School Achievement and Dropout among Anglo and Indian Females and Males: A Comparative Examination

Abstract

Tokalakiya wounspe yuha unyanpi kte. ("Into the future we must go with education.") -From a poster by Michael Lee Willcuts for the Black Hills Special Services CooperativeRegardless of the specifics they might emphasize, commentators seem to agree that basic skills are the key to individual and community success. Basic skills, such as reading and mathematics, are the foundation for learning other skills and for effective functioning.2 Unfortunately, many students in the American educational system are not mastering the types of skills they and their communities need. A major aspect of this problem is school dropout, and nowhere is this a bigger issue than among Native American (American Indian) groups. Native American youth Keith James, of Onondaga, Minsi-Lenape, and African-American descent, is an associate professor of social and organizational psychology at Colorado State University. Ernest L. Chavez is a professor of psychology at Colorado State University and associate scientific director of the Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research at Colorado State University. Fred Beauvais is a senior research scientist with the Tri-Ethnic Center. Ruth Edwards is a research scientist in the Tri-Ethnic Center. E.R. Oetting is a professor of psychology at Colorado State University and principal founder of the Tri-Ethnic Center.

Socially Oriented Motivational Goals and Academic Achievement: Similarities Between Native and Anglo Americans

“…The characteristics of Indigenous minority students' motivation from a social perspective may explain, at least partly, their school performance and educational outcomes. By understanding the relations between these students' motivation and their performance, we may be able to find new directions for more effective classroom practices to enhance indigenous minority engagement with and success at schooling (see James, Chavez, Beauvais, Edwards, & Oetting, 1995;Ledlow, 1992). This study may therefore provide us with new information that has significant implications for theory, research, and practice.…”

Lost in translation? Rethinking First Nation education via LUCID insights

“…While perhaps displaying a somewhat nostalgic view of the older generation, partly formed, as he admits, against European standards, do his comments not resonate with the literature on language development and impoverishment in general? Certainly the literature on intensive language development, not only in indigenous communities, is congruent: children who speak and write well have more academic success (James et al 1995;Demmert 2001). Interestingly, however, studies involving First Nations communities are not conclusive about the academic benefits of learning Native languages in conjunction with English-most studies finding some academic benefit (e.g., Smith et al 1998;Lipka and McCarty 1994); a few very little or none at all (e.g., James et al 1995;Willeto 1999).…”

“…Certainly the literature on intensive language development, not only in indigenous communities, is congruent: children who speak and write well have more academic success (James et al 1995;Demmert 2001). Interestingly, however, studies involving First Nations communities are not conclusive about the academic benefits of learning Native languages in conjunction with English-most studies finding some academic benefit (e.g., Smith et al 1998;Lipka and McCarty 1994); a few very little or none at all (e.g., James et al 1995;Willeto 1999). One possible explanation for the partial success of supplementary Native language tuition can be found in the study conducted by Leap (1991) among Northern Ute Indians.…”

rapport à l'institution scolaire chez de jeunes amérindiens en fin de formation secondaire :

“…L'équipe de James et al (1995) . Pour le Québec, on rappellera les cas exposés plus tôt concernant une communauté Montagnaise (Vien, 1998) et des communautés Algonquines (Larose, 1993).…”