Att. E AIANSSP 2025-2030.pdf

American Indian/ Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030

RFA # S-58100-00016937 Att. E

OFFICE OF INDIAN EDUCATION

255 Capitol Street NE

Salem, OR 97310 Office: 503-947-5600

Fax: 503-378-515 www.oregon.gov/ode | 1

From Intention to Impact: Elevating American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Together

My sincere gratitude goes to the American Indian/Alaska Native Advisory Committee and Tribal Partners for entrusting the Office of Indian Education at the Oregon Department of Education with the responsibility of holding the 2025-2030

American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan. The Office of Indian Education acknowledges this responsibility as both an honor and a privilege.

hayi masi (many thanks)

It is my pleasure to share with you the renewed American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan (AIANSSP) for 2025-2030. While comprehensive, this five-year plan does not encompass all of the work and efforts of the Office of Indian Education (OIE). The priorities outlined in these pages are essential for all of us – Champion Tribal Languages, Addressing Inequity in Native Student Data, Pursuing Native Excellence, Cultivating Systems of Support, and Centering Culturally Responsive Practices. I invite you to make these goals your priority. I encourage every Education Service District, Local Education Agency, Educator, Partner Native family and Tribal community to converse at home, in board meetings, and on the moccasin trail to focus our efforts to elevate Native student success together.

As partners in this endeavor, we invite each of you to address the legacies of settler colonialism which persist in our educational systems today acknowledging Oregon’s complex history with Indigenous peoples and the generational impacts which Native students and families continue to experience, recognizing the path forward requires us to embrace this truth and acknowledge our sacred responsibility to serve our most precious resource: our youth.

While this renewed American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan elevates these priorities and outlines pathways for achieving them. The solutions – how we can get there – are already within us. Our Ancestors, the Land, and the Water are all waiting for us to take the lead. For the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), the Office of Indian Education, the Government-to-Government Education Cluster, and the AI/AN Advisory Committee, the urgency of the priorities outlined in this plan cannot be minimized. Our youth represent the future; they will be the protectors of the sovereignty of our tribes and the stewards of our cultures, lifeways, and languages for generations to come.

With respect, April Campbell

Assistant Superintendent Office of Indian Education Oregon Department of Education Citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

2 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

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Table of Contents Building on the progress and lessons learned from the previous plan, the 2025-2030 American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan (AIANSSP) serves as a strategic framework to guide Education Service Districts, Local Education Agencies, educators, tribal leaders, ODE departments, interagency partners, and community in support of native excellence throughout Oregon.

The AIANSSP is organized around five key goals, each addressing specific priorities to advance AI/AN outcomes:

FROM INTENTION TO IMPACT: Elevating American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Together

THE OFFICE OF INDIAN EDUCATION PURPOSE

AND KEY PARTNERS

THE NINE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN

OREGON

PLAN ORGANIZATION

HOW YOU CAN USE THIS PLAN

GOAL 1: CHAMPION TRIBAL LANGUAGES

Objective 1a: Uplift and Amplify Tribal Language Revitalization Efforts

Objective 1b: Strengthen and Provide Holistic Support for Licensed Tribal Language Teachers and School District Tribal Language Programs

Objective 1c: Support School Districts with AI/AN+ Multilingual Learners (MLLs)

GOAL 2: ADDRESS INEQUITY IN NATIVE STUDENT

DATA

Overview

Objective 2a: Advance Equitable Identification of Native Students

Objective 2b: Address Disparate Identification of Native Students in Special Education

Objective 2c: Increase Representation in Talented and Gifted Programs

Objective 2d: Address Disparities in Discipline, Suspensions, Expulsions, Exclusions, and Push Outs.14

GOAL 3: PURSUE NATIVE EXCELLENCE

Objective 3a: Expand Culturally Responsive Early Literacy Practices

Objective 3b: Strengthen Collaboration with Tribes and Families to Support Early Literacy

Objective 3c: Improve Graduation Rates Through Increased Enrollment in Career Connected Learning (CCL) and Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Objective 3d: Heighten Urgency that High School is the Foundation for Success in Post-Secondary Education

GOAL 4: CULTIVATE HOLISTIC SYSTEMS OF

SUPPORT

Objective 4a: Leverage Key Legislation in Support of Native Success

Objective 4b: Honoring Educational Sovereignty through Tribal Consultation

Objective 4c: Invest in Targeted Programs Designed to Increase Outcomes for Native Students

GOAL 5: CENTER CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE

APPROACHES

Objective 5a: Center Native Student Voices

Objective 5b: Promote the Use of Culturally Appropriate Frameworks, Tools, and Practices to Support Native Youth Mental Health and Well- Being

Objective 5c: Provide Support to Educators to Successfully Implement Tribal History/Shared History Lesson Plans

Objective 5d: Continued Tribal History/Shared History Lesson Plan Development (K-12) and Curriculum Updates

Objective 5e: Promote the Implementation of Tribal Curriculum to Further Supplement Tribal History/ Shared History Lesson Plans

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

AI/AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

APPENDICES

www.oregon.gov/ode | 3

4 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

The Office of Indian Education Purpose and Key Partners

Our Mission The mission of the Office of Indian Education is to support the academic success and well-being of all American Indian/Alaska Native students by centering culture, language, identity, and sovereignty in education. We collaborate with the nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon, external partners, and community organizations to expand culturally responsive education and create equitable opportunities.

The Vision of the Office of Indian Education We envision a future where every American Indian/Alaska Native student graduates with purpose, fully equipped with the skills, knowledge, and cultural grounding. Through strong partnerships, systemic change, and advocacy that reflect tribal priorities, we strive to support an education system where Native students are affirmed in their identities and prepared to serve as stewards of their sovereignty and communities.

Key Partners The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon The State of Oregon has long recognized and emphasized the importance of continued communication and partnership with The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon. Executive Order No. 96-30 states:

These Indian tribes were in existence prior to the formation of the United States of America, and thus retain a unique legal status. The importance of recognizing the relationship that exists between the tribes and state government cannot be underestimated.

Oregon’s law ORS 182.162 to 182.168 on tribal consultation further demonstrates the state agency’s commitment to promote positive government-to-government relations between the state and tribes.

The American Indian and Alaska Native Advisory Committee In accordance with their adopted bylaws, the AI/AN State Advisory Committee provides guidance, input, advocacy, and recommendations on policy, rules, and legislation related to Indian Education. They recommend goals and measurable objectives for the AIANSSP to be implemented by the Oregon Department of Education.

https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/aboutus/Documents/eo96-30.pdf https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors182.html

Introduction www.oregon.gov/ode | 5

The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon

These tribal nations have inhabited the area we now call Oregon since time immemorial, maintaining a profound connection to the land, waters, and natural resources that have sustained their cultures, traditions, and ways of life for countless generations. The following list and map highlight the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, each with its own unique history, culture, and connection to the land.

Source: https://www.eugene-or.gov/5083/Intergovernmental-Tribal-Relations

Oregon Tribes

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Grand Ronde

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Warm Springs

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Pendleton

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, & Siuslaw Indians Coos Bay

Coquille Indian Tribe North Bend

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians Roseburg

Klamath Tribes Chiloquin

Burns Paiute Tribe Burns

Salem

Portland

Eugene Bend

Meford Klamath Falls

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians https://www.eugene-or.gov/5083/Intergovernmental-Tribal-Relations https://burnspaiute-nsn.gov/ https://ctclusi.org/ https://www.coquilletribe.org/ https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/ https://www.grandronde.org/ https://klamathtribes.org/ https://ctsi.nsn.us/ https://ctuir.org/ https://warmsprings-nsn.gov/our-people/

6 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

This Plan is Organized in the following Manner

Goals & Overviews

student data for deeper understanding.

Objectives as a Roadmap

sense-making by considering how each objective connects to their local work.

▪ Statutory alignment: Each goal ties to ORS 329.843, ensuring compliance with state requirements.

Evidence of Restoration, Reclamation, and Revitalization

▪ Instead of simply listing measurable outcomes, this section reflects aspirations and long-term impacts we hope to achieve.

▪ These words-Restoration, Reclamation, and Revitalization-hold deep meaning in Tribal self-determination and cultural preservation.

▪ Our goal is to inspire school districts to chart their own progress and success in supporting AI/AN students.

Throughlines for Ensuring Success

▪ This new section (2025-2030) connects key policies, legislation, and ODE initiatives to help school districts understand available supports and alignments.

▪ Helps educators leverage existing resources and partnerships to better serve AI/AN students.

Key Partners & Collaboration

▪ We recognize and uplift ODE departments, interagency teams, and external partners who are critical to implementing and sustaining this work.

▪ This is a collective effort, and we encourage all partners to actively engage with the Office of Indian Education to ensure the success of Oregon AI/AN students.

https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_329.843

Introduction www.oregon.gov/ode | 7

How You Can Use This Plan in Your School District or Educational School District (ESD)

✓ USE THE GOALS & OBJECTIVES AS A GUIDE for professional development, strategic planning, and student support initiatives.

A Note to the Reader About the Terms Throughout this document we use the following terms interchangeably for American Indian and Alaska Native students. While each term carries unique meaning and nuances within “Indian Country,” they all reflect the state’s Indigenous youth diaspora.

American Indian and Alaska Native+ (AI/AN+) – The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) uses the terms American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and American Indian and Alaska Native Plus (AI/AN+) to refer to students with membership, association, or descendance from a Federally Recognized Native American Tribe or Alaska Native Corporation. This affiliation affirms political status as citizens of sovereign nations and confers specific legal rights established through treaties between the federal government and Native Nations. These rights include access to federal benefits, healthcare, and educational programs, and are accompanied by responsibilities under tribal laws and governance.

The designation AI/AN+ is the most inclusive term used by ODE. It includes multiracial and/or Hispanic Native American students, ensuring representation of the full diversity of Indigenous student identities. Throughout this document, the term AI/AN+ will be used to promote inclusivity.

Native or Native American – speaks to more collective terms.

Indigenous – speaks to any group of people native to a particular area or region

8 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

8 | Quality Education Commission Report 2020 www.ode.state.or.us

Goal 1: Champion Tribal Languages Overview Tribal languages are vital to the cultural identity, heritage, and sovereignty of the Tribal communities of Oregon.

Tribal language education not only enhances academic achievement but also contributes to the holistic well-being of Native youth by fostering a sense of belonging, resilience, and cultural identity, which are critical factors for long-term educational success (McCarty, 2021). Language revitalization efforts are crucial to preserving tribal languages for future generations. This goal, symbolically placed as the Office of Indian Education’s first goal, sets the course to not only ensure the unique Tribal languages of Oregon continue to be strengthened, but so Native youth can experience learning these languages in more of Oregon’s schools as a means of celebrating and honoring their culture.

Statutory Objectives: (g) Support culturally responsive pedagogy and practices from early childhood through post-secondary education and (k) Align the plan with similar statewide education plans developed and implemented by the Department of Education.

OBJECTIVE 1A: Uplift and Amplify Tribal Language Revitalization Efforts

▪ OIE will continue to hold space for the Language Advisory Group, central to supporting the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon as they strive to address and overcome the challenges associated with language preservation, protection, and renormalization, while also sharing effective practices amongst one another.

▪ Collaborate with Tribes in Oregon to map the current landscape, recognize their individual needs, and pinpoint areas that require support for their American Indian language initiatives, delivering consistent resources and assistance for their programs.

OBJECTIVE 1B: Strengthen and Provide Holistic Support for Licensed Tribal Language Teachers and School District Tribal Language Programs

▪ Collaborate with tribes to create tribally led and sustainable opportunities for language teachers to learn and be immersed in their language through mentorship with tribal elders and other language teachers, ensuring a deep, authentic connection to the language they teach.

are thoughtfully implemented in school districts, including supporting tribal language teachers in their integration as a licensed educator in the school district.

Goal 1: Champion Tribal Languages www.ode.state.or.us | 9

OBJECTIVE 1C: Support School Districts with AI/AN+ Multilingual Learners (MLLs)

▪ Provide additional guidance and technical assistance to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in the identification of AI/

AN+ MLLs and culturally responsive methods to support their growth and celebrate their linguistic talents.

▪ Promote the Oregon State Seals of Biliteracy and Multiliteracy to school districts, tribes, and students to ensure youth fluent in their tribal language receive acknowledgement for their achievements.

EVIDENCE OF RESTORATION, RECLAMATION, AND REVITALIZATION

for demonstrating fluency in their tribal language.

THROUGHLINES FOR ENSURING EXCELLENCE

Key Initiatives

Strategic Plan

Tribal Partners

▪ The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon

ODE Partnership

Assessment

Interagency Alignment and Collaboration

▪ Teacher Standards and Practices Commission

(TSPC) American Indian Language License https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/englearners/pages/biliteracyinitiatives.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/schools-and-districts/MME/Documents/Comprehensive%20Oregon%20Multilingual%20Learner%20Stra_tegic%20Plan.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/ode/schools-and-districts/MME/Documents/Comprehensive%20Oregon%20Multilingual%20Learner%20Stra_tegic%20Plan.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/NativeAmericanEducation/Pages/Oregon-Tribal-Websites.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/about-us/pages/multilingual_and_migrant_education_team.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/about-us/pages/officeofteachinglearningassessment.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/about-us/pages/officeofteachinglearningassessment.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/tspc/pages/index.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/tspc/LIC/Documents/First%20License%20Teaching1.pdf

10 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

Goal 2: Address Inequity in Native Student Data

OVERVIEW

Native American students are resilient, intelligent, and full of potential, yet they continue to face significant disparities in education which reinforce cycles of educational disadvantage and limit future opportunities. This shows up in student counts, overrepresentation of Native students in Special Education, underrepresentation of students in Talented and Gifted programming, and in the disproportionate rates of discipline of AI/AN + students.

The most critical of these issues begins with the impact of federal race and ethnicity reporting requirements which underrepresent student counts and in turn, misrepresent Native student populations throughout the state. This critical issue leads to gaps in services, inadequate resource allocation, and barriers to educational success. Changing the data collection practices, known at ODE as the work of data justice, is a step towards healing historic and contemporary injustices and harms perpetuated through continued misidentification and undercounting of Native youth which fails to consider the unique political designation and subsequent rights and responsibilities afforded to AI/AN individuals through federal trust and treaty responsibilities.

2023-24 AI/AN

(Federal Count)

AI/AN and Hispanic/ Latino/a/x

AI/AN

Multiracial

2023-24

AI/AN+

AI/AN Proportion of total Student Enrollment

AI/AN+

Proportion of total Student Enrollment

6,150 23,409 11,384 40,943 1.2% 7.5%

Note. The AI/AN+ count of students is inclusive of all racially identified American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. This specifically includes AI/AN- Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and AI/AN- Multiracial students.

Overrepresentation of AI/AN+ students in Special Education throughout the K-12 education system in Oregon negatively impacts students. This disparate outcome can be due to implicit bias leading to misidentification of students where cultural differences or language barriers are mistaken for learning disabilities. Furthermore, deficit thinking toward Native families and tribal communities can lead to lower expectations, limiting access to rigorous coursework, programming, and stigmatization. The disproportional identification of Native students for modified diplomas is also further evidence that school districts must do more to examine their own practices to address this bias and misidentification.

Goal 2: Address Inequity in Native Student Data www.oregon.gov/ode | 11

The initial phase of OIE’s data justice efforts began with the updating of the AI/AN Student Data Collection to include all federally recognized tribes (including Alaska) as published annually by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs: Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, ODE will collect Tribal Affiliation for students. This information has already been shared with School District Data Collection staff to support implementation. This code signifies a student’s affiliation through their own, their parent’s or their grandparent’s enrollment in a Federally Recognized Tribe or Alask Native Corporation. This addition will be included within the Secure Student Identifier (SSID) collections, and therefore all student-level collections containing those core fields, to allow for a Tribal Affiliation option, in association with race and ethnicity fields, which are represented by the code in the Tribal Affiliation file.

20.1% 19.2% 20.2%

15.9% 15.8% 16.1% 13.7% 13.9% 14.3%

2021-22 2022-23 2023-24

Percentage of Students with an IEP

AI/AN Only AI/AN Plus Non AI/AN

A bar chart titled Percentage of Students with an IEP for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year separated by student groups: AI/ AN Only, AI/AN Plus, and Non AI/AN. In 2023-24, 20.2% of AI/AN Only, 16.1% of AI/AN Plus, and 14.3% of Non AI/AN students had an IEP.

In 2022-23, 19.2% of AI/AN Only, 15.8% of AI/AN+, and 13.9% of Non AI/AN students had an IEP. In 2021-22, 20.1% of AI/AN Only, 15.9% of AI/AN+, and 13.7% of Non AI/AN students had an IEP.

Source: ODE Fall Membership; Percentage of Students with an IEP; AI/AN Only, AI/AN Plus, and Non AI/AN, school years 2021-2022, 2022- 2023, and 2023-2024.

A disproportionality paradox arises with Native Talented and Gifted representation. This term refers to a situation which a particular group is both overrepresented in one category (i.e., Special Education) and underrepresented in another (i.e., Talented and Gifted). In Oregon, Native American students are disproportionately placed in Special Education, suggesting possible biases in how disabilities are identified as outlined above, while at the same time, they are disproportionately excluded from Talented and Gifted programs, indicating barriers to recognition of their strengths. This paradox highlights inequities in educational assessment, access, and opportunity, rather than actual differences in ability.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/08/2024-00109/indian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/08/2024-00109/indian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of

12 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

This exclusion also limits opportunities for academic enrichment and perpetuates the achievement gap.

1.8% 1.7% 2.0% 2.8% 3.0% 3.1%

6.0% 6.5% 6.6%

2021-22 2022-23 2023-24

Percentage of Students in TAG Programs

AI/AN Only AI/AN Plus Non AI/AN

A bar chart titled Percentage of Students in TAG Programs for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year separated by student groups:

AI/AN Only, AI/A+, and Non AI/AN. In 2023-24, 2% of AI/AN Only, 3.1% of AI/AN+, and 6.6% of Non AI/AN students were identified in TaG Program. In 2022-23, 1.7% of AI/AN Only, 3% of AI/AN+, and 6.5% of Non AI/AN students were identified. In 2021-22, 1.8% of AI/AN Only, 2.8% of AI/AN+, and 6% of Non AI/AN students were identified.

Source: ODE Spring Membership; Percentage of Students in TaG Programs; AI/AN Only, AI/AN Plus, and Non AI/AN, school years 2021- 2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024.

Despite making up a smaller percentage of the student population, Native youth experience higher rates of suspensions, expulsions, pushouts, and exclusions. These disciplinary measures can lead to missed instructional time, social harm and stigmas, academic disadvantages through inappropriate instruction, disengagement from school, and a higher likelihood of dropping out. Moreover, frequent disciplinary actions can contribute to a negative school climate, in which AI/AN students may feel disenfranchised, alienated, or marginalized.

Goal 2: Address Inequity in Native Student Data www.oregon.gov/ode | 13

13.9%

10.5% 11.2%

13.6%

8.3% 9.2%

11.5%

5.8% 6.7%

IEP No IEP All Students

2023-24 Exclusionary Discipline Rates AI/AN students face disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline

AI/AN Only AI/AN Plus Non AI/AN

A bar chart titled 2023-24 Exclusionary Discipline Rates with the subtitle AI/AN Students face disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline. The rate was 13.9% for AI/AN Only students with IEP, 10.5% for AI/AN Only students with no IEP, and 11.2% for all AI/AN Only students. The rate was 13.6% for AI/AN+ students with IEP, 8.3% for AI/AN+ students with no IEP, and 9.2% for all AI/AN+ students. The rate was 11.5% for Non AI/AN students with IEP, 5.8% for Non AI/AN students with no IEP, and 6.7% for all Non AI/AN students.

Source: ODE Discipline; 2023-2024 Exclusionary Discipline Rates for Students with an IEP, No IEP, and All students; AI/AN Only, AI/AN+, and Non-AI/AN.

Statutory Objectives: (a) Address the disproportionate rate of disciplinary incidents involving plan students as compared to all students in the education system and (g) Support culturally responsive pedagogy and practices from early childhood through post-secondary education.

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OBJECTIVE 2A: Advance Equitable Identification of Native Students

▪ Create and offer training in collaboration with the Office of Research, Assessment, Data, Accountability, and

Reporting (RADAR) to ODE to further support key staff, ESDs, school districts, students, and families on the importance of accurate data collection of tribally affiliated students to inform programming and school district improvement efforts.

▪ School districts engage in the data collection of tribally affiliated students in accordance with ODE guidance.

OBJECTIVE 2B: Address Disparate Identification of Native Students in Special Education

▪ Ensure accurate identification of Native students in special education by providing additional guidance to school districts and ESDs on the analysis of data to identify disproportionalities beyond federal requirements, by promoting culturally responsive assessments and tools, and advocating for the use of informational resources to empower Native families with their rights and responsibilities in Special Education.

OBJECTIVE 2C: Increase Representation in Talented and Gifted Programs

▪ Collaborate with the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities (OESO) to provide additional guidance to ESDs and school districts to ensure TAG identification processes are inclusive and culturally responsive to the unique needs of Native students, elevating these resources to families and tribal communities.

OBJECTIVE 2D: Address Disparities in Discipline, Suspensions, Expulsions, Exclusions, and Push Outs

▪ Provide technical assistance and support to school districts in developing and implementing policies and restorative and trauma-informed approaches that mitigate the harm experienced by Indigenous students because of the overuse of subjective disciplinary actions.

▪ Identify partnerships with Indian and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to offer training to families and tribal communities on their rights, relevent school discipline policies, and how to address any adverse experiences they are experiencing in their local school district.

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/specialeducation/pages/oeso.aspx#:~:text=The%20Office%20of%20Enhancing%20Student%20Opportunities%20(OESO)%20supports%20educational%20facilities,services%20for%20Special%20Education%20Programs

Goal 2: Address Inequity in Native Student Data www.oregon.gov/ode | 15

EVIDENCE OF RESTORATION, RECLAMATION, AND REVITALIZATION

driven decisions that improve outcomes for Native students;

contributing to more equitable and supportive educational experiences;

▪ Greater adoption and implementation of restorative and culturally responsive disciplinary practices across schools, enhancing school culture and increasing a sense of belonging for Native students.

THROUGHLINES FOR ENSURING EXCELLENCE

Key Initiatives

(OAR)

Reaching All Learners)

Related Research and Publications

▪ Oregon Statewide Report Card

ODE Partnerships

▪ Office of Research, Assessment, Data, Accountability, and Reporting (RADAR)

▪ Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities

(OESO)

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/specialeducation/generalsupervision/pages/significant-disproportionality.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/TAG/Pages/statutes.aspx https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/sites/default/files/discipline-compendium/Oregon%20School%20Discipline%20Laws%20and%20Regulations.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/pages/schooldiscipline.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/ela/pages/adolescent-literacy.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/schools-and-districts/reportcards/pages/statewide-annual-report-card.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/about-us/pages/radar.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/about-us/pages/radar.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/specialeducation/pages/oeso.aspx

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Goal 3: Pursue Native Excellence

Overview The success of Native youth in the K-12 system and postsecondary education is vital to the long-term sovereignty, cultural preservation, and self-determination of their tribes. Education empowers Indigenous students with the knowledge, skills, and credentials necessary to navigate and influence political, legal, and economic systems that impact their communities. With a strong start in elementary with Early Literacy – critical to success in later years – and by earning degrees, licensures, and certifications, Native youth can step into leadership roles in governance, law, healthcare, education, and environmental stewardship-fields critical to protecting treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and cultural heritage.

Additionally, their success in higher education strengthens economic stability within their communities, ensuring that future generations have the resources and representation needed to thrive.

Investing in Native students' education is an investment in the future of their tribes, equipping them to be protectors, advocates, and changemakers for the next generation. In Oregon, that investment begins with early literacy, a foundation for lifelong learning and academic success. The Early Literacy Success Initiative, established through House Bill 3198, prioritizes culturally and linguistically responsive practices to support literacy development across the state. As part of this initiative, the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon receive non- competitive allocated funding through the Tribal Early Literacy Grant to develop literacy programs tailored to the unique needs of their communities. School districts also receive funding through the Early Literacy Success School District Grant, which strengthens early literacy and provides opportunities to support AI/AN students’ literacy success.

For Native students, literacy is deeply interconnected with oral history and language, serving as a bridge to familial knowledge, historical continuity, and cultural identity.

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/earlyliteracysuccessinitiative/pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/earlyliteracysuccessinitiative/pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/earlyliteracysuccessinitiative/pages/default.aspx https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3198/Enrolled

Goal 3: Pursue Native Excellence www.oregon.gov/ode | 17

36.4%

26.7% 26.0% 25.6%

38.2%

28.8% 29.2% 29.0% 36.7%

26.7% 26.4% 25.7%

54.1%

44.1% 43.5% 42.9%

2018-19 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24

Statewide ELA Assessment Proficiency

AI/AN Only AI/AN Plus Underserved All Students

A bar chart titled Statewide English Language Arts (ELA) Assessment Proficiency for the 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year separated by student groups: AI/AN Only, AI/AN+, Underserved, and All Students. For the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, around 26% of AI/AN Only, 29% of AI/AN Plus, 26% of Underserved and 43% of All Students met ELA proficiency. In the 2018-19 school year, 36.4% of AI/AN Only, 38.2% of AI/AN Plus, 36.7% of Underserved and 54.1% of All Students met ELA proficiency.

Source: ODE Achievement; Underserved Races/Ethnicities, Students are included if they are a member of an underserved race/ethnicity;

(Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander).

As Native youth exit elementary school, ensuring students have opportunities to explore tools and resources that expand their career awareness and help them identify interests and strengths that support career success is critical. At ODE, Career Connected Learning (CCL) provides resources for parents, mentors, educators, industry leaders, and community-based organizations to help students navigate learning about, and preparing for, a career of their choice. These tools help students build career awareness, identify personal strengths, and explore necessary employability skills. Additionally, some resources guide students through the transition from K-12 education to their future career paths (Oregon Department of Education, n.d.). Ensuring Native youth are experiencing these CCL opportunities, as well as equitable access and enrollment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and programs of study, have shown to have significant impacts on their graduation rates.

Ensuring Native success in postsecondary education, especially with the opportunity provided in the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, means schools must be providing Native youth with opportunities to enroll in rigorous coursework throughout high school. However, Native students in Oregon still face inequitable access to this coursework and are also less likely to enroll in college courses during high school (36%) and earn fewer credits before graduation than White students, despite opportunities to earn college credit at little to no cost (Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, 2021).

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/cte/careerareas/pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/cte/pages/default.aspx https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-tribal-student-grant/ https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-tribal-student-grant/ https://www.oregon.gov/highered/strategy-research/Documents/Equity/HE%20for%20Students%20By%20Race_Native%20American_AL%20Native.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/highered/strategy-research/Documents/Equity/HE%20for%20Students%20By%20Race_Native%20American_AL%20Native.pdf

18 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

November 2021

Higher Education and Training for Students in Oregon

Oregon Loses Native American/Alaska Native Talent at Every Step

Native American/ Alaska Native

White Less than high school

High school diploma or equivalent

Some college, no credential

Associate degree or undergrad certificate

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey. Adults 25 and older.

This report presents information about education and training after high school for Oregonians who identify as Native American/Alaska Native, focusing mostly on their experience at Oregon’s community colleges and public universities.

Postsecondary education and training is the primary route to upward mobility and economic stability for individuals and for communities, and it is a key to Oregon’s recovery from the pandemic recession. However, Oregonians do not experience these benefits to the same degree. This report compares Native American/Alaska Native learners with White learners to show where equity gaps exist and where progress in reducing these gaps has or has not been made. We note that no group experiences these benefits fully. Data shown here come from educational records, employment wage records, and the U.S. Census. We use the term “Native American/Alaska Native” to reflect terms used by student groups and on identification forms, recognizing that this overarching term fails to acknowledge the nations and tribes of specific students. Adult learners self-select their racial/ethnic identity usually from seven options: “American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, White,” and no selection.

The licensures, degrees, and career and technical certificates earned in postsecondary education and training open the door to lifelong benefits for individuals, families, and communities. Inequitable access to preparation and opportunity, marginalizing experiences, and competing obligations mean Native American/Alaska Native Oregonians are less likely than White Oregonians to enjoy these benefits. The graph below shows how many Oregon adults over 25 have different levels of education and training. The rest of this report shows some of the issues leading to this gap.

White

72% of White 9th graders did not obtain a college degree or certificate within six years after high school.

88% of Native American/Alaska Native 9th graders did not obtain a college degree or certificate within six years after high school.

Native American/Alaska Native

Native American/Alaska Native

Fewer Native American/Alaska Native Oregonians Can Enjoy the Benefits of Postsecondary Education

19% 19%20%6% 36%

Source: Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and HECC analysis of student-level data. Rates may differ from ODE due to cohort definitions.

Previous loss

This transition

Remaining 9th graders

Previous loss

This transition

Remaining 9th graders

16%21%25%23%16%

-46% 54% Graduated high school -26%74% 100% Enrolled in 9th grade 100%

12%-24% Graduated from postsecondary-64% -27%28% -45% 36%-18% Enrolled in higher education-46% -19%55% -26%

Some students are disengaged before high school and may not enroll in 9th grade. Students lost along each step in our educational system are less equipped to find and maintain economic stability for themselves, their families, and their communities. Opportunities exist at each stage to interrupt this cycle of loss and begin in the earliest grades.

Source: Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and HECC analysis of student-level data. Rates may differ from ODE due to cohort definitions: Oregon Loses Native American/Alaska Native Talent at Every Step.

Equity access to Career Connected Learning, Career and Technical Education, and rigorous coursework in middle school and high school, will prepare our youth to thrive in postsecondary education. This is vital to the long-term sovereignty, cultural preservation, and self determination of their tribes, and to future economic success.

The Office of Indian Education believes that if we work together in support of Early Literacy efforts to ensure our Native youth are leaving elementary school on grade level and excited about what literacy can do for them, then they will be set up for secondary success. Ensuring equitable access to Career Connected Learning, Career and Technical Education, and rigorous coursework in middle school and high school, will prepare youth to thrive.

OBJECTIVE 3A: Expand Culturally Responsive Early Literacy Practices

▪ Ensure literacy instruction and materials reflect AI/AN cultures by incorporating Indigenous perspectives, histories, languages, and storytelling.

▪ Provide professional development for educators on culturally sustaining literacy instruction that integrates AI/AN languages, storytelling, and traditions.

▪ Raise awareness and urgency around AI/AN early literacy rates by disaggregating data, analyzing subgroup performance, and identifying areas for targeted support and growth.

OBJECTIVE 3B: Strengthen Collaboration with Tribes and Families to Support Early Literacy

▪ Engage AI/AN families as key partners in early literacy efforts by providing resources and outreach to support home literacy development, building on the vibrant cultures and experiences they bring to the classroom.

▪ Build sustained partnerships with Tribes to ensure early literacy programs align with Indigenous knowledge, language, and the distinct educational priorities of each of the nine Tribes in Oregon.

▪ Leverage Early Literacy Success School District Grants to co-develop localized literacy strategies that reflect the unique cultural and linguistic needs of AI/AN students.

Goal 3: Pursue Native Excellence www.oregon.gov/ode | 19

OBJECTIVE 3C: Improve Graduation Rates Through Increased Enrollment in Career Connected Learning (CCL) and Career and Technical Education (CTE)

▪ Actively foster engagement among Tribal nations, Education Service Districts (ESDs), LEAs, OIE, and CCL/CTE staff to expand awareness of and access to Career Connected Learning (CCL) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) available in the local school districts to Native students and their families.

▪ ESDs and school districts conduct comprehensive program reviews to identify strategies for improving and expanding access to CCL and CTE opportunities for Native students.

▪ Center tribal voices to ensure workforce development needs are reflected in current and future CCL and CTE programs. Establish processes to identify access barriers for AI/AN students, helping inform necessary improvements at both the state and local levels.

▪ Support efforts to improve and expand state data collection for CCL and CTE, ensuring inclusion of AI/AN+ and tribally affiliated students. This supports equitable enrollment of Native students across all CTE Programs of Study.

87.2%

68.2%

91.0%

72.5%

93.5%

78.3%

94.7% 82.3%

95.2% 81.8%

94.7% 84.1%

CTE Concentrator Statewide Average CTE Concentrator Statewide Average

4 Year Cohort 5 Year Cohort

CTE and Statewide Four- and Five-Year Graduation Rate Outcomes as of the 2022-23 school year

AI/AN Only AI/AN Plus Non AI/AN

A bar chart titled CTE and Statewide Four- and Five-Year Graduation Rate with the subtitle Outcomes as of the 2022-23 school year. For 4 Year Cohort, the graduation rate was 87.2% for AI/AN Only CTE Concentrator, 93.5% for AI/AN+ CTE Concentrator, and 95.2% for Non AI/ AN CTE Concentrator. The statewide 4 Year Cohort graduation average was 68.2% for AI/AN Only, 78.3% for AI/AN+, and 81.8% for Non AI/ AN students. For 5 Year Cohort, the graduation rate was 91% for AI/AN Only CTE Concentrator, 94.7% for AI/AN+ CTE Concentrator, and 94.7% for Non AI/AN CTE Concentrator. The statewide 5 Year Cohort graduation average was 72.5% for AI/AN Only, 82.3% for AI/AN+, and 84.1% for Non AI/AN students.

Source: ODE Graduation; CTE and Statewide Four and Five Year Graduation Rate: Outcomes as of the 2022-2023 school year for AI/AN Only, AI/AN Plus, and Non-AI/AN students for CTE Concentrator Statewide percentages. The Four-Year Cohort denotes graduation rate for students who began high school in the 2019-20 school year. Five-year Cohort denotes graduation for students who began high school in the 2018-19 school year.

20 | American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan 2025-2030 www.oregon.gov/ode

OBJECTIVE 3D: Heighten Urgency that High School is the Foundation for Success in Post-Secondary Education

▪ Utilize the Education Plan and Profile, which serves as a roadmap to guide student learning from middle school through high school and into postsecondary education and career pathways. Communicate the importance of this tool to students, families, tribes, tribal communities, and school districts. Begin promoting the Oregon Tribal Student Grant no later than 9th grade to give Native students the opportunity to plan their high school experience with this goal in mind.

▪ Emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable access and enrollment in rigorous coursework for Native students, including middle school honors courses, courses that offer high school credit, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment opportunities. School districts and ESDs should review their data and programming to identify strategies that increase Native student representation and success in these advanced courses.

Statutory Objectives: (b) Increase parental engagement in the education of plan students; (c) Increase the engagement of plan students in educational activities before and after regular school hours; (e) Improve literacy and numeracy levels among plan students between kindergarten and grade three; and (f) Support plan student transitions to middle school and through the middle school and high school grades to maintain and improve academic performance; (i) Increase attendance of plan students in early childhood programs through postsecondary and professional certification programs; and (k) Align the plan with similar statewide education plans developed and implemented by the Department of Education.Kinder to Grade 5 - Elementary Years.

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/OregonDiploma/PLR/Pages/default.aspx

Goal 3: Pursue Native Excellence www.oregon.gov/ode | 21

▪ School districts and tribal communities foster thriving professional learning communities to continuously improve early literacy instructions through shared knowledge and best practices;

▪ Educators gain greater confidence and competence in delivering culturally responsive early literacy instruction to Native students;

graduating from high school with college credit, as well as an increase in students enrolling in higher education and graduating from post-secondary.

THROUGHLINES FOR ENSURING EXCELLENCE

Key Legislation

▪ Early Literacy Success Initiative established through House Bill 3198

Key Initiatives

Strategic Plan 2024-2029

▪ Oregon Tribal Student Grant

ODE Partnerships

▪ Student Success Act (SSA) Coordinators from the African American/Black Student Success Plan, Latino/a/x and Indigenous Student Success Plan, the LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan, the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan, and the Immigrant and Refugee Student Success Plan

Interagency Alignment and Collaboration

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/earlyliteracysuccessinitiative/pages/default.aspx https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3198/Enrolled https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/NativeAmericanEducation/Pages/Tribal-Early-Literacy-.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/CTE/careerareas/Pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/CTE/Pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/OregonDiploma/PLR/Pages/default.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/highered/strategy-research/Documents/Strategic-Plan/HECC-Strategic-Plan-2024-2029.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/highered/strategy-research/Documents/Strategic-Plan/HECC-Strategic-Plan-2024-2029.pdf https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-tribal-student-grant/ https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/africanamericanblackstudenteducation/pages/hb2016advisorygroup15-16.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/africanamericanblackstudenteducation/pages/hb2016advisorygroup15-16.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/latinx/pages/latinoax-%26-indigenous-student-success-plan.aspx…