1. U.S. Department of Education Federal Education Priorities and Indian Country
BIE Convention
June 22, 2010 St. Louis, Missouri
Kevin Jennings Assistant Deputy Secretary Director, Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools Co- Chair, Dept. of Education AI/AN Education Task Force

2. What’s the goal at ED?
President Obama: “Produce a higher percentage of college graduates than any other country in the world by the end of the next decade.”

3. Why is this Important?
Know Your History

4. Reasons for America’s Rise to Power
19th Century: First free public school system in the world 20th Century: GI Bill: Biggest Investment in Higher Ed in History Effects: Created the most educated, knowledgeable citizenry that the world had ever seen.

5. Education Determines Earnings Median Earnings for Population Age 25-64 by Education Attainment, 2006
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey PUMS File.

6. More Education, Longer Life
Source: National Longitudinal Mortality Study,

7. The US is Falling Behind in HS Graduation Rates Approximate percentage of persons with high school or equivalent qualifications in the age group 25-64 1 13 27 1
Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance 2008
Year of reference 2004.
Including some ISCED 3C short programs
Year of reference 2003.

8. U.S. : Higher Ed Leader in the Sixties, the Laggard Today Percent of Adults with an Associate Degree or Higher by Age Group - U.S. & Leading OECD Countries
Source: OECD, Education at a Glance 2008

9. American Indians Lag Significantly in Graduation Rates Averaged Freshman Graduation Rates, by race/ethnicity,
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data.

10. AI/AN Have Highest Drop Out Rates Dropout Rate, by race/ethnicity, 2007-08
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data.

11. Let’s be blunt…
Our schools are failing in their obligation to serve American Indian/Alaska Native students

12. "Kill the Indian to save the man"
Richard Henry
Pratt

13. On November 5, 2009, President Obama signed a memorandum on Tribal Consultation, directing each executive department to develop a detailed plan of action to implement Executive Order on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.

14. Secretary Duncan initiates first-ever consultations between Department of Education and Tribal Leaders

15. Where We Went, Where we are Going

16. Where We Went
2009: Listening sessions at Tribal schools in Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota (Secretary Duncan, senior officials).
Jan 2010: Meeting with Indian education experts to discuss improving education for Indian students (Secretary Duncan, Senior officials, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar). 

17. Where We Went
March 2010: Secretary Duncan held a national teleconference with Tribal leaders regarding ESEA reauthorization.
April 2010: Visit to schools at the Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Anchorage, Alaska (Assistant Secretary Thelma Melendez, other senior officials) 
April 19, 2010: Consultation with Tribal officials in Shawnee, Oklahoma (General Counsel Charlie Rose and Assistant Deputy Secretary Kevin Jennings)

18. Where We Went
April 28, 2010: Consultation at Pine Ridge High Schoolon the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota (General Counsel Charlie Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretaries Carl Harris & Frank Chong)
May 3, 2010: Consultation at the Santa Clara Day School, Espanola reservation, New Mexico (Under Secretary Martha Kanter, Senior officials)

19. Where We are Going June 30, 2010: Navajo Nation (Window Rock, AZ)
July 15, 2010: Puyallup Tribe (Puyallup, WA)

20. What We Heard: Tribal Education Issues
Lack of high-quality, reliable data on AI/AN students
Dilapidated schools - many schools located on reservations are old and never renovated
High rates violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and unemployment
Difficulty of teacher recruitment and retention
Need for “grow your own” teacher programs that train Tribal citizens to teach in their own schools.

21. What We Heard: Need Federal-State-Tribal Collaboration
Greater collaboration between the Departments of Education and Interior
Elevate and fund Tribal Education Agencies
Difficult for Tribes to compete with States for funding
Allow States and Tribes to consider Native languages as foreign languages
Increase support for Native language programs

22. What We are Doing: Goals for ESEA Reauthorization
Preparing college- and career-ready students
School Turnaround Grants program ($900 million), from which BIE would receive a share of funds to turn around persistently low-performing schools
Strengthen Tribal Education Agencies (TEAs) Mechanism to increase Federal-State-Tribal collaboration
Provide TEAs with targeted technical assistance and data about Indian students.
Great teachers and leaders in every school
Administration’s proposal includes $405 million for teacher & leader recruitment and retention programs

23. What We are Doing: Goals for ESEA Reauthorization
Equity and opportunity for all students
Continue foundational formula funding in Title I and Title II-A, and formula funding in the Rural Education, Indian Education, and English Learner Education programs.
Allow schools serving Indian students to implement locally designed strategies to improve student achievement
Support for Native language restoration and immersion programs
Greater flexibility in Indian Education Program (allow Tribes to apply for grants when districts don’t)

24. The Trail of Broken Treaties
Importance of follow-up
The Trail of Broken Treaties
Since 1787, over 750 land cessions have been authorized by supposed mutual compacts. History demonstrates there was little that was mutual about these "treaties."

25. Pine Ridge, South Dakota on April 28, 2010 by Chairman, Taken Alive
  "We would like to work with you. We don't want to see you work for us anymore, but to work with us, and that's part of the spirit that we talk about is working together."
Pine Ridge, South Dakota on April 28, by Chairman, Taken Alive

27. President Obama
Few have been more marginalized and ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans -- our First Americans.
We know the history that we share. It's a history marked by violence and disease and deprivation.  Treaties were violated.  Promises were broken.  You were told your lands, your religion, your cultures, your languages were not yours to keep.  And that's a history that we've got to acknowledge if we are to move forward.
We also know our more recent history; one in which too often, Washington thought it knew what was best for you...
I know that you may be skeptical that this time will be any different.  You have every right to be …
I get it.  I'm on your side.  I understand what it means to be an outsider…even though our experiences are different, I understand what it means to be on the outside looking in.  I know what it means to feel ignored and forgotten, and what it means to struggle.  So you will not be forgotten as long as I'm in this White House.

30. Kevin.Jennings@Ed.gov 202-245-7830
Keep in Touch!

31. Citations
Gudzune, Jeffrey R. Long Chain of Abuses: Broken Treaties. Suite 101, 2007.
National Longitudinal Mortality Study, Center on Social Disparities in Health, University of CA, San Francisco. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance 2008.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS File, 2006.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data: School Year