It’s been more than 40 years since the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has had a director of American Indian Education Services.
That’s according to the most recent report by the State Advisory Council on Indian Education.
Tiffany Locklear, the council chairperson, spoke about the issue during a state board of education meeting this month.
“This position is important because we need someone to hold leadership accountable to make these culturally responsive practices become apparent in these classrooms,” Locklear said.
The person in this role would consult and collaborate with tribes, DPI, and various organizations to improve education opportunities for these students. They would also work to ensure Indian Education Formula Grant (Title VI) funds from the U.S. Department of Education are being spent effectively in North Carolina.
“We don't want to just be compliant,” Locklear said. “We really want to be intentional, and we want to be making an impact.”
The council’s report shows disparities between American Indian and white students as it relates to end-of-course and end-of-grade proficiency, suspensions, and graduation. For example, the graduation rate for American Indian students is almost five percentage points lower than white students in the state.
“By failing to address these achievement gaps, we risk continuing the cycle of disadvantage that continues to have lasting effects on the lives of American Indian students and their communities,” Locklear said.
Nearly 16,000 American Indian and Alaskan Native students were enrolled in North Carolina public schools last year.
Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.