Wal-Mart Foundation, AIHEC,
HACU and NAFEO Student
Success Collaborative
Nadine L. Bill, Upper Skagit
Director of Institutional Research
Northwest Indian College
Tribal Colleges and Universities
• 36 Tribal Colleges in the U.S. and Canada
• Fall 09 enrollment of Degree Seeking
Student 17,400 FTE
“Pathways for Native Students: A
Report on Washington State
Colleges and Universities”
Partnership for Native
American College Access and
Success Project
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Northwest Indian College
The Evergreen State College
Grays Harbor College
Antioch University-Seattle
Muckleshoot Tribal College
Who Wrote and Why
• Who –
– An inter-agency group that represented 4
years, 2 years, regional Indian college, tribes,
state government and researchers
• Why –
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Grant-based project
Need for comprehensive look
Need for combining of data
Need for combining of Best Practices
Writing Team that Created Leveraging
Opportunities
Reason for report:
29 Federally recognized Tribes in Washington
26% of the U.S. population is under age 18, while the
Native American population under that age is 33%. The
percentage is even higher on many reservations in
Washington
Cultural revitalization and nation-building are at the
forefront for Washington tribes
Growing need for Native Americans with higher education
and training
Data and trends on Native students and institutions’
services required to improve access and attainment levels
Major Research Questions:
• How many AI/AN Students attend
Washington State Colleges and
Universities
• What is the AI/AN student experience
at WA State colleges and universities
• What types of academic programs
and student services targeted at AI/AI
students currently exist
• What do “Institutions” consider as
their “Best Practice” regarding AI/AI
students
How the Research Conducted
• Template Out to all Colleges and Universities
• Multiple Levels of Contact
• Persistence - took real effort to gather the
information (them and us)
• Had to get to the right person
• presidential support critical
• Probed existing data bases
• Disaggregated data, took existing data sets and
reports, and reorganized
How was the
Research Conducted?
A Strength-Based Approach
• National Center for
Educational
Management Systems
• IPEDS
• WA State Higher
Education Coordinating
Board
• State Board for
Community and
Technical Colleges
• Tribal Statistics
• 44 of Washington’s
Colleges and
Universities
• Institutional
Profiles
• Best Practices
• Lessons Learned
Decisions about how to tell
the research-based story
• Stories – that make it
come alive
• Pictures
• Data
• Lively Narrative
• Historical Context
• Stress Best Practices
• Stress Needed Arenas
of Work
• Focus on Exceptional
Schools
Why is this Report and
Strategy Different ?
• Produced by the schools
themselves as a collaborative effort
• Cross-sector – K-20, private and
public, 2 year - 4year
• A whole institution view (Student
Affairs and Academics)
• Tied to a dissemination strategy
Native Participation in Postsecondary
Education in Washington State
Approximately 7500 Native
American Students are enrolled in
Washington Colleges and
Universities
# AI/AN Students (FTE)
% AI/AN
Faculty/Staff
Two-year public colleges
4632
1.6% Faculty
Four-year public colleges &
universities
1800
0.8% Faculty
Four-year private colleges &
universities
500
0.7% Faculty
Type of Institution
Tribal College (Northwest Indian 690
College)
57% Faculty +
Staff
What do we know about
Access & Focus Areas
• Retention & completion
rates low
• K-20 pipeline issue
• Stopping out common
• Gatekeeper classes
should be a key focus
• Basic studies/Dev Ed
Institutional Profiles
• Statistical profile of
Native American/
Alaska Native faculty,
staff, and students
• Academic courses &
programs focusing on
Native Americans
• Public service programs
and initiatives focusing
on Native Americans
• Student support
services and student
organizations focusing
on Native Americans
• Best practices and
lessons
12 Recommendations
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
Create/support vehicles to foster collaboration
Support mechanisms for tribes to share
Washington leaders must make greater investment
Tackle financial barriers to college that remain significant
Institutions must pay attention to the needs
Build the pipeline - bridging the gaps between the sectors (K-12 and twoyear and four year colleges)
7. Find effective approaches in gateway courses/key transition points
8. Find successful approaches in underrepresented fields
9. Diversifying the faculty and staff is a key element in student success
10. Make linkages between needs of Native students and other underserved
populations to more efficiently address service and awareness gaps
11. Maintain a long term focus on Native student success
12. More research and data is needed to fully understand challenges and
effectiveness of institutions and programs. Involve Native stakeholders in
holistic evaluation strategies, continuous improvement and dissemination.
What Works in Native American
Student Success
• Strong family support
• Positive interactions with mentors (e.g..,
faculty, advisor, department staff members)
• Clear educational goals and personal
motivation
• Institutional support
• Academic preparation
• Academic and social integration
• The ability to function bi-culturally
(Ortiz and HeavyRunner, 2003; Inglebret and Pavel, 2007)
Student Success Strategies in Tribal
Colleges
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First Year Experience
Service Learning/Experiential Learning
Course Design and Co-Curricular Activities
Family Education Model (FEM)
Emphasis on STEM and Student-Based
Research in 1st and 2nd year
• Education Based Programs and Research
that benefits tribal communities
Where do we go from here?
Share the information learned with presentations that
inspire dialogue and networking between communities
Examine and implement examples of Performance
Indicators and ways to measure Native American
Student Success in higher education
Apply applicable examples of how Institutions of
higher learning and Native American communities
work together
Continue to build educational program that embraces
assessment and a model of continuous improvement
Build seamless pathways between higher education
and K-12 systems