Tribal Consultation on the BIE Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Request

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA – Government to government tribal consultation will occur today in Arizona regarding a proposal that would help the Bureau of Indian Education achieve the objectives of President Obama's Executive Order 13592 concerning improving educational opportunities provided to American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Tribal Consultation

The proposal would empower tribes to exercise greater control over education and reestablish tribal sovereignty through the adoption of Common Core Standards and allow tribally focused standards addressing language, culture and history; moving away from state standards and assessments. Additionally, this would help the Bureau to utilize an accountability system based on a unitary set of academic standards and assessments in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools. The Bureau of Indian Education could move away from the current structure of reporting on 23 states' standards and assessments.

In February, the US Department of Education began granting flexibility waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Forty two states have submitted flexibility waiver requests and 19 of those states include Bureau of Indian Education schools. In exchange for these flexibility waivers the states have agreed to implement bold reforms around standards and accountability, which include raising standards, improving accountability, and generally implementing essential changes to improve teacher effectiveness. The Department of Education's decision to provide these flexibility waivers followed extensive efforts to work with Congress to amend requirements that the No Child Left Behind Act introduced into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The Elementary and Secondary Education is five years overdue for reauthorization.

WHAT:
Tribal Consultation on the Bureau of Indian Education Elementary and Secondary Education Flexibility Request

WHO:
Dr. Jeffrey Hamley, Associate Deputy Director-Division of Performance and Accountability, BIE
Dion Killsback, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs
Tribal Leaders from the Southwest Region and other regions

WHEN:
Friday, July 20
Registration will begin at 7:30 am
Consultation will begin at 8:00 am

WHERE:
Little America Hotel
2515 E. Butler Avenue
Flagstaff, Arizona 86004

posted July 20, 2012 6:50 am edt