The NDNAEU & Dropout Prevention

The North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings (NDNAEU) & Dropout Prevention

How We Relate to Everything...

To understand differences among educational systems, Epstein (1995) introduced the concept of separate versus overlapping spheres of influence. Separate spheres occur

when education is unconnected to the family's influence on the child. In a separate sphere, teachers may expect parents to "observe rather than participate" in education

(Lightfoot 1981:98). An example of separate spheres of influence might include a teacher saying "if the family would just do its job, we could do our job" or parents saying "I raised this child, now it's your turn to educate them" (Epstein 1995:702).

One area in which community and family members' assistance may be especially useful is in the transmission and understanding of culture. In fact, "parents and community members [have] ranked 'themselves and their culture as very important in the education" of American Indian children (Robinson-Zanartu and Majel-Dixon 1996:38). Unfortunately, elements of culture are often ignored by schools, representing a cultural discontinuity model (Ledlow 1992; Spring 1997; Szasz 1999). Cultural discontinuity is characterized by the use of

• passive teaching methods,
• inappropriate testing,
• tracked classes,
• distorted curricula,
• uncaring/untrained teachers,
• large schools, and
• a lack of parental involvement in the educational process

(Ledlow 1992; Reyhner 1992:37).

Epstein (1992:1143) found that when teachers work with parents to educate children at home as well as at school, teachers raise their expectations of the parents and "appreciate parents as partners." By using overlapping spheres of influence "the shared interests and investments of schools, families and communities create the conditions of caring that work to 'overdetermine' the likelihood of student success" (Epstein 1995:703).

Epstein (1995; 2001) offered six types of involvement for creating collaborative,overlapping spheres. These types included:

• basic obligations of families (providing positive home conditions),
• basic obligations of schools (school communicates with parents),
• involvement at school (community members and family members assist in teaching),
• involvement in learning activities at home (involve children in learning activities at home),
• involvement in decision making (community and family members serve as advocates and participate in decision-making roles), and
• collaboration and exchanges with community organizations (community organizations impact children's learning).

Involving the community in the collaboration process is evident in school

"programs that tap parents' and community members' talents" to enrich student learning experiences (Connors and Epstein 1995:448).

Who We Are...

How We Promote and Sustain Our Cultures, Languages and Traditions ...

How We Respond to and Contribute to All of Society from Local to Global ...

Describing an educational system that ignored their cultural background led

many participants to question their individual identity. Charleston (1994) states that

education characterized by the dominant culture and assimilation creates contradictions

for American Indian students. Students are caught between the assimilationist goals

of the public schools and the struggles for cultural continuity in their communities.

Tierney (1993:320) framed this dilemma as American Indian students being forced to

choose between maintaining their culture and "risk economic and social problems, or

eschew [their] culture" and gain an education. In realizing an education, many students

described themselves as "acting White" in order to successfully navigate the educational

system. Since the rewards of larger society (occupational achievements, income, quality

of life) flow to those who succeed in the educational system, American Indian students

must react by participating in an educational system that largely ignores their cultural

background (Collins 1971).

Pseudo? or Quasi? or True?

Which of these three approaches, if any, is my school taking in addressing the needs of Native students?

What is my evidence?

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