Research on Motivational Factors Contributing Toward

Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary Schools

Research on Motivational Factors Contributing Toward

Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary Schools

Alberta JonesJuneau School District

University of Alaska Southeast Research Project

For Dr. Mary-Claire Tarlow, U. of Alaska Southeast2005-2008

Alberta JonesJuneau School District

University of Alaska Southeast Research Project

For Dr. Mary-Claire Tarlow, U. of Alaska Southeast2005-2008

The Drop out IssueThe Drop out Issue

“As the student spirals downward somewhere between end of

middle school and high school years, he/she leaves ‘with a whisper, not a bang’”(Briggs, 2004)

“As the student spirals downward somewhere between end of

middle school and high school years, he/she leaves ‘with a whisper, not a bang’”(Briggs, 2004)

Definitions vary from state to state for what the criteria is to classify students as dropouts

There are common patterns that are evident prior to the students dropping out--Attendance is key (Gates study, March 2006), lack of engagement in activities

30% of students in the United States drop out of school (Time magazine, April 2006)

Review of the LiteratureReview of the Literature

Dr. William Demmert’s work-2001 and 2003,ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools

The Seventh Generation-Native Students Speak about Finding the Good Path-Dr. Thomas Peacock et al.

Northwest Education Magazine

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Association of Alaska Schoolboards-AK I.C.E., Alaska

Native Knowledge Network, ERIC,Journal of American Indian Education-ASU, National Center for Educational Statistics, International Journal of Instructional Media

Dr. William Demmert’s work-2001 and 2003,ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools

The Seventh Generation-Native Students Speak about Finding the Good Path-Dr. Thomas Peacock et al.

Northwest Education Magazine

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Association of Alaska Schoolboards-AK I.C.E., Alaska

Native Knowledge Network, ERIC,Journal of American Indian Education-ASU, National Center for Educational Statistics, International Journal of Instructional Media

25 References

Literature ReviewLiterature Review

The Need for Motivating Alaska Native students

Resilience of Students and Overcoming Barriers

Motivating Alaska Native Students And Ways to Help Them be Successful

The Need for Motivating Alaska Native students

Resilience of Students and Overcoming Barriers

Motivating Alaska Native Students And Ways to Help Them be Successful

Resilience and Overcoming Barriers

Resilience and Overcoming Barriers

Resilience is “the ability to bounce back from adversity”(Strand & Peacock, 2002).

In the Strand and Peacock study, people who were resilient overcame barriers, with support from family, extended family, schools and community members that helped them. They came back stronger.

Resilience is “the ability to bounce back from adversity”(Strand & Peacock, 2002).

In the Strand and Peacock study, people who were resilient overcame barriers, with support from family, extended family, schools and community members that helped them. They came back stronger.

Children who were resilient and succeeded had some “protective factors” to help them succeed.

Even with failures in school and life stress they did not give up.

Some are family support and other adult support, school connections, empowerment, and constructive use of time.

Children who were resilient and succeeded had some “protective factors” to help them succeed.

Even with failures in school and life stress they did not give up.

Some are family support and other adult support, school connections, empowerment, and constructive use of time.

Resilience (Continued)Resilience (Continued)

External Factors:Power of Five

External Factors:Power of Five

The students having school connections with teachers or other adults made a difference too. They had the “Power of Five” (p.4, Schleich).

The students having school connections with teachers or other adults made a difference too. They had the “Power of Five” (p.4, Schleich).

Internal FactorsInternal Factors Having a commitment to learning and being

motivated Having Positive values Having good social skills Having a positive identity Motivated with high expectations Having a cultural or spiritual connection

Having a commitment to learning and being motivated

Having Positive values Having good social skills Having a positive identity Motivated with high expectations Having a cultural or spiritual connection

Native Beliefs which Foster Resilience

Native Beliefs which Foster Resilience

Spirituality-Everything living is interrelated Mental well-being-clear thinking, Emotional well being-emotionally balanced Physical well being-respecting your body

Spirituality-Everything living is interrelated Mental well-being-clear thinking, Emotional well being-emotionally balanced Physical well being-respecting your body

Ways to Build Self-Esteem for Native Youth

Ways to Build Self-Esteem for Native Youth

Sense of belonging-with parents and family Mastery of skills-through story telling and

role modeling Independence and motivation to do things Generosity giving to the community and

giving back to others

Sense of belonging-with parents and family Mastery of skills-through story telling and

role modeling Independence and motivation to do things Generosity giving to the community and

giving back to others

(Begins at birth-Strand &Peacock, 2002)

Motivating Alaska Native Students and Ways to Help Them be

Successful

Motivating Alaska Native Students and Ways to Help Them be

Successful Indian Nations at Risk Task Force-Collaborative

National effort problem solving-Inventory developed. Community involvement focus

Northwest Regional Laboratory review report on programs and practices with Native American students-Demmert’s work

University of Minnesota-Duluth-Strand and Peacock

Indian Nations at Risk Task Force-Collaborative National effort problem solving-Inventory developed. Community involvement focus

Northwest Regional Laboratory review report on programs and practices with Native American students-Demmert’s work

University of Minnesota-Duluth-Strand and Peacock

Research by the three groups recommend:

Research by the three groups recommend:

•Change school size•Community Support within schools•Culturally relevant curriculum•Place based education curriculum•Participant structure and addressing learning styles•Having a support network-Assets•Positive teacher interaction and support

Method-Interview Method-Interview

Random and personal: mostly 1-1, some 1-2 or 1-3 Population--232 total: 72 AK N ative SE students, 79 rural AK Native middle

school 37 other students, 10 SACNAS students, 27 effective teachers, AK Native administrators and professionals

Random and personal: mostly 1-1, some 1-2 or 1-3 Population--232 total: 72 AK N ative SE students, 79 rural AK Native middle

school 37 other students, 10 SACNAS students, 27 effective teachers, AK Native administrators and professionals

Student QuestionsStudent Questions

1) What content do you like in school and why?

2) What middle school teacher(s) are you motivated to

learn from and why?

3) What high school teacher(s) are you motivated to learn from and why?

4) What class are you motivated to go to and what makes you motivated with it?

5) How do you learn best? (What teacher strategies have you noticed work for you?)

1) What content do you like in school and why?

2) What middle school teacher(s) are you motivated to

learn from and why?

3) What high school teacher(s) are you motivated to learn from and why?

4) What class are you motivated to go to and what makes you motivated with it?

5) How do you learn best? (What teacher strategies have you noticed work for you?)

Teacher Interview QuestionsTeacher Interview Questions

1) What do you think you do that motivates students to come to your class?

2) What do you do to motivate at risk students in your class?

3) What do you do to motivate Native students in your class?

4) What strategies work best for Native students that you use?

5) What content interests Native students?

1) What do you think you do that motivates students to come to your class?

2) What do you do to motivate at risk students in your class?

3) What do you do to motivate Native students in your class?

4) What strategies work best for Native students that you use?

5) What content interests Native students?

Graduate Student Interview Questions

Graduate Student Interview Questions

1) What three people in your life motivated you to value education and pursue a college education?

2) Was it the content (or subject) in middle school/high school or your teacher that motivated you to pursue college?

3) What teaching strategies did teachers do that connected

you or helped you in school?

1) What three people in your life motivated you to value education and pursue a college education?

2) Was it the content (or subject) in middle school/high school or your teacher that motivated you to pursue college?

3) What teaching strategies did teachers do that connected

you or helped you in school?

Results of the InterviewResults of the Interview

They were recognizable patterns of effective teaching strategies from their teachers.

They were recognizable patterns of effective teaching strategies from their teachers.

Significant statements>Clusters of meaning>Essences> Emergent themes =Results of tables

Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska Native Student Success in

Secondary Schools

Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska Native Student Success in

Secondary Schools

Hands-On Learning and Visual Participant Structure-small group learning

Individual and, Partner learning Relationships between teachers and students-KEY!

Teacher Effort and Energy Personalization: Attitude and Character Traits of

Teacher Rigor-Students want Rigor and want teachers to

have clear expectations for them and to push them-SUPPORT with rigor!!!! Explain, examples, demonstration, clues, etc

Cultural Relevance to the curriculum-Embrace all cultures

Hands-On Learning and Visual Participant Structure-small group learning

Individual and, Partner learning Relationships between teachers and students-KEY!

Teacher Effort and Energy Personalization: Attitude and Character Traits of

Teacher Rigor-Students want Rigor and want teachers to

have clear expectations for them and to push them-SUPPORT with rigor!!!! Explain, examples, demonstration, clues, etc

Cultural Relevance to the curriculum-Embrace all cultures

Rigor, Relevance, Relationshipsand Resilience

Rigor, Relevance, Relationshipsand Resilience

Differentiation (Tiered Instruction-Dr. Mary Prentiss)

Anticipatory Set-Attention Getter-object, question, story-Pull them in

Choices-”Motivation AND Inspiration”-Coach Carter Bloom’s Taxonomy-KCAASE

Knowledge/Comprehension/Application Analysis/Synthesis/ Evaluation

Backwards Design w/Essential Questions-Camps Strategy for rigor-Essay writing, scoring guides

Differentiation (Tiered Instruction-Dr. Mary Prentiss)

Anticipatory Set-Attention Getter-object, question, story-Pull them in

Choices-”Motivation AND Inspiration”-Coach Carter Bloom’s Taxonomy-KCAASE

Knowledge/Comprehension/Application Analysis/Synthesis/ Evaluation

Backwards Design w/Essential Questions-Camps Strategy for rigor-Essay writing, scoring guides

Best Teaching Practices: Proud Project-

Bringing it back to our curriculum

Best Teaching Practices: Proud Project-

Bringing it back to our curriculum

Share a project you were proud of to engage your students and thinking of ‘making the invisible’ students visible.

What were the success factors in that unit? How can WE share units that worked??

Cross pollination with schools and regional communities--we have some similar challenges and outcome expectations-www.ankn.uaf.edu

Share a project you were proud of to engage your students and thinking of ‘making the invisible’ students visible.

What were the success factors in that unit? How can WE share units that worked??

Cross pollination with schools and regional communities--we have some similar challenges and outcome expectations-www.ankn.uaf.edu

Next StepsNext Steps

What can I do personally, and with my staff to make my invisible students visible?

What can my partner or team and I do to engage my Native students and all students

Institutional commitment: “We are ALL responsible for making a difference”--Jared Whitney, Whitman College, 2008

What can I do personally, and with my staff to make my invisible students visible?

What can my partner or team and I do to engage my Native students and all students

Institutional commitment: “We are ALL responsible for making a difference”--Jared Whitney, Whitman College, 2008

Doyck-shinQuyana

GunalcheeshThank you

Web ResourcesWeb ResourcesAlaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive SchoolsAlaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools, Alaska , Alaska Native Knowledge Network, 1998, Native Knowledge Network, 1998, www.ankn.uaf.edu  Helping Kids Succeed- Alaska StyleHelping Kids Succeed- Alaska Style, Alaska Initiative for , Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement, March 2004, Community Engagement, March 2004, www.alaskaice.org  ANSWER Camp(Alaska Native Student Wisdom Enrichment ANSWER Camp(Alaska Native Student Wisdom Enrichment Retreat), Sheryl Weinberg, Associate Director, Southeast Retreat), Sheryl Weinberg, Associate Director, Southeast Regional Resource Center, Regional Resource Center, sherylw@serrc.org & & www.serrc.org   Working Together, An Educational Handbook for Alaskan Native Working Together, An Educational Handbook for Alaskan Native FamilesFamiles, Juneau School District, Ronalda Cadiente-Brown, , Juneau School District, Ronalda Cadiente-Brown, Juneau School District, Juneau School District, www.jsd.k12.ak.us  Alaska Native Student Vitality: Community Perspectives on Alaska Native Student Vitality: Community Perspectives on Supporting Student SuccessSupporting Student Success, January 2006, Malia Villegas, Ed. , January 2006, Malia Villegas, Ed. M, & Rebecca Prieto, B.A.M, & Rebecca Prieto, B.A.  The Silent Epidemic, Perspectives of High School Dropout, The Silent Epidemic, Perspectives of High School Dropout, A A Report by for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John Report by for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John M.Bridgeland , John J.DiIulio, Jr. M.Bridgeland , John J.DiIulio, Jr. http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdf