Despite efforts by educators, full participation by Alaska native students in the state's colleges and universities has not yet been achieved. Alaska Natives are the state's only racial group that is underrepresented in enrollments at the University of Alaska (UA). This report examines the contribution of the Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI)…

Illustrates complexities involved in establishing school-community partnership in a cross-cultural setting--an Alaskan village of 500 inhabitants. Analyzes outcomes of a three-week multidisciplinary program developed jointly by high school students and teachers which utilized Native community members and resources to study kayak and boat building,…

This report presents recommendations resulting from a study conducted during 1993-94 assessing rural secondary education in Alaska. Components of the study included a survey of 800 randomly selected rural households, a survey of boarding school graduates, an assessment of rural university student achievement, and other related research. A task…

This monograph examines the effectiveness of university-level audioconference courses and distance education in Alaska. It discusses some of the problems of distance education and examines different perspectives on audioconferences. Teachers and students, both Native American and non-Native, offer their opinions on audioconferencing as an…

In July, 1976, Alaska's 21 Regional Educational Attendance Areas (REAAs) came into being; these REAAs provide elementary and secondary education in a huge geographical area for approximately 11,000 pupils, 70% of whom are Native. Prior to 1976 education for these rural areas was controlled centrally by a distant state agency. Beginning in 1975,…

This case study explores the interactions between a teacher, her students, and a culturally based math curriculum in a fifth and sixth grade classroom in rural Alaska. The case attempts to identify and illuminate factors that created a rich learning environment while implementing Star Navigation: Explorations into Angles and Measurement, a module…

A 3-year study of decentralization of Alaska schools identified several factors that influenced whether a school was locally controlled and found patterns of control associated in important ways with staff and community attitudes toward school. Information was gathered by surveys and interviews conducted in 28 communities randomly selected to…

This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

In summer 2000, the University of Alaska Anchorage and cooperating professional development schools organized four summer institutes to enhance teachers' cultural and subject matter knowledge. This dual focus was prompted by the new Alaska Content Standards and by guidelines for preparing culturally responsive teachers, developed by Alaska Native…

Beginning in 1981, a 3-year study examined implementation of decentralization in rural Alaska education; legislated decentralization had begun in 1975 largely in response to the Native self-determination movement. All rural local school administrators were initially surveyed. Based on their responses and other statewide data, four types of…

The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) was established in 1994 to develop pedagogical practices that incorporate the indigenous knowledge systems of Alaska Native peoples into formal educational programs. The statewide project is organized around five initiatives, each of which is implemented in one Native cultural region at a time on a…

This report summarizes a study conducted during 1993-94 evaluating rural secondary education in Alaska. The six components of the study included: (1) a survey of boarding school graduates concerning how well their educational experience prepared them for college, trade school, and employment; (2) a telephone survey of 800 rural households…

Focusing on examination of the current status of small high schools, identification of the elements of successful programs, and formulation of a general program design, the report of the first year of the Small High Schools Project for Rural Alaska presents over 100 recommendations to help small high schools develop into effective institutions.…

The paper discusses dilemmas in doing research on the kinds of teachers who are effective with Eskimo and Indian children in isolated, rural Alaska communities. Issues discussed are identification of effective cross-cultural teachers by a "multiple hurdle" technique; criteria that 228 teachers, 29 administrators, and 40 community members…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for "The Diversity of Fishes", along with profiles of two teachers who took the course. Course takers report on the annual follow-up surveys…