“Pathways for Native Students: A Report on Washington State Colleges and Universities”

Presentation for Association of Am Colleges & Universities Diversity Conference on Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning & Pathways to Inclusive ExcellenceOctober 21-23 2010

Presenter:

Barbara Smith, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

Partnership for Native American College Access and Success ProjectFunded by Gates and Lumina Foundations

• Northwest Indian College • The Evergreen State College• Grays Harbor College• Antioch University-Seattle• Muckleshoot Tribal College

Who Wrote and WhyWho –

– An inter-agency group that represented 4 years, 2 years, regional Indian college, tribes, state government and researchers

Why – – Mis-information and gaps– Need for comprehensive look– Need for combining of data– Need for combining of Best Practices

Why is this Report and Strategy Different ?

• Produced by the schools themselves as a collaborative effort

• Cross-sector – K-20, private and public, 2 year - 4year

• A whole institution view (Student Affairs and Academics)

• Tied to a dissemination strategy

Agencies, Universities, Colleges, and Tribes Work Together

• Lots of efforts to involve all at multiple levels• Lots of efforts to circulate info• Lots of efforts to get feedback from all • Lots of efforts to find and include other’s

research• Lots of efforts to find & involve key researchers• Lots of effort to get beyond the choir

Leveraged -• Used a Writing Team that Created Leveraging

Opportunities• People and Positions• Numerous Contacts Pooled• Money• Vestment

– Build position power– Build investment – Make Commitments

• WASL pass rates• Rates of Native going from HS

to college plummets• Continuing HS dropout rates

very high• Tribal economies growing and

diversifying• Tribal Councils wanting to

employ tribal members

Environmental Issues/Need

Taking Advantage of Convergent Opportunities

• Legislative studies on the achievement gap (From Where the Sun Rises report) just released

• Convergence with tribal recognition that education matters MORE

• Tribes feeling that they can influence education – passing of HB 1495

• Government to Government cooperation framework established

Decisions about how to tell the research-based story • Stories – that make it

come alive• Pictures• Data• Lively Narrative• Historical Context• Stress Best Practices• Stress Needed Arenas

of Work• Called out Exceptional

Schools

How was the Research Conducted? A Strength-Based Approach to Encourage Dialogue

• National Center for Educational Management Systems

• IPEDS• WA State Higher

Education Coordinating Board

• State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

• Tribal Statistics• 44 of Washington’s

Colleges and Universities

• Institutional Profiles

• Best Practices• Lessons Learned

How the Research was Done

• Probed existing data bases• Disaggregated data, took existing data sets and

reports, and reorganized • Template Out to all Colleges and Universities • Multiple Levels of Contact• Persistence - took real effort to gather the

information • Had to get to the right person• Usually had to have presidential support

Institutional Profiles• Statistical profile of

Native American/ Alaska Native faculty, staff, and students

• Academic courses & programs focusing on Native Americans

• Public service programs and initiatives focusing on Native Americans

• Student support services and student organizations focusing on Native Americans

• Best practices and lessons

Native Participation in Postsecondary Education in Washington State

Approximately 7500 Native American Students are enrolled in Washington Colleges and Universities

Type of Institution# Native Am/AK Students (FTE)

% Native Am/AK Faculty/Staff

Two-year public colleges 4632 1.6% Faculty

Four-year public colleges & universities

1800 0.8% Faculty

Four-year private colleges & universities

500 0.7% Faculty

Tribal College (Northwest Indian College)

690 57% Faculty + Staff

What do we know about Access & Success?• College access, retention &

completion rates low• K-20 pipeline issue• Disaggregating data impt• Stopping out common• Gatekeeper classes should

be a key focus• Basic studies/Dev Ed • Interventions work• Variation within population

12 Recommendations1. Create/support vehicles to foster collaboration

2. Support mechanisms for tribes to share3. Washington leaders must make greater investment4. Tackle financial barriers to college that remain significant5. Institutions must pay attention to the needs6. Build the pipeline - bridging the gaps between the sectors (K-12 and two-

year and four year colleges)7. Find effective approaches in gateway courses/key transition points8. Find successful approaches in underrepresented fields9. Diversifying the faculty and staff is a key element in student success10. Make linkages between needs of Native students and other underserved

populations to more efficiently address service and awareness gaps 11. Maintain a long term focus on Native student success12. More research and data is needed to fully understand challenges and

effectiveness of institutions and programs. Involve Native stakeholders in holistic evaluation strategies, continuous improvement and dissemination.

A Report is Only a Report Unless…

• People Read & Act on it • Widely Circulated to the Right

People• Reaches Important Opinion

Leaders & Change Agents• Has a Dissemination Strategy • Backed up by Influential

Funders

Productive Competition

• Bandwagon Effect

• Don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Many ideas transferable

• Comparisons and Contrasts

• Surfaces Hidden Gems

• Showed Programming that was Innovative and Works

Dissemination Strategies and Feedback

• Pathways Conference-Where, why & impact

• Mail to Institutions & Tribes-Top down and bottom up

• Suggested Distributions Lists-Libraries, IR , VPs, Tribal orgs, councils/ed Offices, Agencies, Foundations, Gov Office, OSPI

• Convening role groups • Presentations

Impacts

• Awareness Raised• Governors Indian Office • Indian Education Offices

using as guidance• Other States asking to

repeat process• Got beyond the choir• Am Indian Graduate

Magazine & elsewhere…

Responses to the Pathways Report

• Value rating of 4.81 on 5 point scale• 98% would recommend to others• Of special value: best practices, data all in

one place, comprehensiveness, stories, institutional profiles, contact information, seeing how institutions are working together

Why Is Diversity Not Discussed More?

• Commitment Shallow at Various Levels

• Financial Pool Threatened • Misperceptions about what is

doable • Advocates isolated from the

decision making structure• Roles seen in a narrow way • Need to remake org geography

Is this Project Repeatable??• Other Groups• Other States /regions/provinces

Questions

Barbara Leigh Smith, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA smithb@evergreen.edu