In Hardin (Montana) schools, where 55% of students are American Indians, the same identification methods are used to identify gifted students among all cultural groups. These methods include nonverbal standardized tests and subjective recommendations based on the Frasier Talent Assessment Profile. Other equitable practices include equal…

In remote Bristol Bay (Alaska), award-winning librarian Tiki Levinson built a library program that inspired students to read and teachers to embrace new resources for their classrooms. She recommends new books and Web sites to students and teachers and searches avidly for new resources that might pique a child's interest or meet a teacher's needs.…

In response to Salish and Kootenai tribal demands for educational equity, a Montana school district chose a reform model based on cooperative learning strategies, which fits American Indian learning styles, and switched from tolerating to celebrating American Indian culture. Academic achievement has risen in all subjects, and the achievement gap…

Describes the literacy approach to learning at Cherry Valley Elementary School in Polson, Montana. Strategies include developmentally appropriate practices, child-centered activities, staff leadership teams, individualized reading enrichment, community partnerships, extensive family involvement, and staff development. Sidebar details the…

The Lower Kuskokwim School District in southwest Alaska developed Yup'ik language materials to support the curriculum and, trained school staff in bilingual practices. The district school in Quinhagak adopted Yup'ik as the primary language of instruction through fifth grade, taught by Yup'ik-speaking teachers. The tribal council offered support in…

Warm Springs Elementary School (Oregon) received national recognition for its model professional development program due to principal Dawn Smith's leadership. Reduction of teacher turnover and student misbehavior at the reservation school was followed by Title I and charter school status, and English-as-second language and American Indian language…

Descriptions of students projects raising chickens and studying salmon illustrate how project-based learning engages high-risk Alaska Native students. Projects make learning relevant, involve the community, increase student self-esteem, and help students and teachers bond with each other. A 4-day workshop for teachers emphasized how projects must…

In rural Alaska villages, Native students benefit from having Native teachers who share their culture. Past and present efforts to increase the number of fully certified Native teachers include distance education courses, often taken by Native teacher aides; a fifth-year rural teacher internship for college graduates; and campus-based and…