Lawmaker says South Dakota needs office of Indian education
Posted: Saturday, December 27, 2003
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- An office of Indian education would make sense as South Dakota strives to improve student achievement as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Law, a state lawmaker said.
Student test scores from schools on or near reservations tend to trail the South Dakota average, said Rep. Phyllis Heineman, R-Sioux Falls. Raising those scores is the responsibility of the entire state, she said.
"It's probably not only a positive thing, but it's something we're simply going to have to do," she said. "When we look at some of the scores and the schools in need of improvement, with the Native American children, we really do have a responsibility to help get those kids up to the level they need to be," said Heineman.
Rick Melmer, the state's education secretary, said he is working to strengthen the state's role in Indian Country. But any involvement should come only with the guidance and acceptance of tribes and their officials, said Melmer.
He is meeting with American Indian educators to design the new office, which would be part of the state Department of Education. A council is being created to identify goals and responsibilities.
"You don't just hire someone and say 'fix this problem,' " Melmer said. "We need to define the issues better first."
The No Child Left Behind Act requires all students to master appropriate academic material by 2014. Some educators with the Bureau of Indian Affairs say Native American achievement scores are 30 percent behind the marks of the general school-age population.
"Whatever the state has to do, whatever the districts have to do to make the changes happen, I think Rick is right on," Heineman said.
Democratic Rep. Jim Bradford, a teacher from Pine Ridge, agrees the state should be involved.
"It sounds really like what we've been trying to do somewhat in our own perspective, but we haven't had any real coordination," Bradford said.
"What we need is some office to compare and coordinate what these kids are doing, especially here in our area, because they move back and forth from public schools to BIA, and we don't track their performance all along."
Heineman said trends in education show more involvement by parents and community. But she said some structure should coordinate the sharing of ideas and practices that work in classrooms.
"We need to try to learn from each other, and that's exactly what somebody could do in the department, try to link what's working and what the good ideas are," she said. "We have to focus on getting all of our kids to the levels they need to be. From an overall state prospective, that's vital."
Student test scores from schools on or near reservations tend to trail the South Dakota average, said Rep. Phyllis Heineman, R-Sioux Falls. Raising those scores is the responsibility of the entire state, she said.
"It's probably not only a positive thing, but it's something we're simply going to have to do," she said. "When we look at some of the scores and the schools in need of improvement, with the Native American children, we really do have a responsibility to help get those kids up to the level they need to be," said Heineman.
Rick Melmer, the state's education secretary, said he is working to strengthen the state's role in Indian Country. But any involvement should come only with the guidance and acceptance of tribes and their officials, said Melmer.
He is meeting with American Indian educators to design the new office, which would be part of the state Department of Education. A council is being created to identify goals and responsibilities.
"You don't just hire someone and say 'fix this problem,' " Melmer said. "We need to define the issues better first."
The No Child Left Behind Act requires all students to master appropriate academic material by 2014. Some educators with the Bureau of Indian Affairs say Native American achievement scores are 30 percent behind the marks of the general school-age population.
"Whatever the state has to do, whatever the districts have to do to make the changes happen, I think Rick is right on," Heineman said.
Democratic Rep. Jim Bradford, a teacher from Pine Ridge, agrees the state should be involved.
"It sounds really like what we've been trying to do somewhat in our own perspective, but we haven't had any real coordination," Bradford said.
"What we need is some office to compare and coordinate what these kids are doing, especially here in our area, because they move back and forth from public schools to BIA, and we don't track their performance all along."
Heineman said trends in education show more involvement by parents and community. But she said some structure should coordinate the sharing of ideas and practices that work in classrooms.
"We need to try to learn from each other, and that's exactly what somebody could do in the department, try to link what's working and what the good ideas are," she said. "We have to focus on getting all of our kids to the levels they need to be. From an overall state prospective, that's vital."
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