities; 7 additional JSD school sites benefit from language curriculum shared and pre- and post-assessments.

Outcomes: Project Outcomes include 42 Tlingit language and culturally responsive core content curriculum units in the subjects of math, science, language arts and social studies, traditional arts and community engagement; completion of 500 accelerated second language acquisition language resource extensions to accompany curriculum units; completion of 42 pre and posttest assessments per curriculum unit supporting and measuring fluency development.

Objectives: Over the period of the project, students served by the project will improve proficiency by at least one level in the Diné language on pre- and post-assessments of Diné language proficiency and will increase annually by 10% the number and percentage of students progressing in learning a Native language through Diné language proficiency assessments. Students’ language levels will increase by 10% annually and ensure that the average daily attendance of participating students at STAR School exceeds the average daily attendance of all students in a comparison group within the Navajo Nation. Additionally, we will establish a Family Diné Language Program to increase use of Diné language in the home and support their children’s language acquisition.

Primary Activities: This project will increase the percentage of the school day that students spend learning in the Diné language by incorporating content specific Diné language immersion lessons into the core subject classrooms where ELA, math and science are taught. This will be accomplished by hiring a Diné Language Coordinator and two additional Diné Language Teachers. The STAR School Diné Language Assessment will be used to monitor student progress in Native language acquisition.

Outcomes: 90% of STAR students served will improve proficiency by at least one level in the Diné language within the program period. Participating students will increase progress yearly by 10% in learning a Native language, as measured against Yr. 1 baseline data. Participating students will show 10% yearly improvement in academic outcomes as measured against Yr. 1 baseline data. The average daily attendance of participating students will exceed the average daily attendance of all students attending the Leupp Schools. At least 50% of STAR school families engage and participate in Family Diné Language Program.

Objectives: Over the period of the project, the grantee will publish a series of books in Unangam Tunuu to preserve cultural stories, history, and language for future generations in Years 2 and 3. The project will publish Unangam Tunuu children’s workbooks to engage and educate young learners in Years 2 and 3, and also create a Unangam Tunuu resource portal through https://learn.aleut.com/ to consolidate Unangam Tunuu learning resources by the end of Year 3. Finally, the project will provide afterschool and summer Unangam Tunuu immersion programs for K-8 grade by the end of Year 1.

Primary Activities: This multi-faceted project will include the development of new, engaging, and age appropriate Unangam Tunuu learning materials that can be used within our education programs and at home to engage families in their children’s learning activities. BSC will publish 8-12 UT books on core concepts (and beyond) in Years 2 and 3 of the projects. Additionally, the project will include the publication of educational workbooks that will facilitate learning by providing hands-on practice and encouraging active participation. The workbooks will incorporate visual elements as well as various exercises, activities, and assignments designed to make concepts more engaging and accessible for young learners. To overcome barriers of access and allow UT learners in geographically dispersed areas to benefit from this program, the project will incorporate the newly created educational materials into an easy-to-use online portal. Finally, the design and creation of afterschool and summer Unangam Tunuu immersion programs will create new opportunities for K-8 students to reinforce learning concepts, build upon previous knowledge, and practice what they have learned.

Outcomes: Families will report increased access for students to UT language (caregiver survey, caregiver focus groups, quarterly caregiver workgroups). Families will report use of UT language resources (caregiver survey, caregiver focus groups, quarterly caregiver workgroups). Distribution of UT language resources in the community (program documentation). Participating students make progress in learning a UT (student pre and post- UT language assessment). Participating students demonstrate age-appropriate proficiency in UT (student pre- and post- UT language assessment).

Objectives: The project goal is to revitalize the Numu (northern Paiute) language and Indigenous knowledge in northern Nevada for more than 130 PreK through 5th grade students currently enrolled at Natchez Elementary School (Natchez ES) located in Wadsworth, NV. Natchez ES is a WCSD public school located on the sovereign lands of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT). A historic agreement executed 40 years ago created an opportunity to leverage the resources of the nation’s 56th largest school district to support a public school on Tribal lands with 98% of the current students federally recognized Tribal members. In the past, Natchez ES was led by a system that supported learning through dominate cultural practices with the cultural practices of the Numu People on the fringes. The YMSF project intends to change this dynamic through three objectives: a) Center Numu language and cultural practices in instruction in PreK through 5th grade through multi-disciplinary, culturally relevant instructional units and project-based learning, b) increased student well-being through engagement, love of learning, awareness of cultural and linguistic identity, and c) expand student and family engagement in culture, language and traditional ways of knowing and being.

Primary Activities: To revitalize the Numu (northern Paiute) language and Indigenous knowledge in northern Nevada and to have 100% of students participate in cultural activities in the classroom and community.

Outcomes: Major outcomes of the project include: 1) 100% of students will receive embedded cultural identity and Numu language instruction; 2) 100% of students participate in cultural activities in the classroom and community; and 3) At least 25% of Natchez ES families engage in cultural family activities with a 5% increase each year.

Objectives: The proposed project aims to expand the existing Paiute and Shoshoni language program in the following ways: Goal 1: Increase the number and percentage of students who obtain Native language proficiency and who make language learning gains each year. Goal 2: Expand the Native language program beyond the elementary school to include the junior high and high school. Goal 3: Develop a web-based resource that supports Native language classroom lessons, so students, parents, and community members can practice the language together outside of school hours. Goal 4: Engage public school teachers and administrators more directly in Native language program planning and implementation. To ensure students’ progress toward grade-level and developmentally appropriate fluency in the Native American language, the Shoshone Paiute Tribes Native Language Program uses the Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI) Proficiency Benchmarks, which identify what knowledge and skills are most appropriate to focus on at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced stages of learning. Task-based performance assessments developed over the previous 3 years of the language program will be refined and expanded as part of the proposed project.

Primary Activities: The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes propose to work with its partners, the Owyhee Combined School of the Elko County School District and Boise State University, to improve and expand Native American Language education and provide professional development for Native language teachers, with the goal of strengthening the overall language and academic goals of the school and community. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Native Language. Program has two languages of instruction: Northern Paiute and Western Shoshoni. Over the past 3 years, instruction in these languages has taken place in Owyhee Elementary School during the regular school day, as well as outside of school hours, during after school and summer school programs.

Outcomes: To develop a “push-in” model, where elder Native language teachers visit existing elementary classes to offer lessons in Paiute and Shoshoni. This allows elders from the community, who are not licensed teachers, to teach in the presence of licensed public-school teachers.

Objectives: This project will substantially enhance the quality and effectiveness of Cherokee language education at the Cherokee Immersion Charter School by improving teacher language proficiency and teaching methodologies, ensuring an immersive and culturally rich learning environment for students, and fostering a sustainable model of continuous professional growth among educators over 36 months.

Primary Activities: Think Cherokee will be implemented to provide Cherokee education and development for Cherokee students and customized individual professional development for teachers to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the Cherokee Immersion Charter School that the project will serve. Project Staff, including First Language Speakers and Second Language Learners, will work with the students and teachers to identify and address learning gaps and language deficiencies.

Outcomes: This project will lead to several significant outcomes such as enhanced teacher language proficiency, improved teaching methodologies, improved student language acquisition, increased cultural awareness, professional development sustainability, community engagement; improved academic performance, replicable model for language preservation programs; professional growth for teachers; and adaptable education practices. These outcomes align with the overall goal of strengthening the Cherokee language and the academic achievements at the Cherokee Immersion Charter School while contributing to preserving and revitalizing the Cherokee language. school teachers.

Objectives: The Anchorage School District, an LEA that meets Absolute Priority #1, proposes to create, implement and sustain the district’s first Indigenous middle level language immersion program, in partnership with Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), Cook Inlet Native Head Start (CINHS), and Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC). By the end of grade 6, participating students will attain intermediate-mid in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing on STAMP 4Se assessment. By the end of grade 7, participating students will attain Intermediate-Mid in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing on STAMP WS. By the end of grade 8, participating students will attain Intermediate-High in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing on STAMP WS. All Yup’ik Immersion Students at Wendler Middle School regularly. All staff at Wendler Middle School will have professional development about Native cultural identity Title VI services will administer community engagement projects at Wendler Middle School. Students will share their feedback in shaping the parameters of the Yup’ik expansion.

Primary Activities: Main activities will include advanced curriculum development and implementation of the Yup’ik Middle-level immersion program, Yup’ik Elective courses, hiring and training of high-quality staff who speak Yup’ik, utilizing the STAMP 4Se assessment to assess a national standard for Yup’ik proficiency, and providing a summer immersion institute to train staff from all over the state in high-quality immersion pedagogical practices Additionally, they will work to improve and increase family engagement and administer cultural identity and immersion-specific professional development for middle school teachers, administrators, and will work to address the policy focus areas of promoting educational equity, inclusion, and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students by creating a rigorous, engaging, and well-rounded Yup’ik immersion program at Wendler Middle School.

Outcomes: The anticipated outcome of this project includes the successful implementation of a middle-level Yup’ik Immersion program, an increase in the number of students who attain proficiency in a Native language, an increase in attendance rates, and an increase in cultural connectedness at the school. Contributions to research, policy, and practice for this grant include the development of middle-level curriculum and instructional plans in Yup’ik and annual external assessments of programmatic impact.

Objectives: This project will expand the study of the Navajo language and culture. The expectation reflects in-depth understanding of Navajo knowledge and inquiry; to increase the rigor of assessments for language and culture proficiency; and expand student access to language and culture through academic coursework.

Primary Activities: The study of knowledge and language/knowledge and Indigenous societies will be integrated into the IB core course Theory of Knowledge and linked into all IB coursework. This groundbreaking approach to indigenous language and culture integration will yield a better understanding among students and teachers of the parameters of language, how the Navajo language reconnects them with their identities, how knowledge promotes meaningful Diné dialogue, and how integrating language with core academic learning erases artificial lines separating knowledge gained. The project will help students to develop critical thinking skills in a transdisciplinary context while prioritizing Diné language and culture.

Outcomes: All students in grades 9 to 12 are enrolled in Navajo language curriculum. Students and teachers develop a strong understanding of Navajo language and culture. 80% of students demonstrate higher thinking through critical examination of knowledge questions of Navajo language and culture. All students identify links between knowledge and the Navajo culture and world. All teachers report greater understanding of the Navajo language and culture as a holistic approach to academic learning.

Objectives: This project will provide a comprehensive Native American Languages program to facilitate language acquisition and proficiency for students, 2) increase student academic performance, 3) collaborate with Tribes to create and provide a comprehensive digital language curriculum that supports preservation/revitalization efforts.

Primary Activities: Teachers will contact parents/guardians upon student enrollment providing program and contact information and will continue direct contact once per month throughout the course. Teachers and staff will hold quarterly student/ parent/ teacher virtual round tables to discuss the courses, and student progress, and provide a time for Native language interaction. The Native language program will hold a virtual cultural summit each semester where students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the language and culture they have been learning with parents and family members invited to the presentations. Once per quarter, a reflection narrative will be administered to students and families to gain further insight into the curriculum, learning process, level of involvement, etc. The feedback will provide direction in the design and delivery of content. The Native language program will collaborate closely with the Title VI Indian Education program at Epic. Students and families will be encouraged to get involved in the many cultural activities (dances, beading, storytelling, etc.) provided to further enhance the cultural component of learning a Native language as well as the academic support offered. A monthly newsletter highlighting the cultural opportunities will be shared.

Outcomes: Anticipated outcome is a two-year course in Maskoke Seminole that meets Oklahoma Academic Standards for World Languages completed and offered to students based on the implementation timeline but no later than the end of the grant. By the end of the grant period, a two-year language course template that can be utilized with other Native American languages will be complete. They will increase the number of students enrolling in Native languages courses for credit each semester and increase the number of students completing Native language courses with novice mid/high proficiency.

FY 2023

Lawton Public Schools project is designed to implement courses in the Comanche and Kiowa Languages for 594 Comanche and 145 Kiowa students. This project aligns with the grant guidance as the first priority in developing a new language program in schools. These courses would support ongoing efforts of the tribes to revitalize their language and culture in the region. The district will administer pre-and post-instruction assessments to measure growth in Native American language proficiency. In addition, the instructors perform ongoing assessments of progress made throughout the courses. The district's assessments have been developed by language resource specialists who are recognized and employed by the tribes to develop and/or revitalize language and culture. To guide instruction and assessment, we will use American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) assessed proficiency levels with the targets for instruction with Novice Low student proficiency attained in August 2022 Novice Mid proficiency expected by December 2022 and students approaching the Novice High proficiency level in May 2023 at the end of the first year of instruction. The second year of Comanche and Kiowa instruction would follow the same general timeframe expectations with an Intermediate Low to High trajectory replacing the first-year Novice Low to High expectations. The district's expected outcome is to enable students to complete three sections each of Comanche I and Kiowa I (Novice level) and two sections each of Comanche II and Kiowa II (Intermediate level) by the end of the grant.

The mission of the Kiowa Tribe's Kiowa Language Program (KLP) is "to protect and perpetuate the Kiowa language for future generations." For the past six years, the Kiowa Tribe has built capacity for Kiowa language revitalization, working towards Kiowa-language instruction for kindergarten through grade 12 students. The Tribe will forge collaborative partnerships with two local public-school districts to teach the Kiowa language at the high school level at two school sites and identify future Kiowa Language Teacher Candidates.
Outcomes: The project will provide Kiowa language classes at: 1) Anadarko High School (students in grades 9 through 12; with a minimum of 20 students taught per school year) for three years; and 2) Carnegie High School (students in grades 9 through 12; with a minimum of 20 students taught per school year) for three years. This program will serve an estimated 120 participating Native American and Alaska Native students over the course of the three-year project.

The project has two primary goals: 1) the Anishinaabe Language Revitalization Department (ALRD) will increase access to Anishinaabemowin language-learning opportunities by 50% for all Sasiwaans Immersion School children and their families as well as for SCIT at-large; and 2) professional development opportunities for program staff will increase by 50%. The project will support 120 students over the course of the three-year grant period. Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe ALRD will contract with five guest Anishinaabemowin language speakers per project year, who will present demonstrations for children at the Sasiwaans Immersion School. ALRD will record them as they speak the language for use in future classes, allowing speakers to become an additional resource of language learning for the Tribe. Pursuant to Goal #1, ALRD will host bi-monthly meal-prep language courses as well as annual language workshops. Additionally, the project will support three professional-development opportunities per project year for four ALRD staff members. ALRD has identified a need for services to sustain their program efforts with the overall purpose of assistance in defraying costs associated with training ALRD staff and supporting the programing and services offered by ALRD.

FY 2022

Objective: This project has four primary goals: (1) increase the percentage of participating students who attain proficiency in the Dakotah Language as measured by the Stanford Foreign Language Oral Skills Evaluation Matrix (FLOSEM) by 5% by the end of the project; (2) improve student Dakotah Language learning by a minimum of 5 points annually as measured by Stanford FLOSEM; (3) increase by at least 80% the average number of participating students who meet or exceed expected academic growth as measured on the annual (fall to spring) Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment, and (4) increase participating student engagement in school by achieving higher attendance rates than peers in area schools, measured by comparing the combined average daily attendance rate for students in kindergarten through grade eight.
Primary Activities: This project includes teaching through Dakotah Language immersion in classrooms and teaching the Dakotah Language in classes that do not have immersion using a variety of effective methodologies including Total Physical Response, Task-Based Language Teaching, Direct Approach, and the Communicative Method, as well as through culturally relevant, custom-designed Dakotah Language curriculum.
Outcomes: The overarching goal of this project is to revitalize Dakotah Language proficiency within the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe by incorporating the principles of the six facets of the Enemy Swim Day School model, which includes rapid language acquisition, immersion classrooms, core vocabulary, fluency activities, parent and community involvement, and social media and applications.

Objective: This project encompasses five goals: (1) expand Navajo language curriculum to build stronger identity; (2) increase student awareness of the global network of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and languages; (3) increase availability of language assessments; (4) increase student engagement through storytelling and original stories; and (5) increase parent involvement.
Primary Activities: Navajo Preparatory School is adding two new components to its existing Culture and Language program, as follows: (1) Students will be encouraged to "create their own stories" that reflect their commitment to the Navajo language, culture, traditions, and people. These stories will augment the stories that students have been collecting from their families and elders. (2) Navajo Preparatory School will introduce an International Student Exchange Program with Maori students in New Zealand.
Outcomes: Enroll 100% of students in Navajo language curriculum and 100% in professional development engagement. Six students annually will participate in an on-site international exchange program with Maori populations in New Zealand, with 100% of students participating via Zoom. Student fluency in both oral and written Navajo language will increase by 20%. In addition, 40% of students will create original heritage stories, and 60% of parents will attend quarterly Zoom meetings.

Objective: Develop and maintain new Native American language programs. To meet this goal, Two Eagle River School (TERS) proposes to develop and maintain a Native American Language instruction program in the Ksanka language that will support Ksanka language education and development for Native American students, as well as provide professional development for teachers, staff, and administrators to strengthen overall language and academic goals in accordance with Title VI Indian Education Formula Grant requirements. The project will dedicate 100% of future funding to Ksanka Language instruction.
Primary Activities: TERS will partner with the Kootenai Culture Committee (KCC) who will provide two language apprentices. The apprentices will teach Ksanka Language classes for a minimum of 50 students. In addition, summer events will be planned collaboratively with the KCC to provide opportunities for students and staff to visit cultural sites and experience the Ksanka Language in the context of place. Community outreach will also be planned in conjunction with KCC, including opportunities for TERS students to instruct younger students at sites such as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CS&KT) Early Childhood Services. Class time will be spent with TERS students to develop material that can be shared with younger students in the community at cultural events and gatherings. Professional development will be provided to language apprentices and TERS staff, enabling them to employ a variety of methods and approaches to learning Ksanka.
Outcomes: TERS students will increase their knowledge and use of Ksanka Language through formal daily instruction and participation in cultural and language events in the community and at culturally significant sites. Students will be increasingly motivated and interested in learning and using the Ksanka Language for daily conversations, for learning, and for sharing with others.

Objective: This project comprises the following three timebound objectives, (1) by the end of year one, an interactive census will be developed and administered to at least 250 adult members (from a population of 2,628) of the Lakota-speaking community in the Medicine Root District of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to identify 25 initial speaker-learner pairs to participate in the project; (2) by the end of year two, two home-based Lakota language support coaches will have supported 25 speaker-learner pairs in advancing language proficiency in the home by an average of at least one point on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale; and (3) by the end of year five, two home-based Lakota language support coaches will have supported 50 speaker-learner pairs for at least three years in transferring the language from one generation to the next—with at least 85% of participants moving up one level on the ILR scale.
Primary Activities: We will use evidence-based best practices to enhance and expand Lakota language education through the school, within student homes, and throughout the community. Combined, these actions will provide environments where Lakota is spoken as the primary language of communication, which is a critical component of language learning. Our speaker-learner pairs will consist of an adult Lakota-fluent speaker and a student who lives in a Lakota-speaking home and attends Little Wound School. Students will take part in three hours of Lakota language immersion instruction, attend monthly Lakota-language immersion meals and social events, and participate in a week-long summer Lakota language retreat.
Outcomes: Students will be provided companion Lakota language curriculums that bridge the gap between in-school and at-home instruction, foster language use between native Lakota speakers and new language learners, and result in participating students increasing Lakota language proficiency by at least one point on the ILR scale.

Objective: Reduce language barriers in the Comanche Academy Charter School (CACS) and in our community by (1) increasing daily time allocated for children to learn and acquire our language, (2) providing additional language material and instruction for teachers in our school, (3) creating online resources that are developmentally appropriate for children learning our language, and (4) scaffold and expand the current Comanche Language program at CACS through response to instruction formative assessment techniques.
Primary Activities: Support from this grant program will be used to assist our need for consistent Comanche Language instructional time, adequate language resources, and sequential communication-based language instruction by certified Comanche Language Instructors, as well as making these resources available to our community at large through our partnership with the Comanche Nation Language Department. Planned activities include developing 25 units (of at least 10 lessons each) for the Transparent Language Online (TLO) learning platform for CACS students, developing a sequential Comanche Language and culture curriculum for Pre-K through grade 6 students, and delivering sequential Comanche Language and culture instruction 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week (171 days of instruction x 30 minutes/day = 85.5 hours). Student language skills will reach novice to mid-proficiency levels by the end of the project. In addition, the project will train teachers and instructors in the Comanche Language, and in how to integrate and connect the language curriculum through the Language Online learning management system (LMS), and in the classroom.
Outcomes: Teachers and instructors will be fully trained in the TLO platform and will achieve at least a Level 1 Comanche Language Teaching certification from the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma or a mid- to high-intermediate speaking proficiency level on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)/Oklahoma standards proficiency chart. Overall, the project will successfully reduce language barriers in CACS and in our community.

FY 2020

In partnership with Pribilof School District and Ilisagvik College, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government (ACSPI) will hire Native language staff and expand and adapt the current Unangan (UT) native language curriculum to scaffolded online pathways through the Canvas online learning management system (LMS) that includes site-specific, culturally informed ancient ways of learning and knowledge and is informed by input from the community, Elders, parents and local educators. The project goals are to (a) scaffold and expand the current UT language program through response to instruction formative assessment techniques; (b) adapt and digitize UT language curriculum so it is available through a learning management system; (c) train teachers and instructors in use of UT language curriculum and integrate and connect UT and Coding programs in co-seated learning cohorts through the LMS; and, (d) using Title VI funds and ACSPI general funds, sustain the program beyond the proposed funding cycle of this grant. The school is the St. Paul Island School, which is the largest school in the Pribilof School District. This K-12 primary school serves St. Paul and St. George island communities. The estimated number of participants is 55 students.

Anglicarluk Yugtun Uivengqelriaput (Expanding our Yup'ik Circle) is a three-year project to expand, improve and sustain the current Yup'ik immersion program in the Anchorage School District (ASD) in Anchorage, Alaska. The current one-way immersion program was the district's first Indigenous language immersion program in Yup'ik (Yugtun). Consortium partners are Cook Inlet Native Head Start (CINHS), Alaska Native Heritage Center, Clare Swan Early Learning Center, and University of Alaska Anchorage Alaska Native Studies Department. The Lower Kuskokwim School District will become a sister Yup'ik language immersion school, sharing Yup'ik immersion expertise and curriculum. ASD will expand its current immersion program at College Gate Elementary, a K-6 elementary school with a 36% Alaska Native/American Indian student population, with the goal of serving 120 new students by the end of the grant period. ASD's elementary language immersion programs are school-within-a-school programs in seven of the district's neighborhood schools. The elementary immersion programs continue into designated feeder middle and high schools. Currently in ASD, approximately 2,900 students are enrolled in K-12 language immersion programs. All ASD immersion programs are considered "choice programs" and entrance is lottery-based.

The goals of the Ai po yii, Speaking the Blackfeet Language initiative are to (a) improve student academic outcomes through speaking and understanding the Blackfeet language, (b) develop pre- and postprogram assessments for K-12 students for the Blackfeet language, and (c) encourage sharing of Blackfeet cultural knowledge using digital media technology. The Blackfeet language teachers and our remaining Blackfeet language-speaking Elders will take part in professional development learning communities designed to enhance the teachers' knowledge of the Blackfeet language and history by exploring new pedagogy methods. All students in grades K-12 who participate in the Blackfeet language immersion courses will increase their levels of speaking and writing by 10% each year. The Blackfeet/Native American Studies department will expand on the existing language curriculum, strengthening coordination by determining language proficiency by grade level. Our Class 7 Blackfeet Language teachers, certified teachers, parents and students will be trained in the ASLA method. Due to COVID-19, the district has moved to online course delivery until it is safe for in-person interaction. The department will explore types of online course content and delivery methods for lessons related to Blackfeet language and culture.

The Mescalero Apache Schools (MAS) are Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation of southcentral New Mexico. The primary objective of this project is to offer Mescalero Apache language (MAL) instruction at the Mescalero Apache Schools that approximately 704 students attend. Closely related to MAL teaching is the "project service" of preserving and maintaining the Mescalero Apache Language. The project will develop MAL materials and organize them into a multimedia, progressive and culturally based MAL curriculum, to become part of the Tribal MAL Archive that is presently maintained by Ndé Bizaa'. The project will support MAS efforts to (a) Hire six MAL teacher aides to assist current MAL teachers at the MAS; (b) provide formal training for eight MAL teachers and six teacher aides; (c) certify six MAL teacher aides as New Mexico State Native Language Instructors so they are prepared to become the next generation of MAL teachers at the MAS; (d) incorporate grandparents, parents and other guardians in MAL instructional activities at the schools; and (e) produce a MAL multimedia, progressive and culturally based curriculum for K-12 students at the MAS.

The Diné Soaring—An Oral Language Tradition program will serve 281 students in grades 9-12 at Navajo Preparatory School, a college preparatory high school with 98% Native American students. The program will fully interweave the Navajo language, culture and history into the school's academic college preparatory program to create a Navajo culture of learning across the school. The introduction of storytelling to the school's language program saves the memories and heritage of families, and links parents to their children's education in a personal and meaningful way. This Navajo Language and Culture program will begin in ninth grade, moving students toward fluency across high school and by 11th grade. In the 12th grade, students will continue their studies of Navajo, but focus on learning the cultural component in more depth. Each course in the sequence (Navajo I through IV) has its own assessments and targeted proficiency levels — Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Bilingual Seal (DODE) and Navajo Language & Culture Test (DODE). Navajo Prep will work to achieve the following outcomes: (1) 100% of students (281) in grades 9 to 12 will be enrolled in Navajo language curriculum, (2) ongoing professional development for all Navajo language teachers as well as teaching and administrative staff, (3) student fluency in oral Navajo language increases 20% from pretest outcomes, (4) student written skills in Navajo language increase 20% from pretest outcomes, (5) 75% of students will videotape stories from their family and elders, (6) 80% of students who "story-tell" self-report a greater sense of identity through storytelling, and (7) 75% of parents participate in family storytelling.

The Language Nest Expansion Project (LNEP) specifically targets and serves students within the Oneida Nation School System (ONSS). The goal of the LNEP is to increase the number of Oneida language speakers who are proficient and conversationally competent by expanding immersion programming for students, parents and staff of the Tehatiw^nakhwa Language Nest. The goal is to expand the Nest into the elementary grade levels within ONSS, which has 434 students total that will benefit from this project. The program is a place where Oneida language and culture can be learned intergenerationally, thus bridging the gap between the generations that have experienced the most critical language loss. Objective 1: By the end of the project period, two Oneida Language Immersion instructor trainees will have increased their abilities in Oneida language immersion pedagogy by three steps measured by the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence, Early Childhood Education standards for effective Indigenous pedagogy. Objective 2: By the end of the project period, Language Nest students will increase their proficiency of the Oneida Language by three steps as measured by the Oneida Language Proficiency scale. Objective 3: By the end of the project period, parents/caregivers/families of students in the Language Nest will increase overall cultural well-being by two levels as measured by the cultural connectedness scale by participating in bimonthly Language Nest engagement activities conducted by the Oneida Language Immersion instructor trainees.

The Woiwahoye Gluotkunzapi "Keeping the Promise" project serves the Oglala Lakȟóta community of the Oceti Sakowin. The project goal is to transform Red Cloud School into a K-5 immersion language school and build on the foundational work of the Administration for Native Americans Grant with the launch of the Red Cloud School Lakȟóta Language Program. The Red Cloud Indian School will focus on four areas over the next three years: (1) work with at least 120 students to increase their Lakȟóta language fluency by providing them an immersion education of at least 720 hours of instruction through the Lakȟóta language each year, (2) increase teacher capacity and school capacity to support teachers to provide immersive Lakȟóta instruction to the elementary school students, (3) increase the engagement of family members, and (4) include Elders in classrooms as a critical component to the success of the program.

The Dakhóta Uŋkíyapi kte. - We Will Speak Dakota project will increase Dakota language teaching capacity in St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Native students who live in urban areas do not have access to materials and services that are available on reservations and this project aims to close this gap. The goals of this project are to increase the language learning capacity beginning with our K-8 students, with the possibility for further teacher and material development for high schoolers. The primary beneficiaries of this project are the 311 students enrolled in the Dakota language programs at the American Indian Magnet School (K-8) and Harding High School (9-12), the two SPPS schools with Dakota language programs. While the primary beneficiaries of this project are SPPS students, the secondary beneficiaries are the entire Dakota community across the United States. Dakhóta Owóksape will enable urban Dakota community members to learn their ancestral language no matter where they live. This project will offer (1) professional development for Dakota teachers through a Dakota Summer Institute; (2) a new Dakota teaching position; (3) Dakhóta Owóksape, an e-learning platform for Dakota; and (4) math, science and social studies materials in the Dakota language. With help from Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakičhiye, a four-year liberal arts college in Minnesota with strong world language and immersion education programs, and the Lakota Language Consortium (LLC), Dakhóta Uŋkíyapi kte will train teachers, create an interactive and adaptive digital learning platform, and develop Dakota language textbooks.

The Shoshone Paiute Tribes (SPT) will introduce teaching of the Paiute language into the schools, as well as onto the Duck Valley Indian Reservation (DVIR), in conjunction with the limited Shoshoni language instruction already taking place. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation have a single overarching goal for the project: To build a sustainable Paiute and Shoshoni language instruction program on the Reservation that has achieved fluency in 20 percent of the on-Reservation members by the end of the project. To achieve this goal, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes will hire staff to develop an instructional program with a large family engagement component, train language teachers, and adopt a curriculum and assessment protocols in conjunction with the Paiute and Shoshoni Language Team. The population to be served by this grant proposal includes the approximately 1,696 resident community members of the DVIR. Fundamentally, the SPT envision a community language program that requires both in-school and community-based instruction.

Alaska Native Educational Language Development for Enlightenment and Respect and Instructional Integration (AN ELDER II) is an Alaska Native (AN) language program proposed by a consortium led by the Yukon-Koyukuk School District (YKSD) as the lead applicant and fiscal agent certified by the Hughes Village Council, Hudotl'eekkaakk'e Tribe. YKSD's Board is 100% AN and is closely working with Hughes, Huslia, and Minto Tribal Councils and Tanana Chiefs Conference to expand Athabascan language instruction to the District's 315 village students. More than 98% of the village school students are AN (Athabascan) whose critically endangered Native languages are Denaakk'e and Benhti Kokhut'ana Kenaga'. The project goals include increasing the number of students attaining proficiency; increasing the number of students who show progress in learning NL development; increasing the number and percentage of participating students improving in academic outcomes; and increasing average daily attendance. The project will support staff with Native language professional development, support students with Native language workbooks, and provide the community with Native language activity nights.

The Giikishkaa Project will expand existing programs to ensure Waadookodaading students achieve high levels of Ojibwe language proficiency and academic success in all core subjects by developing new curriculum and assessments, and by increasing the cultural competency of instructional staff. The three-year objectives of the project include extending the Ojibwe medium curriculum and instructional program to serve grade 9-12 high school students in our new dual language, Ojibwe/English medium high school by developing an environmental project-based learning curriculum that synthesizes Indigenous and Western environmental sciences to take care of and protect Aki, our Earth; ensure 80% (n~40) of grades 9 — 12 students will improve Ojibwe proficiency and literacy by at least one ACTFL sub-level or alternative individualized education plan benchmark as assessed through annual pre-and post-test comparisons using valid and reliable classroom-based assessments administered by licensed instructors; and have in place at least 15 instructional staff who demonstrate their ability to apply 12 or more skills they have learned by successfully completing subsistence/cultural skills training each month by achieving measurable benchmarks established in consultation with culture specialists and measured by new outcome scales.

FY 2018

The Albuquerque Public Schools Indian Education Department will launch the Diné Bizaad & Shiwi'ma Bena:we Language Program to establish and sustain Native language classes in both Zuni and Navajo (Diné) at the elementary and middle school levels (grades 3 to 8) serving at least 120 students (100 Navajo and 20 Zuni students) annually in order to revitalize Native languages through quality language instruction provided by well-prepared instructors. Albuquerque Public Schools believes that, when students receive culturally relevant instruction that supports, recognizes and honors their background, academic achievement and student outcomes will improve. Project outcomes include developing a tracking and reporting system for Native language fluency, ensuring at least 80% of project participants make progress towards fluency, increasing the number of students who demonstrate Native language fluency by earning the Native American Bilingual Seal, increasing project participants' reading proficiency, increasing project participants' average daily attendance and increasing the number of students enrolled in Native language immersion programs. In order to achieve these goals, the Indian Education Department will hire qualified Native language teachers, administer Native language proficiency assessments, provide professional development in Native language immersion models, recruit American Indian/Alaskan Native students and families to participate in the program and evaluate the success of the program in meeting its goal and outcomes.

FY 2017

Anchorage School District (AK) proposes to develop and implement an indigenous partial one-way language immersion program in Yupik within an ASD elementary school, to improve outcomes for students participating in the project, and to assist Alaska Native people to revitalize and maintain their languages and cultures. Measurable objectives and performance outcomes include development and implementation of a Yup'ik immersion program within an ASD elementary school, including site selection, personnel recruiting and training, curriculum development, and Yup'ik immersion instruction beginning in grades K and 1; and annual increases in percentages of project students who show growth in English Language Arts scores on district assessments, improved school attendance, gains in social-emotional competencies (invitational priority) as measured by the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment; and increased proficiency levels in the Yup'ik language as measured by the Avant STAMP 4S/4Se assessments.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe K-12 School (WI) proposes to ensure that Waadookodaading Ojibwe Immersion School students will achieve high levels of Ojibwe fluency and academic success through full Ojibwe immersion in all core subjects by developing new middle level curriculum, adding grade 8, and doubling the number of certified Ojibwe immersion teachers. Waadookodaading ("The place where we all help each other") Ojibwe Immersion School launched in 2001 as one of the first indigenous immersion schools of its kind in the upper Midwest. Located on the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Ojibwe Reservation in northwest Wisconsin, it has operated since 2012 as a PK-7 school-within-a-school authorized by the Bureau of Indian Education within the LCO Ojibwe School contract. It currently enrolls 77 students from LCO and surrounding reservations (Lac du Flambeau, Bad River, Red Cliff, and St. Croix). This proposal will impact 50 students annually by the end of the project period: 13 new students at the middle level (grades 4-8, with 8th grade added in 2018) and 37 current students in grades 4-7 who will benefit from new curriculum. The expected outcomes include: (1) By the end of the third year of the project period, a comprehensive middle school (grades 4-8) Ojibwe immersion curriculum will be developed and implemented; (2) By the end of the second and third years of the project period, 80% (n~40) of Nisawi's students will improve their Ojibwe fluency and literacy by at least one ACTFL sub-level or alternative IEP benchmark as assessed through annual pre- and post-test comparisons using valid and reliable classroom-based assessments; (3) By the end of the second and third years of the project period, 95% (n~48) of Nisawi's students will demonstrate a minimum of 75% growth toward achieving at least one ACTFL sub-level or alternative assessment benchmark; (4) By the end of the project period, 5 new teachers will complete three years of instructional mentorship in the Lesson Study collaborative training model; and (5) By the end of the second year of the project, Waadookodaading will refine the LCO Ojibwe School Data-Driven Decision-Making Model to improve the level of data collection, analysis, and data-driven decision-making.

Oglala Lakota College, (SD) proposes to develop a sustainable Lakota language school as a model for schools teaching Lakota language on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and other Lakota-speaking areas. The project plans to operate and improve the Lakota Woglaka Wounspe K-6 Lakota immersion school for up to 20 students a year to become proficient in the Lakota language while learning skills needed to succeed in further schooling. The project will refine and validate assessment of Lakota Language using the OPI, OLPA, etc. to get baselines and track progress or project students. In addition, the project will develop a family and community involvement model that reinforces children's learning at home. Expected outcomes include students become proficient in Lakota according to their age level and have the skills necessary to succeed at the next level; a valid and reliable Lakota language assessment; a user manual for having families and communities reinforce Lakota language learning at home; and an annotated bibliography and collection of Lakota language source materials, instruction materials, pedagogical guides, student outcomes, student profile, portfolio and learning plan, and K-6 student outcomes and curriculum.

San Carlos Apache Tribe (AZ) proposes a three year initiative to increase Apache Language proficiency among the San Carlos Apache Indian students in pre-K — Grade 12 that will lead to enhancement of the apache culture in everyday life by developing a school based language preservation curriculum and associated assessments. The applicant, the San Carlos Apache Tribe's Education Department of the Language Preservation Office will partner with San Carlos Apache College and San Carlos Unified School District to recruit and train Apache language teachers and develop school-based instruction and expansion of Apache-based content instruction during the three years of the project. The program will serve the San Carlos Apache students in pre-K — Grade 12 who attend the Tribe's early childhood education and the San Carlos Unified School District schools, and will focus in Year 1 Pre-school — Primary grades, Year 2 Middle grade to Grade 8 Year 3: Grades 9-12. Supplemental instruction will be provided by the Tribe's Pathway to College and Apache College Programs. Community partners will provide activity based learning opportunities so students are immersed in Apache Language. The expected outcomes of the project include (1) Children and youth participants who have been in the program for three years will demonstrate competence in Apache based on an age appropriate Apache Language Proficiency Examination; (2) The percentage of participating students meeting the state academic standards for their grade will increase from the baseline of 4% in English Language Arts and 8% in Math to 8% and 16% respectively in year 1; 16% in English Language Arts and 24% in Math in year 2; and 24% in English Language Arts and 32% in Math in year 3 based on the state Assessment; and (3) The average daily attendance of participating students will increase from the baseline rate of 88% to 92% in year 1, 94% in year 2, and 96% in year 3 based on district reporting to the State.

Yukon-Koyukuk School District  - YKSD - (AK) proposed a consortium collaboration with,the Huslia, Minto, and Rampart Tribal Councils, Brightways Learning and the Alaska Association of School Boards to promote Athabascan language development and expansion. More than 98% of the district's village school students are Alaska Native (Athabascan), whose native languages are Denaakk'e and Benhti Kokhut'ana Kenaga'. These Athabascan languages are critically endangered. YKSD's Athabascan language program has existed and been offered to K-4 students for several years. YKSD and its partners are proposing to expand it, based on feedback from tribal consultation and evaluation of past efforts. All of YKSD's schools, which will include 315 Alaska Native (AN) students across Grades PreK-12, will participate in this project. Student outcomes will include: a 20% gain in Native language proficiency each year; a 20% gain in the number of students moving to the next Native Language Development level; a 10% increase in students who meet or exceed proficiency standards on state assessments; an increase in daily attendance; and, the publication of at least eight digital storybooks in the Native languages.