Representatives of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (Mystique Hurtado, far left; and Craig Bill, far right) recognize the efforts of researchers (l-r) SusanRae Banks-Joseph, Michael Pavel, Ella Inglebret, Jason Sievers and Lali McCubbin. (Photo by Nick Sanyal)
PULLMAN — WSU researchers presented their report on Native American students, commissioned by the Washington Legislature, June 11, during a meeting of high-level educators in Seattle.
“From Where the Sun Rises: Addressing the Educational Achievement Gap of Native American Students in Washington State,” was the focus of the Thursday meeting hosted by the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs in cooperation with the Indian Education Office within the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The goal of the meeting was to plan the next steps the state will take to implement the report’s recommendations.
The research team, which released its report in January, was honored for its efforts on Tuesday by Craig Bill, director of the Governor’s Office on Indian Affairs. The occasion was a meeting in Pullman of WSU’s Native American Advisory Board, which heard a presentation on the report and asked pointed questions about what will come of it.
“They want to know the strategies and the steps we will take to keep this alive,” said Michael Pavel, WSU associate professor of education and leader of the research team. “We appreciate people holding us accountable, asking what the next steps are. We realize the state is in dire financial straits. But there’s a lot that can be done that doesn’t cost money. For example, we can open channels of communication between tribal communities and school districts.”
Other members of the research team included Associate Professor SusanRae Banks-Joseph, Assistant Professor Lali McCubbin, and postdoctoral Research Associate Jason Sievers, all of the College of Education; and Ella Inglebret, an assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Inglebret emphasized Tuesday that the achievement gap report will be continually updated, and a readily available source of information that draws on the lessons of successful education programs. “We wanted this to be a resource, not just a report,” she said.
Summaries of “From Where the Sun Rises,” along with the complete report, are posted at http://education.wsu.edu/nativeclearinghouse/achievementgap/.
Among the education advocates watching progress of the report is Tom Tremaine, a Spokane attorney who works for the Northwest Justice Project, a non-profit that provides free legal services to low-income clients. The organization is watching the state to make sure it meets its obligations to educate Native Americans. In Pullman on Tuesday, Tremaine said lawyers associated with his organization are developing materials so that students, parents and Native communities are aware of their legal rights and are able to work collaboratively with school districts.
