The issue of girls' lack of connection to science has received much attention. Situated approaches such as research apprenticeships offer the chance to engage learners fully in science communities of practice and thus connect girls to science. However, such programs are often designed with lab settings, rather than field settings, in mind. This…

The Tribal Marine Science Workshop has run annually since 2010. The workshop takes place at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by NOAA and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, near Seldovia, Alaska. It is hosted by the Seldovia Village Tribe, sponsored by the Bureau of…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examines the implementation of the Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) improvement process in the village of Tatitlek in south-central Alaska. The village has about 100 residents, mostly of Alutiiq heritage (Native peoples of Prince William Sound). A…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examines implementation of the Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) process in Koyukuk, a small Athabascan village on the Yukon River in western interior Alaska. The village has a K-10 school with an enrollment of 19-41 students during the study period. A…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examined the implementation of the Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) improvement process in Klawock. Klawock is a town of about 750 Tlingit and non-Native residents on Prince of Wales Island in far southeastern Alaska with a K-12 school that serves 212…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study focuses on the early implementation of the Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) school improvement process in Aniak and Kalskag, two villages of Kuspuk School District in southwestern Alaska. District residents are primarily Yup'ik Eskimos, although the hub…

This paper reports on the changes in understandings and appreciations of pre-service elementary (K-8) teacher education students who participated in a week-long cultural immersion experience in Alaska Native communities and their schools. For this group of pre service teachers, the experience developed new and deeper understandings about the…

Case studies of high student achievement levels and school effectiveness from three rural Alaska Native schools, all offering some bilingual or bicultural classes, examine curriculum and school instructional practices, school social systems, student outcomes, aspects of school governance, and school-community relations. Chaputnguak High School, in…

As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examines reform efforts underway in New Stuyahok, a community of 440 people in southwestern Alaska. The population is almost entirely Yup'ik Eskimo. The K-12 school enrolls about 150 students. In 1992, Alaska Onward to Excellence (AOTE) established district…

A University of Alaska staff member, two local teachers, and two community members used on-site visits, observations, questionnaires, and interviews to assess development of the Manokotak school from its inception in 1947 to 1984 as perceived by community members, school staff, and students. Rural and cross-cultural, the Alaskan school served 117…

The author compares and contrasts student, parent, and teacher attitudes toward schooling, community loyalty, ethnic identity, vision of the future and ideal individual and school roles in Nulato, a village in Alaska's Yukon-Koyukuk School District. (BS)

The urban Alaska Native community in and around Fairbanks is drawing on its rural roots to reshape schooling experiences. Alaska Natives are resisting the pattern of dropping out and are claiming a place in school, asserting that it's okay to be Native; Native teachers are committed to developing Native curricular materials; and tribal colleges…

Results of a study of the role, governance, and future direction of the community colleges of the University of Alaska are detailed in this report. Chapter I describes the purpose and methodology of the study and presents an overview of the community college system. Chapter II gives the legislative history of the Alaska community college movement.…

Increased pressure on the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) to become more involved in distance education compelled UAS to commission a study of the perceptions, problems, and opportunities in the area of distance education as seen by three distinct groups in the university community: students, faculty, and staff (including administrators). The…

Reports a study that examined the attitudes of students, parents, and teachers toward school and community issues in Nulato, a remote Athapaskan village, noting changes in attitude between 1983 and 1992. Results suggested the community valued the maintenance of cultural heritage, and cultural and language restoration were becoming high priorities…