American Indian charter school in Ore. curbs dropout rate (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

American Indian charter school in Ore. curbs dropout rate

10:31 AM PST on Monday, February 6, 2006

By KATHY ANEY, AP Contributor

MISSION, Ore. -- Upon first glance, it looks like a typical public  
school classroom. A dozen teenage students lean over their desks and  
ponder test questions while their teacher, Mary Green, grades papers  
at her desk.

File photo

Look closer and you notice some intriguing differences.

President Bush smiles from a poster on the wall, not unusual until  
you read the text below -- "wanichi Push" -- which is President Bush  
in the Umatilla Indian language.

The word joins a host of other vocabulary words including  
"yulama" (cheerleaders) and "tipawalukwilkiwilama" (football team).

Nearby, Syreeta Thompson raises her head from her paper as the baby  
in a carrier at her feet starts crying. Syreeta picks up the infant,  
rummages for a bottle and starts feeding it.

The baby is actually a life-size doll that cries periodically to  
indicate when she's stressed.

Syreeta must figure out what's wrong and respond by feeding,  
diapering or rocking her.

While the program is common in high schools to impress upon students  
how much is involved in caring for infants, this doll is a little  
different than the typical model. It's American Indian.

Outside the classroom, in the hallway, vivid posters recount  
historical events -- not the American Revolution or the Battle of the  
Bulge, rather the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Indian Removal Act of  
1830 and other events especially important in American Indian circles.

The Nixyaawii Charter School emphasizes American Indian language and  
culture. Students study native tongues, choosing to learn either Nez  
Perce, Walla Walla or Cayuse dialects.

Most of the school's 65 students are American Indian.

Chartered in July 2004, the school sought to turn around a  
horrendously high dropout rate among American Indian students and to  
bring native languages and culture back from the brink.

Principal Annie Tester, a multi-tasker extraordinaire, scrambled to  
pull a curriculum together and develop a plan of operation before the  
school's doors opened.

"There was nothing in place," she said, remembering that she went  
without pay for two months because the school had no one to take care  
of the books. "It's pretty daunting to open up a new school."

Over time, the school invented itself. Tester watched with  
fascination as the year progressed, systems were put in place and  
students responded to the school's unique curriculum.

By the end of Nixyaawii's maiden year, Tester was encouraged. Student  
dropout rates were down, grades were up and attendance statistics  
showed radical improvement.

Tester says attendance is key.

"We call. We pick them up," she said. "They don't fall through the  
cracks."

Graduation was an emotional affair. Three chiefs led a procession of  
six graduates into the gym, which was filled to capacity. Many in the  
audience brushed tears away as they listened to each student speak.

"You could feel the pride," Tester said. "The walls of the gym  
expanded with the pride."

This year, Tester's days are a blur of activity as she visits with  
students and staff, grades papers, crunches numbers, delivers lunches  
and hustles to complete a thousand other things that are part of life  
as a small school principal.

But the systems are in place, curriculum is coming together and the  
school shines brightly for other tribes who might want to follow suit.

The Warm Springs Indian Reservation has watched Nixyaawii's progress  
with interest and appears headed down the same path.

The last installment of the initial Oregon Department of Education  
startup grant of $350,000 has been paid, but the school's financial  
footing seems solid. Nixyaawii had a carry-over of more than $100,000  
this year.

Tester gets emotional when she thinks about her students and the  
strong bonds that continue to strengthen.

"They trust you if you earn their trust," Tester said. "It takes a  
while to build that."
Online at: http://www.kgw.com/education/localeducation/stories/ 
kgw_020606_edu_nixyaawi_charter_school.780beec9.html
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