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Racial segregation can occur not only between schools but also within schools, and there has been particular concern that gifted & talented (G&T) programs may increase within-school segregation at the primary school level. This paper evaluates the contribution of G&T education to racial segregation using data on the presence and racial composition of G&T programs at virtually all U.S. elementary schools over a span of nine school years. I first show that, consistent with widespread perceptions, G&T programs do disproportionately enroll White and Asian students while Black, Hispanic, and Native American students are underrepresented. Next, I calculate the changes in the Dissimilarity and Exposure Indices that occur when G&T programs are treated as fully separate schools, which provides a transparent measure of their contribution to overall racial segregation. These calculations indicate that accounting for the within-school racial sorting caused by G&T education increases the Dissimilarity Index by 10 to 20 percent, and has little to no impact on the Exposure Index. Finally, to study the potential effects of G&T programs on enrollments over time, I estimate event-study models for schools initiating or discontinuing G&T programs, and find no large changes in White or Asian enrollment after programs are eliminated or initiated. I conclude that G&T education's impact on racial segregation in U.S. elementary schools is modest, although changes in G&T programming could still be one meaningful tool to increase integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Indian students continue to experience marginalization in settler-colonial school systems in the United States. American Indian students receive disciplinary punishment more frequently and harshly than white peers. Overrepresentation of American Indian students in school discipline is a byproduct of a long history of oppressive settler-colonial schooling. To address racial disproportionality in school discipline, the Indigenous Learning Lab was enacted through building a university-school-family-community partnership at a rural high school. Learning Lab is a community-driven problem-solving process through which multiple school stakeholders take transformative actions, including identification of systemic challenges entrenched in the settler-colonial school system and design of a new, culturally responsive support system. White administrators and teachers, along with students, family, and community members from the local tribal nation, engaged in prefigurative political action as they participated in the collective design process of the new system. Prefiguration is a present embodiment of new social relations, allowing participants to try new decision-making structures that may lead to what can be considered possible futures. The purpose of this paper is to examine how school stakeholders exerted their collective agency to unpack systemic contradictions in the settler-colonial school system and design a new culturally responsive support system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial disproportionality in school discipline is an enduring systemic problem. This study is based on a collaboration with 14 school stakeholders: American Indian students, parents, community members, and educators at a high school in a community-driven problem-solving process called Indigenous Learning Lab (ILL). ILL members addressed the root causes of the racialized school discipline and created a new school discipline system. Using critical geography and decolonizing methodology as the theoretical and analytical framework, this study aimed to unpack the emergence of Thirdspace—a space of resistance, possibilities, and hopes—in ILL to address enduring racial disproportionality. Members challenged race-neutrality of data sense-making, mapped out dystopia, revitalized American Indian epistemology, and mapped out a real utopian vision of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earners from Native American communities in the U.S. experience unfamiliar curricula that are designed and implemented by educators from the dominant culture who are often unprepared to meet the needs of diverse leaners. Consequently, teacher education programs have a responsibility to equipe preservice teachers with knowledge and skills essential to integrating culturally relevant contents. Therefore, this collaborative autoethnography conducted as a teacher-educator professional development program, explored the perspectives of Native Peoples on preferred pedagogical approaches for Indigenous learners. Data were collected through autobiographical notes, written reflections, focus groups, interactive activities with study participants, and structured interviews. A thematic analysis resulted in two findings, that is, importance of contextually appropriate curriculum and the value of community-based collaborative learning professional development activities in supporting authentic culturally responsive lessons for teacher educators. Among other recommendations, the data support the enactment of teacher education programs that support intentional culturally collaborative Community-Based Professional Development activities between educators and Indigenous Peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes data from Native American students' attainment in a first-semester Spanish language course at an indigenous-serving institution before, during, and after the pandemic. The gap between Native American and non-Native American students increased during the first post-pandemic semester to the point that just one out of 11 Native Americans passed the course in the fall of 2021. After that, the gap between Native American and non-Native American students gradually narrowed until reaching the lowest failing grades of 23% in the spring 2023. In my teaching, Native American students benefit from a classic teaching style involving longer lecture time, monitored note-taking, consistent attendance requirements, in-person communication, and clearly communicated differentiation strategies for grading. This may align with the cycle of learning outlined by Benally (1994): Nitsáhákees (Thinking), Nahat'á (Planning), Iiná (Living) and Sihasin (Assuring). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the growing popularity of apprenticeships as an alternative to college education. It discusses the rising tuition costs and underemployment among college graduates that have led to the increased interest in apprenticeships. The author argues for the expansion of apprenticeships as a way to address socioeconomic immobility and student loan debt. However, the article also acknowledges the enduring value of a college education and the need for more high-quality degree alternatives. It presents different perspectives on the topic and emphasizes the importance of policymakers considering both options. The article also discusses the arguments made by Craig about the failings of colleges and the crisis of underemployment facing college graduates. However, it points out that Craig fails to discuss the earnings of college graduates and the wage gap between college graduates and high school diploma holders. The article concludes by discussing the need for greater investment in apprenticeships and the importance of fairness and justice in postsecondary education and career launch. It also addresses the challenges of implementing apprenticeship programs on a larger scale. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the experiences of Uncle Ed and Aunt Virginia, who lived on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in Northern California. Despite facing challenges, including Uncle Ed's time at a Native American boarding school, they demonstrated values of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to their community. The article sheds light on the harsh conditions and abuse that many Native American children endured in these schools in the United States and Canada. Uncle Ed and Aunt Virginia's story showcases their resilience and commitment to their heritage. The document also features an interview with Celeste Townsend, the former superintendent of Sherman Indian School and current president of California Indian Nations College. Townsend discusses the efforts to establish the first fully accredited Tribal College in California in over 20 years, emphasizing the lack of funding for emerging Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The interview delves into the history of Indian boarding schools and the mistreatment of Native American children, as well as the importance of teaching this history accurately in schools. Townsend also addresses the preferred terminology for Native Americans and the necessity for non-tribal students to learn about the mistreatment of Native Americans throughout history. The document concludes with an update on the return of tribal lands to the Shasta Indian Nation. [Extracted from the article]

The focus of this research is on Native American students participating in science internships in tribal college and university settings. Drawing on data collected through annual evaluations of two Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) internship programs over a number of years, one at a tribal college and one at a university, the research presented in this article addresses the following questions: How do the science internship experiences of Native college students differ in the tribal college and university settings? Which program elements facilitate the most successful science internship experiences? What meanings and impacts do Native students identify for the science internships they experience in these two different higher education contexts? Our analyses indicate similar perspectives among interns about the value of their mentors and the collaborative STEM research experiences which increased their skills and the confidence needed to contribute to research and to pursue higher education degrees. Although differences in the internship programs included specific research opportunities, the skills required, and mentor responsibilities, the two programs were ultimately complementary. Both the tribal college and university programs created spaces for Native student engagement with STEM fields. As a result, interns typically felt that the internships benefitted their individual schooling and would benefit their home communities through their own contributions and future mentorship of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand how Catholic women religious could participate in the "cultural genocide" of Native Americans perpetrated by boarding schools, this article considers Mother Mary Joseph Lynch, a Sister of Mercy, who founded Minnesota's Morris Industrial School for Indians in 1887. Using lenses provided by Susan Neiman and Mary Fulbrook, the article delves into the beginnings of the boarding school in Morris and considers what prompted the Sisters of Mercy to begin such an endeavor before analyzing several texts created by Lynch. The article begins with the assumption that the Sisters of Mercy wanted to be true to the values articulated by their founder, Catherine McAuley, as it also trusts the countless Native peoples who have conveyed the generational harm done to them by a process that systematically attempted to destroy their identities and their cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native American students in public schools face barriers to educational achievement due to racism, prejudice, and ignorance from fellow students, teachers, and administrators. Native students have endured various forms of discrimination that range from forcible cutting of braids by peers to administrative bans on traditional regalia at graduation ceremonies. In addition to experiencing overt acts of racism, Native students often feel disengaged from school due to the negative or non-existent portrayals of their tribal heritage in classroom curricula. Literature suggests that much of the gap in educational outcomes between Native students and their white peers could be mitigated through the incorporation of appropriate curricular materials on Indigenous history and culture, leading numerous states to pass laws requiring such programs to be developed and implemented in classrooms. In contrast, other states have proposed or passed legislation restricting the manner in which educators may discuss race, gender, and systemic inequality. These "anti-critical race theory" laws have the potential to chill or directly inhibit much-needed teaching of Native American culture and history in public school classrooms through both minimizing conversations about historical white supremacy and racism against Native Americans and limiting the visibility of Native figures and culture in public school curricula. This Note proposes that Native students attending public schools in states that have passed anti-critical race theory legislation may be able to seek judicial relief from such laws. The Note will examine potential claims under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and, depending on where the students live, their respective state constitutions. Part I provides background on the importance of culturally competent education for Native students. Part II discusses the chilling effect that bills banning discussion of systemic inequality or race-related topics have on ethnic studies programs, the specific barriers that they raise to teaching Native culture and history, and the ensuing harm caused to Native students. Part III examines potential avenues for judicial relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of "proudness" in physics education and provides guidelines for designing learning environments that promote proud moments for students. The authors emphasize the importance of creating a classroom culture that supports proudness and address the need to address social justice issues in education. They provide a concrete example of how these principles can be applied to improve an introductory physics course. The article also discusses the implementation of proudness principles in remote learning and highlights the benefits of student-faculty partnerships in course improvement. [Extracted from the article]

While ethnic racial identity (ERI) development is associated with a variety of psychological well-being outcomes, the mechanisms through which this association operates is yet to be fully explained. During adolescence, social belonging is a developmentally salient process that can play a key role in how ERI impacts well-being. We sought to explore the mediating role of belonging to peer networks in the association between ERI and self-esteem among Native American adolescents. In this crosssectional, mediational study, we used survey data from 317 Native American students attending a reservation high school (46.9% female; M age =16). Students' levels of ERI development were measured by combining items from two scales pertaining to ethnic identity development and racial identity. We employed a structural equation modeling approach to explore the mediating role of peer belonging in the association between ERI and self-esteem. Results suggest that our 4-item index of peer belonging was an acceptable measure of this construct. Further, the significant indirect effect of peer belonging explains a notable portion (ß=.22, p<.05) of the total effects of ERI on self-esteem (ß=.54, p<.05). This finding suggests that higher levels of ERI achievement contribute to higher levels of peer belongingness, which in turn lead to improved self-esteem among students. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collection of articles and guidelines explores the topic of teaching English in two-year colleges. The authors discuss the need for English PhD programs to better prepare students for careers in access-oriented institutions, such as community and tribal colleges. They emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusivity in these programs and call for a transformation of the two-year college English professoriat to better reflect the demographics of the students they serve. The guidelines provide recommendations for the academic preparation of English faculty at two-year colleges. These resources offer valuable insights for researchers and educators interested in the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching English in this context. [Extracted from the article]

Earners from Native American communities in the U.S. experience unfamiliar curricula that are designed and implemented by educators from the dominant culture who are often unprepared to meet the needs of diverse leaners. Consequently, teacher education programs have a responsibility to equipe preservice teachers with knowledge and skills essential to integrating culturally relevant contents. Therefore, this collaborative autoethnography conducted as a teacher-educator professional development program, explored the perspectives of Native Peoples on preferred pedagogical approaches for Indigenous learners. Data were collected through autobiographical notes, written reflections, focus groups, interactive activities with study participants, and structured interviews. A thematic analysis resulted in two findings, that is, importance of contextually appropriate curriculum and the value of community-based collaborative learning professional development activities in supporting authentic culturally responsive lessons for teacher educators. Among other recommendations, the data support the enactment of teacher education programs that support intentional culturally collaborative Community-Based Professional Development activities between educators and Indigenous Peoples.

This study explores the direction and magnitude of racial disparities on three advanced placement (AP) computer science (CS) exams, namely AP CS Principles, AP CS A, and AP CS AB, based on the test scores of more than one million students who have taken AP CS exams between 1997 and 2020. Using Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope procedures we found that the number of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students in AP CS exams have increased steadily and significantly over years, yet they are still far from reaching parity. Further, our findings suggest that the racial disparities among top achievers are very wide. The results provide educators and researchers support for identifying and quantifying the racial disparities in advanced academic programs and may inform the development of policies, practices, and programs to reduce racial disparities in pre-college CS education and further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the relationship between institutional experiences and the desire of Native American students to give back to their tribal communities, as well as their sense of tribal identity. Topics include the challenges faced by Native American students in nonnative institutions, the importance of family and community support, and the impact of peer interactions on their higher education experiences.

The article explores the significance of culture-specific support for Native American college students, emphasizing the impact of family, tribal, and on-campus cultural support on cultural outcomes. Topics include the historical context of Native Americans in education, the cultural dynamics of early Western institutions, the emergence of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) as an alternative, and the need for culturally valid frameworks to assess Native American student success.

The article focuses on the integration of Indigenous studies approaches in early American studies scholarship, particularly in the context of Elizabeth N. Ellis's book, "The Great Power of Small Nations." It discusses the theoretical and methodological shifts required for exploring Vast Early America, the challenges in accepting Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) methods, and the ongoing debates about presentism in historical scholarship.

In this article, I describe a few personal favorite contributions of Dr. Marcia Gentry, one of the most successful graduates from our doctoral program at the University of Connecticut, as well as a dear friend and collaborator. Marcia focused her life's work on the need to serve underserved and often-neglected populations in our field and implemented programs for these students, focusing on positive change in schools and on reservations. She also developed innovative identification and programming practices to be used in schools as well as summer programs. Marcia's personalized boots-on-the-ground activities, research, and advocacy for numerous Native American students across the country helped develop gifts and talents in diverse groups. Her success in this area resulted in recent years in the application of the same know-how to leadership and change strategies with other diverse groups. Marcia's life's work earned her a place among the top leaders in our field and in this special issue, we celebrate her work and life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using classroom-level data from nearly all California schools, we investigate whether Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native students in grades K-5 are more likely to have a teacher of the same race at charter schools or traditional public schools in 2017-18, what school and student characteristics explain these differences, and how ethnoracial matching rates changed since 2012-13. Hispanic and Black students experience greater rates of ethnoracial matching at charter schools, whereas Asian and Native students experience greater match rates at traditional public schools. Having a same-race principal is a strong predictor of student-teacher ethnoracial match in many models. Since 2012-13, ethnoracial matching increased for Hispanic and Asian students, decreased for Black students, and remained stable for Native students. These findings are important given the benefits of exposure to teachers of the same ethnoracial identity and number of students of color in charter schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings from this descriptive psychological phenomenological study identify distinct patterns of identity expression in multiracial Native American students. Participants used selective invisibility to avoid monoracialism or feeling invisible to their institution and there were personal reservations about the authenticity of their Indigenous heritages due to the questioning of their self-identification. This study reveals implications for multiracial Native American students that can enable practitioners to increase recognition and support of this population on college campuses and in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Native American social work student and practicum supervisor, we describe a program evaluation at a campus Native American student services site and share insights on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, cultural practices, and a justice orientation into identities and practices. We describe disseminating findings and student efforts to work within systems to make policy changes; however, changing a system--that constantly tells you that you (and who you are) are not meant to be there--while you are in the system is not easy. We describe key engagement concepts including microaggressions, stereotype threat, tokenism, resiliency, and survivance. We--as decolonizing social work scholars--provide a vision for how to move forward together in creating culturally safe classrooms, campuses, communities, and social work practices grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article states that analysis of the federal education department's Civil Rights Data Collection surveys shows that Gifted and Talented programs in U.S. elementary schools, which have a minimal effect on racial segregation, tend to enroll white and Asian students rather than Hispanic students. It highlights that U.S. elementary schools' racial segregation is not significantly impacted by these programs.

Utilizing Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we investigated the importance of identity‐based factors such as personal inputs and contextual affordances (e.g., having children, being married or employed, school‐family conflict, stress, participating in Native American cultural activities) in understanding Native American undergraduates' intentions and decision to major in STEM fields. Past studies have examined the role of SCCT in undergraduate students' major choice and the underrepresentation of certain marginalized groups in STEM majors. Yet few studies have examined if these relationships extend to Native American undergraduates or how the SCCT model may vary based on the complex identities Native American peoples may hold. The findings highlight the importance of contextualizing major choice through a Native American lens. For Native American students, we find being married or employed, having children, and family stress negatively impact intent to major in STEM fields. We also find support for several SCCT variables and intent to major in STEM disciplines. Specifically, we discuss fostering identity as a scientist as a fruitful avenue for increasing intent to major in STEM fields. Results are compared to a White undergraduate group and implications are discussed for institutions of higher education and Tribal governments and leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A science classroom culture that extends a rightful presence to all students is constructed through tapping into student experience, culture, and interest. It is a great time to prompt students to note any and all questions they have in their notebooks, which can also serve as an assessment to students engaging in the science and engineering practice of asking questions and identifying problems (see Figure 1). Back at the classroom, students engage in the science and engineering practice of analyzing and interpreting data by drawing, labeling, and sharing the models in their science notebooks. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Childhood is a critical developmental time of wellness patterns, yet little is known about what children know and believe. Even less is known about non-majority cultures like American Indian youth. The purpose of this study was to explore American Indian students' understandings of nutrition and physical activity. Methods: This mixed methods study took place in 10 schools in an American Indian community in the Southwestern U.S. Ninety American Indian students in grades 3–12 (8–19 years old) were interviewed. The interview included an 8-point body size chart. Numerical data were analyzed via t-test statistics while a constant comparison process and analysis was used for the interview data. Results: Students rated approximately 85% of students in Category 5 or smaller on the scale while placing 60% of adults at or above that size. There was a general trend of a larger body type for boys seen as healthy compared to that for girls. Students generally believed that their classmates were larger than the healthy body size. For students, a healthy body was the result of compliance with "eat right and exercise" rules. They exhibited little understanding of nutrition or physical activity and there were few developmental differences in understanding. Health was a corporeal concept and violators of the eat right and exercise rules were seen as lazy. Conclusions: Students held narrow and corporeal focused notions of health focused on simple rules. People who violated the rules were "lazy", a concept that seemed to underlie multiple constructs and a finding that holds true in other investigations. Students also reported few adult role models, a topic that should be explored with expanded family groups to better represent the multi-generational (e.g. grandparents, uncles, aunts) family housing common in the community. The findings are limited to a single American Indian community and a mixed design of relatively small numbers. This addition to the literature from a non-majority cultural group expands our knowledge of student perspectives on health. These findings can be used to create more effective curricula and interventions. Schools need more effective, but also alternately framed approaches that promote broader views of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land acknowledgments are an evolving practice to recognize local Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of their homelands. Using a content and discourse analysis, we conduct the first empirical study of U.S. land acknowledgment statements focusing on the 47 land-grab universities created under the 1862 Morrill Act. We find that LGUs tend to adopt statements in urban areas, where federally recognized tribes are present, and at institutions with over 100 enrolled Native American students. Land acknowledgment statements also commonly name local Indigenous Peoples yet often fail to articulate their responsibilities to them, include superficial gestures, and center multicultural language. We offer "rhetorical removal" to describe the tendency of land-grab universities to deploy language that selectively erases Indigenous Peoples and, thus, argue that statements must directly address settler colonial legacies of violence and redistribute material support for Indigenous students and partnerships with Native nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the issue of food insecurity among college students, with a focus on marginalized groups. The University of Wyoming has taken a student-led approach to tackle this problem, implementing initiatives like food share cabinets and campus food pantries. The article emphasizes the need for proactive strategies to address food insecurity and highlights the importance of equity and justice in these efforts. The University of Wyoming's Food Security Taskforce is dedicated to ending food insecurity on campus, prioritizing high-quality and culturally appropriate food, sustainable strategies, and amplifying students' voices. The article also discusses the efforts of the equity working group at the University of Wyoming, which aims to reduce disparities in food insecurity and has made progress in fundraising and engaging students. However, it acknowledges that more needs to be done to completely eliminate food insecurity at the university. The article underscores the significance of ensuring that all students have access to nourishing food and highlights the negative impact of food insecurity on academic achievement and career opportunities. [Extracted from the article]

American society and academics have viewed events related to Indigenous populations through a westernEuropean, colonial influenced lens consistently for generations. Furthermore, the school environment and educational opportunities for advancement provided to Native American students have long been focused on and perpetuated “colonized” ways of knowing and being. This article proposes the concept of “constructive indigenization” as a theoretical construct for applying uniquely Indigenous cultural values, world views, and perspectives to create equitable learning experiences for Indigenous students. This article considers the historical context and unique sociocultural factors that affect the educational experiences of Indigenous people within the borders of the United States (US); proposes constructive indigenization as a mechanism for revealing areas where Indigenous ways of knowing and being can be applied to create learning environments that transcend the systemic barriers encountered by Indigenous students for generations; proposes a set of research-based questions for assessing core competencies of constructive indigenization in academic settings; identifies trends in constructive indigenization in the Native American partnerships and programs of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU), which operate on Choctaw Nation Reservation lands with a retention rate for Native American students that consistently exceeds the US national average; and proposes areas of further study in constructive indigenization in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to extend our understanding of how American Indian college students' success is crafted from their lived experiences and ancestral understanding to create community on a college campus. Using a methodology of portraiture, the Cherokee concept of gadugi is explored as a formidable concept to indigenize spaces on a primarily white institution campus. The findings highlight the strength and agency of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian students in disrupting the marginalizing structures of a settler academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]