IMPROVING SCHOOL SUCCESS FOR FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS

RECOMMENDATIONS (IN ORDER OF PRIORITY UNDER EACH GOAL)

Goal I
The district needs to find ways to track First Nations Students, their problems and their successes so as to keep the problem in focus through the years.

Recommendation 1:
Because there is a need for the district to better track and coordinate efforts to resolve First Nations student problems,

Recommendation 2:
Because First Nations student home moves, within and without the district, are sometimes frequent and disruptive to both students and the ability of schools to provide continuity to both academic and social needs,

It is recommended that a designated staff member assure that both the academic and social needs of the student (including living arrangements) are made known to each of the student's classroom teachers at the time of registration, and that such students are immediately registered in the proposed First Nations database.

It is also recommended that a working relationship with parents, foster parents, or people in the home community be developed at the time of registration.

Goal II
The district needs to find ways of having each classroom teacher examine how what they do affects outcomes for First Nations students under their care.

Recommendation 1:
Because evidence suggests that the cultural differences generated by the presence of First Nations students in our classrooms are unlikely to be solved outside of such classrooms,

It is recommended that the district undertake an initiative that will have school-level personnel, particularly classroom teachers and the students, become involved in a re-examination of how cultural differences impact on outcomes for both First Nations students and others.

It is also recommended that First Nations parents of the children in each school be asked to join the teachers and students of that school in their pursuit of the problems associated with cultural differences.

Recommendation 2:
Because there is evidence that First Nations secondary students seem to be limiting the range of their career aspirations,

It is recommended attempts be made to try to discover the student thinking behind their career choices so as to develop programs that help them broaden their choices.

It is recommended that secondary schools, in cooperation with communities and Families through the First Nations Education Council, develop ways in which the career aspirations of First Nations students can be better understood, broadened and accommodated by the school,

It is recommended that the First Nations Education Council in cooperation with school district secondary schools, initiate and develop information that would help First Nations secondary students see that there are many more options than they maybe think are open to them. It is believed that such information should be specific and current in content, especially in regard to career opportunities available in home communities and nearby urban centres.

Recommendation 3:
Because evidence shows that the present system of parent-teacher contact tends to lapse into a one-way communication about the shortcomings of the student who is having difficulty accommodating to school,

It is recommended that the district initiate a program whereby classroom teachers of children at risk see if they can develop a more positive and persistent system of contact with such families. For instance, a system which lets them meet such parents at least once monthly, and which places more emphasis on how programs might be adjusted to accommodate the home. A system which asks parents and students to share their concerns and career aspirations and how the school my help more with less emphasis on the obligations and failures of the family and student to comply with school determined goals, and more encouragement for the families to participate in decision-making.

It is also recommended that the district, through the First Nations Education Council, encourage communities and parents to help establish a more effective school relationships with families of students at risk, a relationship that is based on a dialogue expanded to include the goals of the family and the student.

Goal III
Elementary schools need to find ways in which reading fluency of teh primary and intermediate First Nations Students can be assured.

Recommendation 1:
Because evidence (including local evidence) suggests that the Reading Recovery program used in elementary schools might not be effective for the bottom third of those referred,
and because there is evidence to suggest that First Nations home experiences, including cultural biases, are unique to each child,
and because research shows entry reading for children at risk must be tailored to what the child brings to school as well as what is needed to be learned,

It is recommended that small group, shared, learning settings that are rooted in the child's experiences, be the entry strategy to reading regardless of what form directed instruction might eventually take.

It is also recommended that if monthly assessments show that Reading Recovery or any other remedial actions are not producing change for a First Nation child, that an immediate program review and revision be considered.

Recommendation 2:
Because some First Nations students in Intermediate grades continue to have academic deficiencies, especially in reading and mathematics,
And because some of these students have attended several schools and others are frequently absent or tardy,

It is recommended that monthly parent contact be established as routine at the time of registration, and that the family and student be given an opportunity to share in decision-making and express aspirations they have regarding school before any remedial program is set.

It is also recommended that the nature of the remedial program be jointly decided by the parent, student and school with particular attention paid to the sensibilities of the student in regard to the method, maturity and cultural relevancy of content.

And it is recommended that direct reading instruction within the classroom context be part of any upgrade attempt.

GOAL IV
SECONDARY SCHOOLS NEED TO FIND WAYS TO INTRODUCE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WILL ALLOW FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL

Recommendation 1:
Because there is evidence that First Nations students leaving school before completing Grade 12 and others who self-select themselves into easier courses, are likely deficient in the language arts upon entry into secondary school,

It is recommended that a well-defined Power Reading for Success Unit either be prefixed to existing language arts courses for all students in the first term of each school year in Grades 8, 9 and 10 or be offered as an elective course for credit. If an elective is the choice, that parents of students become party to the decision to stream youngsters into the program.

Recommendation 2:
Because evidence shows that more flexibility than is now exercised is needed to serve students at risk when academic and social needs of such student require intervention,

It is recommended that the philosophical basis upon which remedial and discipline actions are premised be examined by teaching staffs to see if the goal of school retention and success are truly being served. For instance, do automatic consequences for late assignments, poor test performance, tardiness, skipping, and absenteeism in themselves really encourage a willing participation in school?

Recommendation 3:
Because evidence suggests that many First Nations students are unable to handle homework content because they feel it is outside their ken, or that they are overloaded with homework from several courses,

It is recommended that each secondary school examine ways to assure that all assigned homework tasks are within the ken of most students, and that homework is managed in ways, which do not produce overload for most students.

It is also recommended that supervised homework completion be organized within school hours for those students who persistently are unable to get homework done at home.

And in event that the homework itself is perceived to be beyond the student's understanding, that the tasks be reduced, modified or replaced by more suitable tasks for long as the best interests of the student are deemed to be served by such an accommodation.

Recommendation 4:
Because those First Nations students in secondary grades who continue to have academic deficiencies, have often attended several schools, and have attendance, skipping and tardiness problems,

It is recommended that monthly parent contact be established as a routine by classroom teachers where academic deficits exist and that the family and student be given an opportunity to share aspirations they have regarding school before any discipline or remedial actions are taken.

It is also recommended that the nature of the remedial program planned to take place outside mainstream lessons, be jointly decided by the parent, student and school with particular attention paid to the sensibilities of the student in regard to the method, maturity and the cultural relevancy of content.

It is recommended, too, that each First Nations student at risk be listed with the proposed First Nations district-level tracking system no matter what time of year they register.

Recommendation 5:
Because there is evidence to suggest that support staff outside of classrooms are frequently not in a position to effectively support students having academic problems which arise out of classroom work,

It recommended that each secondary school examine ways in which the classroom teacher can be more reliably and more directly involved in supporting the student who is having difficulty with assigned tasks.

And because there is some evidence to show that although First Nations support workers do have contractual definitions for their roles, there is evidence that operational definitions at the school level need clarification,

It is also recommended that First Nations support workers be party to clarifying their roles in schools.

Recommendation 6:
Because feelings of alienation reported by First Nations students do not always surface so that they can then be rectified,

It is recommended that each secondary school examine ways in which these concerns may anonymously be communicated to administrators and teachers

It is also recommended that the existing district referral procedures under the Racism Policy be better communicated to students, especially those in the secondary system.

Goal V
The district needs to find ways that will more assuredly have each classroom teacher, especially social studies teachers, put First Nations perspectives into lesson plans.

Recommendation 1:
Because the Ministry has mandated that the heritage and culture of First Nation peoples be integrated into established curricula, and because no specific local guidelines nor resource support have been directly matched with prescribed curricula to take advantage the opportunities that exist,
And because our local survey of First Nations secondary students, particularly in schools where there are large numbers of them, show a need by First Nations students to have the public recognition such studies bring,
And because both First Nations and non-First Nations students need to learn mutual respect for and accept the differences between each other,

It is recommended that the district undertake an initiative to examine curricula, especially the Social Studies curriculum, in order to produce a succinct list of issues, opportunities and resources that will assist classroom teachers to implement the Ministry mandate in such a way as to assure that that all students will accost First Nations perspectives in each school year, particularly in those schools with having First Nations students.